Ver�nica Gil Twaddle
PROFILE
Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education with Cum Laude and International Honors from the Universidad de La Laguna, Spain. Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the nation by the Government of Spain. Passionate about designing e-learning software, developing early detection and prevention tools for learning difficulties, curriculum development instructional, and progress monitoring.
Spanish • E-Learning • Learning Disabilities • Curriculum-Based Measurement • Progress Monitoring • Data Analysis • SPSS • EYE & PEN Software • R • MedCalc • Writing Assessment • Instructional Training • Literacy Education • Response to Intervention model (RtI) • Intervention • Standardized Testing
EXPERIENCE
International Researcher, United States, Latin America & Spain 2012 – Present
• Active member of The Learning Disabilities, Psycholinguistics, and New Technologies research team (DEAP&NT) directed by Dr. Juan E. Jimenez.
• Collaborated in the creation and design of the curriculum and post-doctoral degree program, The Specialized Diploma in Teaching Reading (DIPELEC).
• Designed, coordinated, managed, and standardized the screening and progress monitoring tool, Indicators of Basic Early Writing Skills (IPAE), for Spanish monolingual and bilingual elementary school students which included 639 from Spain and 475 from Texas.
• Implemented the screening and progress monitoring tools, Indicators of Basic Early Math Skills (IPAM), and Indicators of Basic Early Reading Skills (IPAL) for 150 schools and over 8,000 students in Spain.
• Collaborated in the design, training, and implementation of the Early Grade Writing Assessment Tool (EGWA) for the United Nations (UNESCO) which was funded by both the Spanish Government and Russian Federation. Created for individual assessment of students’ foundational writing skills in Spanish with a cross-sectional design of 1,653 elementary school students.
• Assisted in the implementation of Assessment Battery of Dyslexia in Adults (BEDA), a computer-assisted tool developed with web-based technology for the assessment of cognitive processes of university students with dyslexia (i.e., phonological awareness, orthographic processing, processing speed, lexical access, working memory and semantic processing).
• Supported in the creation of The Letter Program (www.programaletra.ull.es), The Primate Program (www.primate.ull.es), and The Trazo Program (www.trazo.iaas.ull.es). E-Learning tools which provided pre-school, elementary and special education teachers with online instructional materials for teaching reading, math, and writing in Spanish. Successfully piloted in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Professor, Universidad de la Laguna, Spain 2014 – 2018
• Lectured post-graduate degree program, Specialized Diploma in Teaching Reading (DIPELEC), focused on training international psychologists, speech therapists, K-6/special education teachers to improve their instruction of reading in Spanish.
• Trained the screening and progress monitoring assessments based on the scientific research of early detection, prevention, and intervention (RtI model).
Assistant Professor, Universidad de la Laguna, Spain 2013-2017
• Lectured over 350 undergraduate students in Speech Therapy, Psychology and Early Childhood Education in Tenerife, Spain.
• Guest-lectured in the Specific Learning Difficulties, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Language Disorder Intervention Course in La Palma, Spain.
• Spoke at over 20 national and international scientific conferences.
International Ph.D. Candidate, UT, Austin, United States. 2014 – 2016
• Collaborated with Sylvia Linan-Thompson (Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences) who co-directed Veronica's dissertation.
Speech Language Pathologist, Spain 2010 – 2011
• Performed and documented initial patient exams and determined appropriate diagnoses.
• Intervened in speech/language disorders, autism, learning disabilities, literacy, social interaction, school counseling and difficulties with cognitive functions (attention, memory, problem-solving).
• Identified and properly documented goals, evaluated progress and planned reevaluation of patients.
EDUCATION
Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain 2012 – 2017
Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education with Cum Laude with International Honors
Evaluation Committee: Dr. Rosa del Carmen Flores Macías (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Dr. Ariel Cuadro (Universidad Católica del Uruguay)
Dr. Rui Alexandre Alves (Universidade do Porto, Portugal)
Dr. Olga María Alegre de la Rosa (Universidad de La Laguna, Spain)
Dr. Alicia Díaz Megolla (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain)
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States 2014 – 2016
International Ph.D. Candidate
Universidad de la Laguna, Universidad de Almería and Universitat de València, Spain 2010 – 2011
Master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience and Special Needs Education
Instituto Técnico de Estudios Aplicados, Málaga, Spain 2010 – 2011
Master's in Clinical and School Speech Therapy
Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain 2007 – 2010
Bachelor's in Speech and Language Therapy
PUBLICATIONS & AWARDS
Author and co-author of over a dozen internationally acclaimed publications in journals and books in the fields of Early literacy Assessment, Learning Disabilities, Cognitive Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Publication List: ------------/0000-0002-4462-2990
2013-2017 Full Doctoral Scholarship
• Awarded full doctoral tuition and research funds by the Government of Spain.
2013 The Award of Excellence
• Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the nation by the Government of Spain.
2011 The Award of Excellence
• Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the Universidad de La Laguna, Spain.
PROFILE
Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education with Cum Laude and International Honors from the Universidad de La Laguna, Spain. Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the nation by the Government of Spain. Passionate about designing e-learning software, developing early detection and prevention tools for learning difficulties, curriculum development instructional, and progress monitoring.
Spanish • E-Learning • Learning Disabilities • Curriculum-Based Measurement • Progress Monitoring • Data Analysis • SPSS • EYE & PEN Software • R • MedCalc • Writing Assessment • Instructional Training • Literacy Education • Response to Intervention model (RtI) • Intervention • Standardized Testing
EXPERIENCE
International Researcher, United States, Latin America & Spain 2012 – Present
• Active member of The Learning Disabilities, Psycholinguistics, and New Technologies research team (DEAP&NT) directed by Dr. Juan E. Jimenez.
• Collaborated in the creation and design of the curriculum and post-doctoral degree program, The Specialized Diploma in Teaching Reading (DIPELEC).
• Designed, coordinated, managed, and standardized the screening and progress monitoring tool, Indicators of Basic Early Writing Skills (IPAE), for Spanish monolingual and bilingual elementary school students which included 639 from Spain and 475 from Texas.
• Implemented the screening and progress monitoring tools, Indicators of Basic Early Math Skills (IPAM), and Indicators of Basic Early Reading Skills (IPAL) for 150 schools and over 8,000 students in Spain.
• Collaborated in the design, training, and implementation of the Early Grade Writing Assessment Tool (EGWA) for the United Nations (UNESCO) which was funded by both the Spanish Government and Russian Federation. Created for individual assessment of students’ foundational writing skills in Spanish with a cross-sectional design of 1,653 elementary school students.
• Assisted in the implementation of Assessment Battery of Dyslexia in Adults (BEDA), a computer-assisted tool developed with web-based technology for the assessment of cognitive processes of university students with dyslexia (i.e., phonological awareness, orthographic processing, processing speed, lexical access, working memory and semantic processing).
• Supported in the creation of The Letter Program (www.programaletra.ull.es), The Primate Program (www.primate.ull.es), and The Trazo Program (www.trazo.iaas.ull.es). E-Learning tools which provided pre-school, elementary and special education teachers with online instructional materials for teaching reading, math, and writing in Spanish. Successfully piloted in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Professor, Universidad de la Laguna, Spain 2014 – 2018
• Lectured post-graduate degree program, Specialized Diploma in Teaching Reading (DIPELEC), focused on training international psychologists, speech therapists, K-6/special education teachers to improve their instruction of reading in Spanish.
• Trained the screening and progress monitoring assessments based on the scientific research of early detection, prevention, and intervention (RtI model).
Assistant Professor, Universidad de la Laguna, Spain 2013-2017
• Lectured over 350 undergraduate students in Speech Therapy, Psychology and Early Childhood Education in Tenerife, Spain.
• Guest-lectured in the Specific Learning Difficulties, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Language Disorder Intervention Course in La Palma, Spain.
• Spoke at over 20 national and international scientific conferences.
International Ph.D. Candidate, UT, Austin, United States. 2014 – 2016
• Collaborated with Sylvia Linan-Thompson (Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences) who co-directed Veronica's dissertation.
Speech Language Pathologist, Spain 2010 – 2011
• Performed and documented initial patient exams and determined appropriate diagnoses.
• Intervened in speech/language disorders, autism, learning disabilities, literacy, social interaction, school counseling and difficulties with cognitive functions (attention, memory, problem-solving).
• Identified and properly documented goals, evaluated progress and planned reevaluation of patients.
EDUCATION
Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain 2012 – 2017
Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education with Cum Laude with International Honors
Evaluation Committee: Dr. Rosa del Carmen Flores Macías (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Dr. Ariel Cuadro (Universidad Católica del Uruguay)
Dr. Rui Alexandre Alves (Universidade do Porto, Portugal)
Dr. Olga María Alegre de la Rosa (Universidad de La Laguna, Spain)
Dr. Alicia Díaz Megolla (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain)
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States 2014 – 2016
International Ph.D. Candidate
Universidad de la Laguna, Universidad de Almería and Universitat de València, Spain 2010 – 2011
Master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience and Special Needs Education
Instituto Técnico de Estudios Aplicados, Málaga, Spain 2010 – 2011
Master's in Clinical and School Speech Therapy
Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain 2007 – 2010
Bachelor's in Speech and Language Therapy
PUBLICATIONS & AWARDS
Author and co-author of over a dozen internationally acclaimed publications in journals and books in the fields of Early literacy Assessment, Learning Disabilities, Cognitive Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Publication List: ------------/0000-0002-4462-2990
2013-2017 Full Doctoral Scholarship
• Awarded full doctoral tuition and research funds by the Government of Spain.
2013 The Award of Excellence
• Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the nation by the Government of Spain.
2011 The Award of Excellence
• Awarded top speech therapist graduate in the Universidad de La Laguna, Spain.