Ava Ng

Major: Communication Sciences

Graduation Year: 2025

What are you doing this summer?

I’m in Omaha, Nebraska, working in the Audiovisual Speech Processing Lab at Boys Town National Research Hospital. We are learning about the impact of audiovisual speech cues and different noise levels on listening effort in children. 

How did you find out about this opportunity?

I met my research mentor, Dr. Kaylah Lalonde, through the IMPACT program. We had been working together as a mentor-mentee pair, and I had mentioned being interested in a summer research experience, so she helped me coordinate a research internship in her lab!

What has been your favorite experience so far?

It has been an amazing experience so far, and I have learned a lot about working in a lab on a research project! I have been able to work on an abstract, run participants and collect data for a current project, and get to learn more about the amazing research being conducted in the field.

I have also been able to shadow speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Everyone at Boys Town is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their work, and I am grateful to be able to work with my research mentor, Dr. Kaylah Lalonde– it has inspired me to consider a career in research.

What are you looking to get out of this experience?

I am looking forward to sharing the results of this study and my experience working in the lab with others in the field!

What’s your best piece of advice for students who might be looking for a similar opportunity?

Reach out to researchers to ask them about their studies and ways to get involved in their lab. Many are excited to share their work with others and would love to have passionate students with similar interests help out!