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Posted: 9/13/18

TAMIU Research Poster Receives National Award

 

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Dr. Sumalai Maroonroge  

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) student research opportunities are yielding great rewards.

Recently, a research proposal was awarded a Meritorious Poster designation by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention Program Committee.

Out of 2,122 poster submissions, only 51 were selected for this recognition. The research poster, “Global Noise Map Contours of Educational Facility: Comparison & Implications” was chosen by the committee and lauded for its exceptional and innovative research.

Student research authors were Sophia De Los Santos, Amber Palos, Santiago Pérez and Yared Rodríguez. The students were led by TAMIU associate professional Dr. Sumalai Maroonroge.

The poster will be presented during the upcoming ASHA Convention in Boston Nov. 15-17. The annual convention serves as the foremost professional event for speech-language pathologists, audiologists and speech, language and hearing scientists.

The award-winning study investigated noise levels within various educational settings around the world. The analysis used sound level meters and smartphone apps to obtain measurements to create noise map contours.

The initial analysis indicated that noise levels differed in selected countries. The average level was 59 decibels, which exceeds the American National Standards Institute and World Health Organization specifications. Their efforts highlighted the need for public awareness in an effort to optimize student-learning environments.

Dr. Maroonroge asserts the importance of these research investigations and how participating in these endeavors benefits University students. She noted that students often decide to attend graduate school after their research experiences. In 2017, three University students were accepted into the doctor of audiology programs at Lamar University and the University of North Texas, she noted.

Additionally, two separate research poster submissions, “Emotional Perception of Auditory, Visual and Combinations in Native versus Non-native Speakers” and “Can Auditory Emotional Intelligence be Improved with Training?” were accepted for presentation at the ASHA Convention.

The studies outlined various topics pertinent to speech-language and hearing sciences. The research focused on detecting emotional perception across cultures and emotional intelligence among university students.

Additional student authors included Hsiao-Chuan Chen and Tracey Ramos.

For additional information, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180.

University information is also available online at tamiu.edu and on its social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.