Growing up in Chicago, Christina Ellis was introduced to the Spanish language through friends, neighbors and family members who shared traditions, celebrations and cultural experiences with her.
Now a fourth-year integrative science and Spanish dual major and Bunton-Waller Scholar, Ellis has found ways to combine her passion for language with her interests in science and medicine.
Her research journey began during her first year in the Brain Tracking Lab led by Distinguished Professor of Spanish, Linguistics and Psychology Paola "Giuli" Dussias. There, Ellis tracked eye movements and conducted behavioral testing to better understand how people process and predict language while learning a second language.
"It was very student-focused," Ellis said. "I was able to work directly with participants and gain hands-on experience."
After a year in the lab, Ellis was selected by the U.S. National Science Foundation's Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) fellowship program. The program, housed in the Center for Language Science in the College of the Liberal Arts, provides opportunities for linguistics students to conduct international research.
Ellis spent eight weeks in Granada, Spain, conducting research while earning academic credit and attending seminars and lab meetings at the University of Granada.
"The experience lit up my world because I've always dreamed of going to Spain," she said.
