Faculty and Staff

• U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State University
• Professor 
• Areas of Interest: Alternative and Augmentative Communication, Working Memory, Bilingualism
• Office: MB 2115
• Phone: (510) 885-2631
• E-mail: elena.dukhovny@csueastbay.edu 
• View Faculty profile

Dr. Elena Dukhovny is a Professor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She received an M.A. in CSD from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Cognition and Development, with emphasis in Special Education, from University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Dukhovny is a licensed clinical speech-language pathologist who has worked in school-based, private practice, non-profit and university settings since 2002, with a focus on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Her recent research has focused on developing effective support systems for para-educators who work with users of speech-generating devices (SGDs).  Previously, she has also explored the effects of SGD interface design on procedural learning and therefore on fluency of language production via SGD.   

• San Diego State University
• Associate Professor
• Program Director
• Areas of Interest: Aphasia Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity/Neuromodulation, Neuroimaging
• Office: MB 2121
• Phone: (510) 885-3215
• E-mail: michelle.gravier@csueastbay.edu 
• View Curriculum Vitae
• NRRL (Neurocognitive Research on the Rehabilitation of Language) Lab

Dr. Michelle Gravier received her M.A.-SLP and Ph.D. from San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Her clinical experience and research focus are in adult acquired language disorders with a specialty in neuroimaging.  She has practiced in a variety of medical settings, most recently VA Pittsburgh’s Program for Residential Aphasia Treatment and Education (PIRATE). Dr. Gravier’s research aims to: (1) identify factors that determine which individuals with aphasia are good candidates for restorative language treatments and non-invasive brain stimulation, and (2) examine the relationships between structural and functional brain plasticity, language treatment, and aphasia recovery.

• City University of New York
• Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair
• Areas of Interest: Bilingualism, Language Production, Neurolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Cognition, Aging
• Office: MB 2109
• E-mail: eve.higby@csueastbay.edu 
• View Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Eve Higby directs the Multilingualism Lab at Cal State, East Bay, and mentors a number of undergraduate and graduate students in research projects. She completed a B.A. in Spanish, with certificates in Linguistics and in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, from Florida International University and a Ph.D. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, with a concentration in Cognitive Science, from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, followed by a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Her research sits at the intersection of linguistics, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and communication disorders. She studies language production and comprehension in bi/multilinguals and older adults, the role of cognition in regulating language, and the neural underpinnings of language and cognitive processes.

• Florida State University
• Professor, Associate Dean of College of Health
• Areas of Interest: Autism, Family-Centered Early Intervention, Personnel Preparation, Disability Justice
• Office: SF 302
• E-mail: shubha.kashinath@csueastbay.edu
• View Faculty profile

Dr. Shubha Kashinath is a Professor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and the Department’s Continuing Education Administrator. She is a Research Development Faculty Fellow at the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and is Co-Director for the Center for Disability Justice Research: Health Equity, Education, and Creativity. She received an M.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Florida State University. Dr. Kashinath's research is focused on individuals with autism across the lifespan, family centered early interventions, personnel preparation in speech language pathology and issues related to disability justice.  She has over 24 years of clinical experience serving families of young children with disabilities.

• University of Texas at Austin
• Assistant Professor
• Areas of Interest: Fluency and Fluency Disorders, Bilingualism, Psycholinguistics
• Office: MB 2111
• E-mail: zoi.gkalitsiou@csueastbay.edu
• Bilingual Suttering and Linguistic Processing Lab

• University of California, Irvine
• Assistant Professor
• Areas of Interest: Bilingualism, Language and Literacy, Multiculturalism
• Office: MB 2119
• E-mail: alejandro.granados@csueastbay.edu
• View Faculty Profile

Dr. Alejandro Granados Vargas (he/él) is an assistant professor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at California State University East Bay. He completed a B.A. in English and Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology with a Bilingual certificate at The University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Education at the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Human Development in Context. As a first-generation doctoral graduate and proud son of Mexican immigrants, he is deeply committed to serving minoritized communities through his teaching, mentorship, and research. He worked as a bilingual speech-language pathologist at a dual language Spanish/English immersion school in California. His research focuses on the language and literacy practices of Latin@/x/e communities at the intersection of multilingualism, multiculturalism, and disability through qualitative inquiry.

• University at Buffalo
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Diagnostic Audiology, Auditory Electrophysiology, Inner Ear Immunology
• Email: celia.zhang@csueastbay.edu

Celia Zhang earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from University at Buffalo. She continued her studies at the University at Buffalo where she earned her dual doctorate, Au.D. and Ph.D. in Communicative Disorders and Science. Dr. Zhang is passionate about engaging with students with exciting lectures and hands-on labs, sharing her enthusiasm for learning, and inspiring future generations of clinicians. Dr. Zhang holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (F-AAA).

• University of Nevada, Reno
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Clinical Supervision and childhood language development
• Office: MB 2119
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• Email: jocelyn.whittemore@csueastbay.edu

Jocelyn Whittemore has been practicing as a speech-language pathologist for 9 years in the Bay Area. Her areas of interest include clinical supervision and childhood language development, particularly later adolescence and early adulthood. Throughout her time in public schools she has focused on working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, as well as students with complex communication needs including those with extensive support needs and complex medical diagnoses. The opportunity to supervise student interns and clinical fellows has allowed Jocelyn to find her passion for mentorship and professional development. She has been a lecturer for undergraduate and graduate courses.

• San Diego State University and University of San Diego joint doctoral program
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Bilingualism, Alzheimer's diseast, and aging
• Phone: (510) 885-3233
• Email: dalia.garcia@csueastbay.edu

Dalia Garcia has been practicing as a speech-language pathologist for just under a year now. She earned her PhD from the joint doctoral program between San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. Her areas of interest are bilingualism, aging, and Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, Dalia is interested in how bilinguals' language control changes as a result of aging and AD. She currently serves as a lecture for the graduate program. 

• Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Adult Acute SLP specializing in swallowing disorders
• Office: MB 2119
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• Email: cheri.sexton@csueastbay.edu

• Northeastern University
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Childhood language development, clinical supervision and mentorship, cognitive-communication, and professional communication
• Office: MB 1099
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• Email: zehra.husnain@csueastbay.edu

• California State University, Los Angeles
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Early Intervention
• Office: N/A
• Phone: (510) 885-3233 
• Email: sanam.rezvani@csueastbay.edu

• University of Oregon
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Speech Sound Disorders, Diagnostics, Child Language, bilingual children’s speech and language
• Office: MB 1580
• Phone: (510) 885-3233
• E-mail: jill.potratz@csueastbay.edu

Dr. Potratz received her Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Oregon after a career as a school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Dr. Potratz’s research has focused on improving the objectivity of SLPs’ speech and language evaluations in two main lines: examining how SLPs perceive non-native English-speaking children’s speech when conducting speech intelligibility assessments and exploring the optimal elicitation method for language sample analysis in bilingual children.

• Lecturer
  Areas of Interest: Aphasia, Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA), Clinical Leadership and Supervision, Mental Health Support for People with Aphasia, Aphasia Education and Community Awareness
• Office: MB 1099
• Phone: (510) 885-3233
• Email: giti.cira@csueastbay.edu

• California State University, East Bay
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Bilingualism, Sensory Feeding, and AAC
• Office: NB 1099
• Phone: (510) 885-3233
• E-mail:angela.montes@csueastbay.edu

Angela Montes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA is an Assistant Director of Speech Services at East Bay Child Development Center (EBCDC) in San Leandro, CA. She received her M.S. in Counseling with an option in Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) in 2010 and later completed her M.S. in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences from CSUEB in 2024.  Her clinical work focuses on pediatric sensory-based feeding and AAC, with a particular emphasis on supporting Spanish-speaking children and families. As a first-generation college graduate and proud daughter of immigrant parents, her interests include bilingualism and her master’s thesis investigated how well graduate training programs and/or specialized certificate programs are preparing multilingual speech and language clinicians to deliver services in a minority language (i.e., a language other than English).  Angela has over 20 years of clinical experience serving neurodivergent individuals and their families.   

Amber Richardson directed the Aphasia and Neurogenic Communication Disorders Special Clinical Program at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Martinez, CA where she developed programs across the continuum of care to address needs of patients with communication disorders resulting from stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Her clinical interests include aphasia and motor speech disorders, instrumental dysphagia assessment and treatment, and the role of the SLP in palliative and end of life care. Amber completed her Bachelors of Science in Psychology at the College of William and Mary, her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from California State University East Bay, and Doctor of Speech Language Pathology (SLPD) from Northwestern University.

Amy Travers received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Lewis and Clark College and her Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University. Since 1999, she has worked in various settings including public and private schools, multi-disciplinary clinical environments, and private practice identifying and addressing the language and learning needs of children with neurological disorders, developmental disorders, and complex medical conditions.
Amy's passion lies in identifying and meeting the complex needs of neurodivergent children. She has provided Independent Educational Evaluations throughout northern California, provided teacher and administrator inservices, guest lectured at San Jose State University, and worked with multi-disciplinary teams to implement multi-modal supports for behavioral, sensory, and emotional regulation; receptive and expressive oral and written language; and pragmatic skills for pre-school through high-school aged children.

• Northwestern University
• Aphasia Treatment Program Director, Lecturer
• Clinic Coordinator, Online MS SLP Program
• Areas of Interest: Aphasia, Dysphagia, Health Literacy
• Office: MB 1566
• Phone: (510) 885-3246
• E-mail: sophia.kanenwisher@csueastbay.edu 

• California State University, East Bay
• Clinical Supervisor
• Areas of Interest: Dysphagia, Aphasia, Palliative and end of life care
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• Office: MB 1099
• Email: stephanie.johnson@csueastbay.edu

 Stephanie Williams is a speech pathologist with 10 years of experience across healthcare settings throughout the lifespan. She completed her undergraduate degree in Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies at Fresno State and her Master’s of Speech Pathology from California State University, East Bay. She returned to her alma mater as a clinical supervisor with the Aphasia Treatment Program in 2023. In addition to clinical supervision, she continues to work as a medical speech pathologist in the home health and acute care settings with a clinical interest in the SLP’s role in palliative care teams and palliative and end of life dysphagia management. She holds Designations from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) in Communication, Dementia Care, and Symptom Management. She is SPEAK OUT! Certified, a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), and a quality of life enthusias

• Brooklyn College CUNY, California State University, East Bay
• Clinical Supervisor
• Areas of Interest: Adult neurogenic communication disorders, pediatric language disorders, neurodiversity-affirming practices, family-centered intervention, clinical supervision, multilingual/multicultural populations
• Office: N/A - Teletherapy Only
• Phone: 510-214-3868‬
• Email: claire.ibrahim@csueastbay.edu

Claire Ibrahim has been practicing as a speech-language pathologist since 2010 in a variety of educational and medical settings across East Bay. Her areas of interest include adult neurogenic communication disorders and pediatric language disorders, with particular focus on multilingual populations. Claire is the Founder of East Bay Child Development Center, San Leandro - a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy center and preschool serving over 300 families annually. Claire provides services in English, Spanish, and Arabic.  She is excited to return to clinical supervision at CSUEB, where she looks forward to mentoring graduate student clinicians and sharing insights from her diverse clinical and leadership experience.

• Intermittent Clinical Supervisor
• Areas of Interest: Augmentive and Alternative Communication, multilingualism
• Office: MB 1099
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• E-mail: alma.haropartida@csueastbay.edu 

Alma Haro-Partida is a bicultural/bilingual school-based Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in AAC. Alma received her Master’s degree from San Jose State specializing in AAC through the Project AACes grant. She also obtained her assistive technology certification from UIC-Chicago’s online program. Additionally, she is a graduate clinical supervisor and lecturer for CSUMB and CSUEB. Alma has presented at CSHA, ASHA, ATIA, SLP Summit, and various other organizations through her work as co-creator of Bilingüe AAC, a website dedicated to highlighting resources for multilingual AAC users.

Sogol earned her Bachelor's in Speech Pathology and Audiology and her Master's in Speech Pathology from California State University, East Bay. She has worked in both private practice and school settings, serving clients of all ages. In addition to providing direct treatment, Sogol has held leadership roles and specializes in teaching social competencies.

• Intermittent Clinical Supervisor Spanish-English Bilingual 
• Areas of interest: Early intervention, clinical mentorship, public education
• Office: MB 1099
• Phone: (510) 885-3241
• Email: latisha.rodriguez@csueastbay.edu

• University of Texas, Dallas
• Lecturer
• Areas of Interest: Dysphagia, swallowing physiology, neurological diseases, clinical decision-making, public health systems, pedagogy for clinical skill development
• Office: MB 1099 
• Email: jillianemarai.lagus@csueastbay.edu

Jilliane is a Clinical Supervisor-Intermittent Pool in the Adult Clinic at California State University, East Bay, where she supports graduate students in becoming confident, thoughtful clinicians. Her Socratic, individualized approach uses questions, reflection, and clinical reasoning to help students tailor care to each patient and family.
Jilliane is also a doctoral candidate and speech-language pathologist whose work connects swallowing physiology, clinical practice, and health systems. Her dissertation focuses on dysphagia care for people with Parkinson’s disease in skilled nursing facilities. Off duty, she enjoys writing with fountain pens, raiding Little Free Libraries, and exploring the lovely California outdoors— with much love to Texas (which was home for five years) and its famously enthusiastic summers.

• University of California, Santa Barbara
• Aphasia Treatment Program Program Specialist
• Areas of Interest: Neurogenic Communication Disorders, Group Treatment of Aphasia, Life Participation Approach to Aphasia, Communicative Access
• Office: MB 1564
• Phone: (510) 885-3336
• E-mail: ellen.bernstein-ellis@csueastbay.edu

Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, former Aphasia Treatment Program Director, developed the Aphasia Tones© choir in 2009, a Life Participation singing group. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from UC Santa Barbara. She received her initial clinical training at the Martinez VA Medical Center with Dr. Robert T. Wertz where she was a clinician investigating teletechnology as a means to provide aphasia therapy. She worked at Easter Seals Outpatient Rehabilitation Center in Oakland and was the primary clinician on Dr. Roberta Elman’s Efficacy of Group Treatment study. She facilitated conversation groups at the Aphasia Center of California for over 10 years and helped to develop the Book Connection, a program focused on making popular literature accessible for individuals with aphasia. Her area of expertise is group treatment for neurogenic communication disorders. Ellen is the 2014 recipient of a Certificate of Recognition from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association for Special Contributions to Higher Education, and the 2019 recipient of the Innovator Award from the professional organization, Aphasia Access.

• Department Administrative Support Coordinator
• Rees Clinic Office Manager
• Office: MB 1099A
• Phone: (510) 885-3233
• E-mail: tiffany.ramoneda@csueastbay.edu

Tiffany comes to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Cal State East Bay.  She has taken several courses in linguistic anthropology, which provides some overlap with topics in the profession of speech pathology. Tiffany started this position in December of 2022 and looks forward to assisting the students in this new area of specialty, along with the faculty and staff, as well as providing support to the community speech clinic. Since joining the department, Tiffany has become involved in the campus community and is honored to be co-chair and representative of Administrative Support Staff for the newly formed President's CSU East Bay Staff Council, co-chair of the Chicanx/Latinx Staff and Faculty Association, a member of the President's Equity Council, and a member of Partnership for University Latine/x Success & Opportunity (PULSO).