Director
LAURA COCO, PhD, AuD, CCC-A
Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Dr. Coco is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Audiology at San Diego State University, and a faculty member of the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Audiology. Dr. Coco’s research focuses on identifying disparities in the delivery of hearing healthcare services and developing strategies to improve access to, and equity of, audiology care for marginalized populations. Her specialty is using a Community Based Participatory Research approach to engage community members, including Community Health Workers, in co-developing culturally relevant interventions, and leveraging technology, including telehealth, to address access barriers.
Graduate Students
TIANA WEEKS
Lab Manager
Tiana is a 3rd year graduate student in the SDSU/UC San Diego joint Doctoral Program in Audiology. She is originally from Oakley, CA and graduated from Sacramento State University in 2020 with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Tiana’s research interests include finding solutions to better severe underrepresented populations, aural rehabilitation, and telehealth.
ELIANA MARVIZON
Eliana is a 2nd year graduate student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Audiology. She is originally from Los Angeles and graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Linguistics specifically Speech and Language Sciences. Eliana’s research interests are in Bilingualism and Hispanic communities.
COLTEN MOUZEN
Colten is a 1st year graduate student in the SDSU/UC San Diego joint Doctoral Program in Audiology. He is originally from Vincennes, a small rural town in southern Indiana. He graduated from Indiana University in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences while also completing minors in Spanish and History. His research interests include language barriers and how that can impact audiologic assessment, rehabilitation and treatment, and most importantly accessibility to these services.
CHRIS RODRIGUEZ
Chris is a first year graduate student in the SDSU/UCSD joint AuD program. He is originally from Oak Hills, a small desert town in Southern California. Chris graduated from SDSU in 2023 with a BA in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, and a minor in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. Research Interests are in over the counter hearing aids, auditory evoked potentials, and cytotoxicity.
Undergraduate Students
MAGDALEN ACKER
Pronouns: She/Her
Magdalen is a 4th year undergraduate student at San Diego State University majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is originally from New York and moved to San Diego to attend SDSU. Her research interests are in service accessibility, heavily focused on improving people’s access to Audiology. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Doctorate in Audiology at San Diego State University and become a practicing Audiologist.
ARIEL ESCAMILLA
Ariel is a 4th year undergraduate student at San Diego State University majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is a native San Diegan, originating from the Chula Vista area of South Bay. Her research interests are in the areas of OTC hearing aids and hearing loss, using methodology and theories, as well as accessibility of Audiological services. After graduating SDSU, I plan to pursue a career in Audiology. After graduation, Ariel plans to pursue a career in Audiology.
KATE BROWN
Kate is a 4th year undergraduate student at San Diego State University majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is originally from Asheville, North Carolina. She transferred from San Diego Mesa College with an associates degree in Sociology. Her research interests are in vestibular research. She hopes to be a part of this research to discover creative solutions for conditions like vertigo, Meniere’s disease and other balance related concerns. After graduating from SDSU, Kate plans to take a gap year before pursuing a Doctorate in Audiology at San Diego State University.
Alumni
GABRIELA SANCHEZ
Lab Volunteer
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Gabriela was an undergraduate student from 2020-2022. She is from San Diego and graduated from SDSU with a degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and is now volunteering in the CERCA lab. Her research interests include equity and accessibility of audiological care in marginalized communities with an emphasis on Hispanic and Latino populations. She most recently participated in the initial research stages of a small study focusing on noise induced hearing loss and farmworker populations along the Arizona/Mexico border. After gaining more experience in the field, Gabriela plans to attend graduate school and apply to Doctoral programs in Audiology.