Lab Members

Kaila Stipancic, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
Dr. Stipancic is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences at U.B. and the Director of the Buffalo Oromotor, Speech and Swallowing (BOSS) Lab. Broadly, Prof. Stipancic studies how the brain controls the muscles of speech and swallowing and the perceptual, acoustic, kinematic, and neurophysiologic consequences of neurodegenerative disease on these functions. She has particular interest in the measurement of relevant clinical outcomes, such as speech intelligibility, and in improving therapeutic options to improve the quality of life of patients with oromotor impairments.

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Emma Fitch, B.A.
Emma is a first-year M.A. student of Speech-Language Pathology. She joined the BOSS Lab because she is interested in research pursuing new procedures and examinations to evaluate swallowing. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a medical speech-language pathologist specializing in swallowing disorders. Emma’s hobbies include skiing, embroidery, and exploring new places with friends.

Ellie Schieltz, M.A.
Ellie is a first year PhD student and recently joined the lab in August 2024. She completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from UNI as well. Her main research interests are motor speech disorders and degenerative diseases. In the future, Ellie hopes to work at a university, either teaching or performing research. Ellie is from Peosta, Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, crocheting, and spending time with animals.

Julia Szczepanski, B.A.
As a graduate student clinician in speech-language pathology at U.B., I am eager to explore how neurological conditions impact speech and swallowing function, particularly through perceptual, acoustic, kinematic, and neurophysiologic analyses. I am especially interested in understanding how stability and variability influence clinical outcome measures, such as speech intelligibility, and how we can improve assessment techniques to enhance patient care. By engaging with research that examines motor control and its disruptions, I aim to develop a deeper understanding of how data-driven insights can inform effective interventions. My career goal is to bridge research and clinical practice, ensuring that measurement techniques accurately capture the complexities of oromotor impairments and lead to more targeted, evidence-based treatments. In my free time, I enjoy trying to cook new recipes, watching the latest reality TV show, and reading mystery novels!

Brianna Odrzywolski, B.A.
Brianna has a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences and is pursing her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology starting in the Fall of 2025. Brianna joined the lab to learn more about research and oromotor speech impairments. In the future, she hopes to become a speech pathologist in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In her free time, Brianna enjoys hanging out with friends and family, going to Bills games (Go Bills!) and traveling.

Kelly Gates, M.A., CF-SLP
Kelly worked in the BOSS Lab from January 2023 to May 2024, after graduating from UB’s graduate program of Speech-Language Pathology. Her thesis aimed to calculate the minimally detectable change of speech intelligibility using three different reliability measures. Kelly has since moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she is working to complete her clinical fellowship at the Emory Voice Center.

Abigail Makofske, B.A.
Abbie is in her second year of her M.A in Speech-Language Pathology at UB, and worked in the BOSS Lab from November 2023 to May of 2024. Her research interests include aphasia and cognitive-communication disorders in adults as well as motor speech/swallowing disorders. After graduate school, Abbie hopes to work in a hospital or rehabilitation setting.