Dr. Mercedes Spencer

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Mercedes Spencer is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in the School of Communication, specializing in cognitive-behavioral aspects of reading development. She holds a PhD in Psychology from Florida State University and completed her postdoctoral training in Special Education at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on understanding the cognitive correlates associated with reading comprehension difficulties in children. She employs various methodologies, including latent variable structural equation modeling and meta-analysis, to explore children's language and literacy development. Spencer is particularly interested in how executive function and attention skills might serve as early indicators of reading comprehension challenges, aiming to identify and prevent future reading problems. Her work has made significant contributions to the field, including publications on specific reading comprehension deficits and their underlying cognitive profiles.

Research Interests

Awards

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Rebecca L. Sandak Young Investigator Award

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Early Career Award

Courses

CSD 304: Statistics Communication Sciences Disorders CSD 404: Experimental Design Statistics Communication Sciences Disorders

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.