Lab Members
Gerasimos Fergadiotis
Lab Director & Professor
He/Him/His
​Gerasimos Fergadiotis Ph. D.,​ CCC-SLP, lab director and principal investigator, has primary interests in aphasia and cognitive assessment and rehabilitation. He received his Ph. D. in Speech & Hearing Science from Arizona State University in 2011 and is currently a Professor at Portland State University.
Curriculum Vitae
Mikala Fleegle
Research SLP
She/Her/Hers
Mikala Fleegle is a Research Speech-Language Pathologist whose primary role is to coordinate research on an NIH-funded grant focused on building computer algorithms for automatic classification of paraphasias in post-stroke aphasia. Her clinical/research interests include assessment and treatment of adults with neurogenic communication disorders. Outside the lab, Mikala enjoys hiking, camping, biking, and knitting.
Stacey Steel
Research SLP
She/Her/Hers
Stacey Steel is a Research Speech-Language Pathologist coordinating research on an NIH-funded grant focused on creating a computer adaptive confrontation naming test to assess the nature and severity of anomia in people with aphasia. She is interested in the assessment and rehabilitation of adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. Stacey enjoys painting, practicing floral design, cooking, and hiking.
Student Researchers
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Celeste Sinko
Undergraduate Research Assistant
She/Her/Hers
Celeste Sinko is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She joined the lab in Winter 2022 and is particularly interested in speech sound disorders and aural rehabilitation. In her free time, Celeste enjoys running, hiking, reading, and crocheting.
Krystal Francisco
Undergraduate Research Assistant
She/Her/Hers
Krystal Francisco is a Senior pursuing a B.S. in Speech and Hearing
Sciences. She has a personal connection to aphasia and joined the lab in summer 2024. Her primary interests are in serving
our aging population and children. In her free time, Krystal enjoys
making a mess, also referred to by some as baking.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Celeste Sinko
Undergraduate Research Assistant
She/Her/Hers
Celeste Sinko is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She joined the lab in Winter 2022 and is particularly interested in speech sound disorders and aural rehabilitation. In her free time, Celeste enjoys running, hiking, reading, and crocheting.
Maria Tinio
Undergraduate Research Assistant
She/Her/Hers
Maria is a student at Arizona State University, studying Speech and Hearing Sciences. She is graduating with her Bachelors in December, 2023, after which she will pursue her Masters in Speech Language Pathology. In her free time, Maria enjoys crocheting and painting.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Shane Symons
Graduate Research Assistant
He/Him/His
Shane is pursuing his Master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. He obtained a B.S. in Speech Pathology & Audiology at Miami University in Ohio. Shane joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to get experience in research. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and listening to podcasts.
Layaal Khellah
BUILD EXITO Scholar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
She/Her/Hers
Layaal Khellah is pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science at Portland State University. She joined the lab in Fall 2022 and is excited to integrate programming with medicine to aid clinicians in serving their patients. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and the outdoors.
