CAROLYN QUAM

DR. CAROLYN QUAM

Dr. Carolyn Quam is an Associate Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University, where she directs the Child Language Learning Center (CLLC). Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Quam is a proud graduate of Spanish immersion (Bellevue Public Schools, Washington State), which fueled her interest in bilingual language learning. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 2004 and her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. Following postdoctoral research at UC San Diego and the University of Arizona, she returned to the Northwest to join the PSU faculty in 2016.
Dr. Quam's research uses a variety of behavioral methods, including eye-tracking, to study how children and adults apply what they know about speech sounds to learn and recognize words—and how this might differ across age, language backgrounds, and learner groups. She has researched these topics for over 15 years since earning her Ph.D. Another area of strong personal interest is laboratory mentorship and classroom teaching that aim to reduce barriers of access to careers in science for students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. This passion for mentoring traces back to her experience as a “Big Sister” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.