Dr. Rispoli Receives Hill Award
Dr. Matthew Rispoli, a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, has received the 2012 Phyllis J. Hill Award for
Exemplary Mentoring in the Edmund J. James Scholar Program. The award was announced at the 2012 Spring College Meeting on May 3rd. Dr. Rispoli joined
the faculty in 2007. He previously taught at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and Northern Illinois University. His research
focuses on how children acquire language and how their linguistic abilities develop. He is particularly interested in the development of grammar and
sentence production.
In nominating Dr. Rispoli for the award, speech-language pathology student Amy Strohman said she her critical thinking skills had “grown exponentially”
since she began working with him. “He pushes me to continually ask questions and to look at all aspects of a study,” she said. “He offers me the right
amount of guidance to reach my goals.” Amy lauded Dr. Rispoli as an exemplar in teaching, research, and public engagement. “In addition to being extremely
knowledgeable,” she said, “he loves what he teaches and wants to instill this passion for learning in others. When he reaches out to the community through
his research in the Applied Psycholinguistics Lab, he is always open to questions and wants to be as informative as possible to the general public.”
The Phyllis J. Hill Award for Exemplary Mentoring in the Edmund J. James Scholar Program is an annual award recognizing excellence in the guiding and
mentoring of students throughout their James Scholar experience. Named for the beloved teacher and administrator in the College of Applied Health Sciences,
the award is just one of many faculty and student awards and honors that are made possible through the support of alumni and friends of the College of
Applied Health Sciences, and we thank you.