News

Dante Cilento to be inducted to the BU Scarlet Key Honor Society

Stepp Lab undergraduate research assistant Dante Cilento has been selected to be inducted to the BU Scarlet Key Honor Society!

For 80 years, the Scarlet Key Honor Society has been the highest honor awarded to Boston University student leaders. Inductees are students in their senior year who have exhibited exceptional leadership among their peers during their years at Boston University. Selection for Scarlet Key is based on excellence in University student activities and organizations, commitment, involvement in the individual’s School or College, and in scholarship.

The Scarlet Key Honor Society was founded in 1938 as an activities honor society, in which new members were voted in—or tapped—annually by existing members. Initially, members tapped their future inductees on the shoulder to hand them their induction ceremony invitation. The formal initiation ceremonies took place each spring and fall. Today, BU faculty and staff nominate potential inductees annually in the spring for fall tapping, followed by a formal induction ceremony during Commencement Weekend in May.

Congratulations, Dante!

Jake Noordzij presents at the 2018 BME Senior Design Project Conference

On May 4th, the Stepp Lab researcher Jake Noordzij presented his work in collaboration with Haiyun Xu and Boston University's Hearing Research Center at the annual Senior Design Project Conference. Their project, --entitled "Testing the Cortical Algorithm in Simulated Cocktail Party Environment"-- focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a neural network model to mitigate the impact of the cocktail party problem. Neat work!

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Congratulations, Dr. McKenna!

Congrats to Dr. Victoria McKenna, who passed her dissertation defense entitled "The Relationship between Physiological, Acoustical, and Perceptual Measures of Vocal Effort." She will be furthering her academic career as a post-doctoral researcher at Purdue University under the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Huber.

Victoria McKenna in front of her defense presentation

Various lab members posing with Victoria McKenna

Victoria McKenna presents at the 3rd Annual Boston University Data Science Day

Victoria McKenna was one of 15 students chosen to present her research at the 3rd Annual Boston University Data Science Day, held on Friday January 26th. She presented a two-minute lightning-talk and poster presentation on the relationship betweenphysiological mechanisms and the self-perception of vocal effort. 

Victoria McKenna and a fellow student standing in front of her research poster.