Our experienced NECHEAR staff is comprised of professionals who have extensive expertise in implementing and managing rehabilitation programs for infants, children, and adults with hearing loss. Our team is composed of audiologist, speech language pathologists, and listening and spoken language specialists.
Audiologists
Jennifer Cox
AuD, CCC-A, Audiologist, Co-Director
Jennifer received her training at the University of Connecticut’s Childhood Hearing Impairment Program. Her areas of expertise include provision of aural (re)habilitation services and pediatric diagnostic testing. She focuses on collaborating with families, therapists, educators, and physicians to provide quality, individualized hearing healthcare to her clients. Jennifer’s research interests include best practices for early intervention and access for children with hearing loss in the mainstream. She is the director of the NECHEAR PALs program.
Fun facts: Jennifer likes to climb mountains and go to Farmer’s Markets with her family.
Kristin Dilaj
AuD/Ph.D, CCC-A, Audiologist, Co-Director
Kristin received her training at the University of Connecticut. Her areas of expertise include cochlear implant programming and pediatric diagnostic testing. She is co-chair of the Connecticut Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Task Force and president of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology. Kristin’s research interests include cochlear implant programming and access for children with hearing loss in the mainstream. She is the director of the clinical program at NECHEAR.
Fun facts: Kristin loves UCONN basketball, dancing and traveling with her family.
Liadan Weaver
Au.D., CCC-A
Upcoming Details Await Your Discovery
Alison Marinelli
Au.D./Ph.D., CCC-A
Ali received her training through the dual degree program at the University of Connecticut. She also completed an audiology fellowship and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) training at the Westchester Institute for Human Development in Valhalla, New York. At NECHEAR, Ali is an aural rehabilitationist and clinical audiologist. Her research centers on the psychosocial well-being of individuals with hearing loss. She is the President of the Eastern Connecticut Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and on the executive board of the Hear Here Hartford HLAA Chapter.
Fun fact: Ali loves being outside! You can often find her working in her gardens, hiking all over New England, or reading in her hammock.
Aural Habilitation Therapists
(Professionals with expertise in promoting spoken language in children that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing)
Diane Brackett
Ph.D, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist
Diane is Co-Founder of the New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation . Diane and her partner, the late Dr. Toni Maxon, were the Directors of the Childhood Hearing Impairment Program at UCONN. They had a vision of creating a warm, relaxed clinic where children with hearing loss, and their families, could receive specialized care; they succeeded with NECHEAR. Her publications, presentations, and areas of interest focus on mainstreaming hearing impaired children, bilateral cochlear implants in prelingual adults and children, early cochlear implant use, and auditory-based language learning in children with hearing loss.
Fun facts: Diane is an avid reader. She likes to spend time with her dog, Oliver, and her husband.
Jessica Hasbrouck
MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS, Cert. AVT
Jessica is a Speech Language Pathologist and Auditory Verbal Therapist at the New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation. Her areas of interest include mainstreaming children with hearing loss, spoken language development through listening, and the role of rehabilitation in device programming. Jessica is also the current President of the Connecticut Chapter of AG Bell.
Fun Facts: Jessica loves ballroom dancing, cooking, and travelling.
Emily Potrzeba
M.S. CCC-SLP
Emily is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation.
She received her Masters degree at the University of North Carolina, where she completed a training grant specializing in Pediatric Hearing Loss. Emily has worked at NECHEAR since 2016 when she moved back to her home state of Connecticut. She enjoys collaborating with families and professionals to provide individualized aural habilitation services for infants through school-aged students with hearing loss. She currently serves on the board of the Connecticut Chapter of AG Bell.
Fun facts: Emily likes to paint, hike, and visit local breweries. She also loves cheering on the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins!
Shea Bailey
M.S., CF-SLP
Shea is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation.
She received her Bachelors degree at the University of Connecticut and Masters degree at Nova Southeastern University. Shea worked in the public schools before joining NECHEAR. Her areas of interest include speech and language acquisition in children with hearing loss, educational impacts of hearing loss and treatment of articulation disorders in children with hearing loss.
Fun Facts: Shea has lived in Connecticut her whole life (except for one summer in college when she lived in London!) and loves everything about living in New England. Shea is a die hard UConn basketball fan and you will find her cheering at many games throughout the season.
Listening & Spoken Language Specialist
Allison Malerba
M.E.D., CTRS
Upcoming Details Await Your Discovery
Danielle Paquin
M.E.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd
Danielle received her Masters degree at Smith College in Northampton, MA. She taught preschol and elementary school at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children in San Antonio, Texas, for twelve years. She recently returned to her native Connecticut and is excited to work with hearing impaired children at NECHEAR. Danielle has been very active with AGBell, presenting at numerous conventions, serving as a board member of Texas AGBell, and participating on the planning committee. She has also served on a planning committee for an LSLS Symposium. Danielle is also a bilateral cochlear implant user.
Fun facts: Danielle is an athlete and has competed in Iron Man races and triathlons. Part of the reason she moved back to New England was to cheer on the Red Sox! Danielle prefers wearing colorful CI processors!
Danielle Jarjura
MS, CCC-SLP
Upcoming Details Await Your Discovery