Culturally SMART Fellowship

The purpose of the Culturally SMART Fellowship is to increase cultural competence in communication sciences & disorders clinical research and to provide hands-on research experience in multicultural issues to historically underrepresented students via representative mentorship.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to participant as a fellow, you must be:
1) A full-time graduate student enrolled in a communication sciences & disorders program or related discipline
2) In good academic standing (will be verified by unofficial transcripts)
3) A member of a historically underrepresented population in STEM

Program Details

FALL
Part I - Cultural Competency Curriculum
Module1: Cultural Competence in SLP
Module 2: Culturally Responsive Clinical Research
Module 3: Assessment & Intervention Considerations
Module 4: Multicultural/Multilingual Issues & Advocacy

Part II - Research Experience
Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in various aspects of a research protocol (e.g., recruitment, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of findings). During the Fall semester, fellows will develop a research project and submit an abstract to a conference based on their findings.

SPRING
Part II - Research Experience (con't)
One of the most important parts of research is the dissemination of the research findings. If their abstract is accepted, fellows will present their research at a conference in the Spring semester. They will also have the opportunity to submit a research article to a peer-reviewed journal as an alternative, or in addition to, a conference presentation.

2022-2023 Fellows

Alleyiana Brown

Alleyiana Brown is a second-year Master’s student at Howard University from Kansas City, MO pursuing her M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She graduated from the University of Central Missouri with her Bachelor’s in Speech-Language Pathology in May of 2021. She enjoys combining creativity with client care and continuously learning to evolve as a clinician. She is passionate about serving, leading, and advocating for individuals across the lifespan with diverse multicultural backgrounds in various settings. Alleyiana hopes to use her compassion and curiosity to research and treat individuals impacted by communication differences and disorders.

L. Iman Scott

L. Iman Scott graduated with a B.S in communicative disorders from Jackson State University in 2022. She is continuing her education and pursuing a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of the District of Columbia. She is most interested in pursuing research with the goal to highlight and close the gap in the inaccessibility of speech and communication services for marginalized communities.

2021-2022 Inaugural Fellows

Research Project: The Subjective Impact of Post Traumatic Stress on Cognitive-Communication in Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Children & Adults Not Pictured: Nell Drummy (UDC)

Deja Bulluck

I am Deja Bulluck, a Washington, DC native and avid reader. I am a graduate clinician from the University of the District of Columbia interested in concussion management and supporting my clients to meet their goals and improve their quality of life. Following graduation, I will go on to become a clinical researcher, working in both a medical setting and a research lab. By continuing to conduct research, I will be able to decrease the implementation gap between gathering evidence and incorporating it into therapy.

Brittney C. Ford

My name is Brittney C. Ford. I am originally from San Diego, California. I am a second-year graduate student at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). My area of interest is working with clients across the lifespan with related issues to feeding and swallowing disorders, ideally in a medical setting. In addition to Culturally S.M.A.R.T. I currently serve on the UDC NSSHLA executive board as the Social Chair for the 2022-2023 school year. My future endeavors as an SLP consist of opening a private practice and pursuing my clinical doctorate degree.

Bejani Turley

My name is Bejani Turley. I am originally from Los Angeles, California. I am a second-year graduate student at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). I am interested in working with individuals across the lifespan in the hospital, private practice, and virtual settings. I am passionate about multicultural intervention and educating individuals about speech-language pathology. Post-graduation, I aspire to specialize in pediatric dysphagia while continuing my research endeavors by obtaining a clinical doctorate.