College of Science Announces Inaugural Rieke Prize Recipient
The College of Science is pleased to announce Dr. Elena Plante as awardee of the inaugural 2025 Rieke Prize. Through a generous gift from Marcia and George Rieke, this prize was established to recognize and reward excellence in research demonstrated by faculty members in the College of Science.
Dr. Elena Plante, recipient of the 2025 Rieke Prize.
Dr. Plante is a Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She conducts research primarily in developmental language disorder (DLD) - a brain-based lifelong communication disorder that is present in up to 7% of people. Dr. Plante’s work in this area began over 30 years ago with investigations of the neural mechanisms of DLD using cutting edge imaging techniques. Her research then expanded to include the cognitive learning mechanisms that explain language acquisition and how these mechanisms function in people with DLD.
More recently, Dr. Plante has focused on improving the accurate diagnosis of DLD and development of novel intervention techniques for its treatment. Her work has been funded continuously since 1992 by grants from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institute on Aging, and the Institute for Educational Science.
Dr. Plante has a long record of exemplary service to the profession of speech-language pathology. Her election to the role of Vice-President for Science and Research of the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) reflects the respect of her science and leadership by her peers across the U.S. She has also served on the Language and Communication review panel for the National Institutes of Health, has been a member of the Research Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and Scientific Affairs Committee of ASHA, and has been a leader of ASHA’s Lessons for Success Program – an NIH funded program that trains early-career scientists in grant writing and professional issues.
Dr. Plante is also a steadfast contributor to the University. She has served as Department Head, member and chair of College of Science Promotion and Tenure committee, speaker at the College of Science Lecture Series, and research advisor for numerous undergraduate students through programs like UBRP, MARC, SRI, and many of their predecessor programs.
Dr. Plante will be presented with the Rieke Prize on April 24, 2025, at the Galileo Circle Awards Dinner.
Three Rieke Prize honorees will also be recognized at the dinner. The honorees are Ilaria Pascucci (Planetary Science and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory), Jeff Pyun (Chemistry and Biochemistry), and Matthias Mehl (Psychology).