Director
Ashley Sanabria, PhD, CCC-SLP
Dr. Sanabria is the director of the LIBRO lab and an assistant professor in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department at San Diego State University. Dr. Sanabria is a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist with clinical experience in PreK and early elementary environments. She completed her clinical training and doctoral work at Arizona State University where she studied with Dr. Maria Adelaida Restrepo, focusing on reading comprehension interventions for dual language learners. She completed her postdoctoral work in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine with Dr. Carol Connor where she was the project director for the Early Learning Network assessment team’s development of an individual-child-level observation system (OLOS) designed to capture growth in literacy, math, and social emotional skills in the classroom. Dr. Sanabira’s research focuses on improving reading outcomes for dual language learners with language disorders, using individual- and classroom-level interventions.
Staff
John Gallagher, M.A., CCC-SLP
John is the lab manager in the LIBRO lab and a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist. He comes to the LIBRO lab from The College of New Jersey, where he served as a visiting assistant professor and continues to serve as adjunct faculty in the Department of Special Education, Language, and Literacy. John’s clinical, research, and teaching interests center around best practice for young children with language disparities and disorders and their families, with particular focuses on social justice, public policy, and collaborative practice. John earned his masters degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and a certificate in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology from San Diego State University. In his free time, John loves to travel, go to concerts, and explore new places in San Diego.
Susana Kravzov, M.A.
Susana is our research specialist in the LIBRO Lab. Her background is in special education. Susana holds a bachelors degree in human communication and a masters degree in developmental psychology with a concentration in school adjustment disorders from the Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. She practiced as a speech-language pathologist working with kids ranging from preschool to elementary school in Mexico City, and has worked with special needs students in middle school and high school for over 10 years in San Diego. Susana is invested in helping and improving bilingual students’ education. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling.
MA Student Members
Siba Al-tahan
Siba is a first-year M.A. student in SDSU’s Speech-Language Pathology Program. She is bilingual in English and Arabic and enjoys providing services to both pediatric and adult populations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking plant-based food, exercising, and exploring San Diego.
Andrea Costa
Andrea is currently a first-year M.A. student in SDSU’s Speech-Language Pathology program. She is a native San Diegan, a Spanish-English heritage speaker, and first-generation college student. Andrea received her bachelor’s degree at UC Santa Cruz, where majoring in Legal Studies and Hispanic Linguistics fueled her interests in multilingualism, social justice, and serving multicultural and multilingual populations. In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her dog and niece, eating and baking sweets, and rollerskating on the boardwalk.
Alison Eddins
Alison is a second-year MA student in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at SDSU. She is an English-Spanish bilingual speaker and has a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication Disorders and Spanish Linguistics from the University of Virginia. She enjoys reading, dancing, and spending quality time outside with her close friends
Sally Giles
Sally is a 2nd year in the speech-language pathology master’s program at SDSU. She chose to begin a second career as an SLP because she wants to be an advocate for bilingualism and language development in our local Spanish-speaking community. She is a mom of 3 bilingual kids, who loves to read, travel, hike, kayak, and eat/make yummy food.
Ce’zanne Khabbaz
Ce’zanne is a second-year M.A student in SDSU’s Speech and Language Hearing Sciences program. After grad school, she plans to work in an elementary school as an SLP. In her free time, she likes baking, exploring San Diego, and spending time with family.
Yana Kulyk
Yana is a second-year M.A. student in SDSU’s Speech-Language Pathology Program. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and is interested in serving both adult and pediatric bilingual populations. In her free time she enjoys dancing, yoga, and cooking 🙂
Yanira Madrigal
Yanira is currently a second-year M.A. student in SDSU’s Speech-Language-Pathology Program where she is especially interested in pediatric settings including early intervention, bilingualism, and literacy. She has her bachelor’s from UC Irvine in Sociology with a minor in education and speaks English and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys cooking traditional meals into vegan/vegatarian versions, gardening, reading and spending time outdoors whether actively or trying out new restaurants.
Anabel Martinez
Anabel is currently a second-year M.A. student in SDSU’s Speech-Language Pathology program interested in working with the pediatric population ranging from elementary to high school students. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and in her free time enjoys learning to cook traditional Dominican meals. She also enjoys baking, crafting, and exploring new places in San Diego.
Madi Miyake
Madi is a second year M.A. student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at SDSU. They graduated from UC San Diego in 2020 with a B.S. in Cognitive Science, specializing in Language and Culture, where they developed a love for language and social justice. When not working as a barista, Madi enjoys bullet journaling, listening to podcasts, and eating good food with friends.
Geminis Rodriguez
Geminis is a second-year M.A. student in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences at SDSU. She is a bilingual first generation student who is especially interested in pediatric bilingual and multicultural populations. Throughout her time at SDSU she aims to build community and serve as an advocate for underrepresented populations. Her drive for community and advocacy also inspired her to start an organization under the LIBRO lab called, Habla con Confianza.
Abby Ward
Abby is a first-year M.A. student in the Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences program at SDSU. She is still deciding what population she wants to serve but is passionate about literacy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing pickleball, traveling, and going to the beach.