Rebecca Alper, a postdoctoral fellow in The Duet Project: Early Engagement, Future Success in the College of Liberal Arts, has been appointed assistant professor (tenure track) in the College of Public Health’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders beginning in July 2017.

Alper, a licensed speech-language pathologist, completed an MA, a Ph.D., and a graduate certificate in biostatistics at the University of Iowa. Her research focuses on the role of clinicians and caregivers in early language and literacy interventions, including the impact of psychosocial factors on intervention outcomes. As a fellow in the College of Liberal Arts, Alper worked with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek in the Temple Infant and Child Laboratory.

“My postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Hirsh-Pasek has been a wonderful professional development experience,” Alper said. “I’ve honed my skills as a researcher, established strong connections to the Philadelphia community, and learned more about navigating an academic career.”

As she transitions into a tenure-track position at CPH, she plans to expand and adapt her work with socioeconomically at-risk children and caregivers to include children with communication disorders.

“I am very excited to apply what I have learned during my training as a researcher, clinician, and teacher as I establish my lab, develop evidence-based coursework, and tackle the big questions that motivate my research program,” Alper said. “And I am thrilled to join the College of Public Health. My future colleagues in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders are extremely talented and supportive.”