Director
Mili Kuruvilla-Dugdale
Mili Kuruvilla-Dugdale is an Associate Professor, and she directs the Speech Perception and Kinematics Lab. Her research focuses on improving foundational knowledge about speech physiology in neurodegenerative diseases, with the goal of developing more sensitive assessments. A second research area is aimed at developing optimal auditory-perceptual scaling methods for dysarthria assessment that are grounded in psychophysical principles and have strong psychometric properties. Dr. Kuruvilla-Dugdale and her collaborators are also developing innovative systems to accurately track tongue dysfunction and build personalized electronic voices for individuals with progressive speech loss. Her work is funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and has appeared in leading scientific publications.
Email: mkuruvilladugdale@uiowa.edu
Deepthi Crasta
First-Year PhD Student
Deepthi Crasta started her PhD in the CSD department in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology from Mangalore University, India, and a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from MAHE University, Manipal, India. Before beginning her PhD, she worked as an SLP with various populations in different settings in Mangalore, India. Her research focuses on understanding speech production deficits in speakers with neurodegenerative disorders and how listeners perceive impaired speech.
Fun Fact: Outside of her academic pursuits, Deepthi enjoys going to the gym and exploring cuisines from different cultures.
Email: deepthi-crasta@uiowa.edu
Thushani Munasinghe
First-Year PhD Student
Thushani started her PhD in the CSD Department and joined the SPeaK lab in 2023. She received her BSc (Hons) in Speech and Hearing Sciences in 2021 from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Her research interests include speech perception, psychophysical scaling, and the psychoacoustic properties of speech produced by individuals with motor speech disorders. Her research goal is to discover innovative approaches for the auditory-perceptual assessment of individuals with motor speech disorders.
Fun Fact: Thushani has a knack for uncovering unique recipes through experimentation with random ingredients in the kitchen!
Undergraduates
Emily Bueltel
Junior
Emily is from Altoona, Iowa. She is a Junior at the UI, majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. Emily joined the SPeaK Lab in Spring 2024, because of her interest in exploring CSD research. After graduation, Emily plans to attend grad school to get her master’s in Speech Language Pathology to either become a medical SLP, specifically in the NICU, or a private-practice clinical SLP.
Fun Fact: She can recite the whole Pitch Perfect movie!
Email: emily-bueltel@uiowa.edu
Emmersen Haugland
Junior
Emmersen is a Junior at the UI, majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. She is originally from Bettendorf, Iowa. Emmersen is interested in research to further her education and connect academic content with basic and applied research. She worked in the HANG Lab for three semesters before joining the SPeaK Lab in 2024. After graduation, Emmersen is planning on attending graduate school to attain her Masters in Speech Language Pathology. As of now, she is most interested in Pediatric Aural Rehabilitation, and is exploring all opportunities to find the right specialty for her.
Fun Fact: She played the violin for 8 years!
Email: emmersen-haugland@uiowa.edu
Skylar Yeggy
Junior
Skylar is from West Branch, Iowa. She is a Junior at the UI majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She joined the SPeaK lab in 2024. After graduation, Skylar hopes to become a speech-language pathologist to make a difference in individuals’ lives.
Email: skylar-yeggy@uiowa.edu
Amy Anil
Freshman
Amy is currently a Freshman at the UI, majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Psychology. She chose CSD because of her interest in science and helping others. Amy joined the SPeaK lab in 2023 to be involved with research on campus and learn more about speech disorders. She is excited to continue research on speech loss due to neurodegenerative diseases and make a positive impact in patients’ lives. In the future, Amy plans to attend graduate school in hopes to become a speech-language pathologist.
Fun Fact: Her favorite animal is a panda!
Email: amy-anil@uiowa.edu