Research

The Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department encourages everyone to think about including research in some form in their major. We have many options, such as attending Journal Club, where we get together to discuss cutting-edge research in our field, attending the Undergraduate Research Conference, enrolling in an Independent Study or Faculty Guided Research course with one of our faculty members, or even conducting a scientific research project as an Honors Thesis. You do NOT have to be a member of the Honors program to write an Honors Thesis in the CSD department. Research opportunities are open to ALL students regardless of GPA or Honors status. Talk to your advisor if you’re interested in our research opportunities!

If you are in the Honors program (requiring minimal major GPA of 3.8), these are the research requirements for each year of your Butler University / SLHS career:

Honors Thesis Requirements

Year 1

  • Attend journal club
  • Spring: Attend URC

Year 2

  • Attend journal club
  • Start thinking about research topic (e.g., something in SLHS that you’re interested in)
  • Spring: Attend URC

By spring of this academic year, talk to potential research advisor(s)

Year 3

  • Attend journal club; present one of the articles
  • Fall: Take Research Methods course*
  • Spring: Write honors thesis proposal – usually due in March
  • Spring: Attend URC

By spring of this academic year, start hashing out IRB proposal

Year 4

  • Attend journal club; present one of the articles
  • Fall: work on thesis research
  • Spring: write honors thesis
  • First thesis draft – due around February
  • Penultimate thesis draft due around March
  • Final thesis due around April
  • Spring: apply to present at URC – January or February
  • Spring: prepare presentation and attend URC – usually in April

Also think about applying for other research conferences (talk to your advisor about this)

(Honors Thesis credit: register for 499 either semester)

Honors Thesis

Butler Undergraduate Research Conference (URC):

  • Traditionally the 2nd Friday in April
  • Submissions accepted beginning January, usually due in February 

Undergraduate Research Grants

Honors Thesis Grant ($500 max)

Deadline:

  • For proposals approved in the spring semester the deadline for grant submission is September 1. 
  • For proposals approved in the fall semester the deadline for grant submission is October 30.

Travel to Present Conference Grant ($250 max)

  • Deadline: The proposal should be submitted on the first of the month, at least one month prior to planned travel.

Butler Summer Institute (can apply for summer following any year other than senior)

  • 12-week summer research program, pays room & board and a stipend
  • November/December: statement of intent
  • January: proposal due
  • *If you are a psychology or neuroscience minor or double-major, you might be required to take Research Methods in the psychology department. Please see your potential advisor if this is the case – you will need to start developing your research topic in preparation for the proposal directly with your advisor.

Child Language Lab

In the Child Language Lab at Butler University we study language development in monolingual and bilingual preschool-aged children. The purpose of our research is to contribute to our understanding of the language learning difficulties of some children, and help improve the ways in which we provide intervention for these children. We see children in our lab on campus in Jordan Hall as well as at local schools and daycares. Butler undergraduate students have the opportunity to learn hands-on about a variety of aspects of the research process in our lab.

Our most recent studies investigate word learning in children with language disorders.

Music, Speech, and Language Lab

The Music, Speech, and Language Lab explores the development of music and spoken language in children and adults. We are focused on three main areas:

  • Interactions between caregivers and children with and without hearing loss
  • Audiovisual contributions to perception of spoken language
  • Effects of music listening on language and cognition skills in adults with dementia

Undergraduate students can participate in these projects in many ways, ranging from volunteering in the lab to completing an Honors Thesis.

Contact tbergeso@butler.edu to learn more!

Pediatric Feeding Lab

The Pediatric Feeding Lab investigates the development of feeding and swallowing skills in infants and young children. The focus of our work is examining feeding in context: relative to environment, experience, and cross-system development. 

Undergraduate students can participate in feeding projects in many ways, ranging from volunteering in the lab to completing an Honors Thesis.

Contact rehahn@butler.edu to learn more!

Examples of Recent Thesis Projects

2023-2024
Abigail Dame, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Effects of Music of Sustained Attention in Children Who Stutter

Sarah Mahnesmith, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Media Mayhem: Effects of Electronic Media and Hearing Loss on Language Development

Luke Meyer, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Musical Syntactic Achievements in Patients with Non-fluent Aphasia

Hope Horsfall (health sciences major), undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
The Development of Misophonia from Onset to College Age

2022-2023
Lexi Schell, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Aphasia-friendly Reading Comprehension Training to Enhance Nutritional Literacy

Hannah Schafer, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Effects of facemasks and virtual lecture environments on speech recall

Samantha McDonald, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
A Comparative Look at How Professionals Perceive Social Communication Intervention for School-aged Children

Kaylin Todor (biochemistry major), undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
The Effects of Multisensory Music Experience on Sundowning Symptoms in Adults Diagnosed with Dementia

2021-2022
Kate DesBiens, undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
The influence of improv experience on uncertainty tolerance, social anxiety, and communication in adolescents on the autism spectrum

Celia Gaynor (2nd major in Strategic Communication), undergraduate honors thesis, Butler University
Kicking the way through a global pandemic: How NCAA Division I soccer players and institutions have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and related protocols