People

Lab Director, Dr. Anthony D. Koutsoftas

profPhoto1_SHU20111-300x214Dr. Anthony D. Koutsoftas is the director of the Reading, Oral Language, and Writing Lab (ROW-Lab) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Seton Hall University. He earned his Bachelors degree from New York University, his Masters from Teachers College, Columbia University, and his PhD in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Arizona State University. He worked for five years as a school-based SLP for the NYC Department of Education.  His research interests include reading, writing, and oral language development in typical and atypical populations, as well as the relationships between these skills. He is a big fan of chocolate chip cookies and always tries to match his attire and his PowerPoint presentation. He has published in peer reviewed journals including: Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, Educational Research, Perspectives in School-Based Issues, and The Elementary School Journal. He has presented at conferences including the American Speech Language Hearing Association, the Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, and the Society for Scientific Studies in Reading.
– Curriculum Vitae, here.
– Follow Dr. Koutsoftas and the ROW-Lab on Twitter (@thespeechguy) and Facebook, using the buttons to the right.

Stefanie Joffe, Project Coordinator

Stefanie Joffe is the Project WILLD Coordinator, a development and innovation study of a writing intervention for children with language-based learning disabilities. She earned her Bachelors Degree from Syracuse University, her Masters in Education from Rutgers University, and her Masters in Speech and Language Pathology from Seton Hall University. She worked for three years as a school-based speech-language pathologist for the Union City Board of Education in New Jersey. After having her first child, she worked for three years providing Early Intervention Services for children birth to 3 years of age. Most recently, she worked for a private practice. She has three sons.

Elizabeth McCollum, Graduate Research Assistant

Elizabeth McCollum is a research assistant for Project WILLD, a development and innovation study evaluating a writing intervention for children with language-based learning disabilities. She is in the process of earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education and has a second major studying Social and Behavioral Sciences. Elizabeth is on the speech-language pathology track and plans on earning a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology following undergrad. She is a rising junior at Seton Hall.

Amy Jacobsen, Graduate Research Assistant

Amy Jacobsen is a research assistant for the ROW lab. She graduated from Seton Hall University in 2023 with a B.S. in Elementary/Special Education. Amy is a second-year graduate student pursuing her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Seton Hall University. She comes with educational experience both as a student teacher and clinical intern treating students for speech therapy. She has clinical experience with students with multiple disabilities in a specialized school setting as well as Pre-K students with disabilities in a public school setting. Her clinical experience covers vast domains including language therapy, augmentative alternative communication (AAC), feeding/swallowing, articulation, writing, literacy, and social pragmatics. Amy is also a Project Transitions scholar at Seton Hall University. Project Transitions granted Amy a unique opportunity to work with a select handful of SLP and OT graduate students as they participated in a year-long curriculum to receive training on working collaboratively with teachers, parents, and other professionals to support educational transitions, outside-of-school transitions, microtransitions and macrotransitions for school age children with ASD.