Speech-Language Pathology
COMPASS Lab
Communication, Optimization, Multilingualism, Patient Education, AI & Speech Science
The COMPASS Lab is a human-centered research and clinical innovation lab dedicated
to advancing communication, learning, connection, and quality of life for individuals
and families across diverse communities.
Grounded in the values of compassion, evidence-based practice, cultural responsiveness,
and interdisciplinary collaboration, COMPASS Lab explores how research, education,
technology, and clinical science can work together to support meaningful communication
outcomes across the lifespan.
Led by the collective expertise of Dr. Kim Sabourin, Dr. Isabelle Barrière, Dr. Siena
Sun, and Dr. Mengyang Qiu, the lab integrates perspectives from speech-language pathology,
multilingualism, cognitive and language sciences, speech sciences, clinical education,
and AI-supported innovation.
Faculty strengths include bilingual and multilingual communication, stuttering and
other fluency disorders, language and literacy development, clinical pedagogy, communication
sciences research, and emerging applications of artificial intelligence in education
and healthcare.
At COMPASS Lab, we believe communication is more than a clinical skill—it is a pathway
to connection, participation, identity, and opportunity!
Research Areas
- Multilingualism, Bilingualism & Cultural Responsiveness led by Dr. Isabelle Barriere
- Stuttering and Other Fluency Disorders led by Dr. Kim Sabourin
- AI, Education & Clinical Innovation led by Dr. Mengyang Qiu and Dr. Siena Sun
- Feeding & Swallowing Practice led by Dr. Siena Sun
- Speech Sound Disorder led by Dr. Siena Sun
- Cognitive and Language Sciences led by Dr. Mengyang Qiu
- Natural Language Processing in Language Disorders led by Dr. Mengyang Qiu
- Family-Centered Care, Mentorship & Translational Research led by Dr. Kim Sabourin,
Dr. Siena Sun and Dr. Mengyang Qiu
Student Presentations
- Sara NassrElgrgawi, Poster presentation at 2026 SEU Interdisciplinary Research Symposium:
“Is AI Ready for SLP?”
- Sara NassrElgrgawi, Oral presentation at the 2026 NJSHA Convention: “How Is AI Being
Used Across Communication Disorders? A Review of the Research”.
Contact Information
COMPASS Lab: slpresearch@steu.edu
Dr. Kim Sabourin: ksabourin@steu.edu
Dr. Isabelle Barriere: ibarriere@steu.edu
Dr. Siena Sun: ssun@steu.edu
Dr. Mengyang Qiu: mqiu@steu.edu
