Who We Are
We are proud to be Newfoundland and Labrador’s first podcast dedicated to conversations about stuttering and communication differences. As part of the Communication Collaborative, we work to destigmatize speech and language challenges by celebrating linguistic diversity and promoting acceptance. Through interviews, storytelling, and community engagement, we aim to raise awareness about the lived experiences of people who stutter, while offering insights from experts, advocates, and people with communication disorders. Join us as we create a safe, supportive space for open dialogue and learning about all the ways we communicate.
Meet the Team
Greg O’Grady is host of the Some Stutter, Luh! podcast and is also a person who stutters. Greg was born in Gander, NL but relocated to Toronto, ON for work. After retirement, Greg returned to his home province. While in Toronto, Greg created the ‘A million things I need to say 1K/ 5K Walk, Run and Roll for Stuttering Awareness’, which is now held in Newfoundland once he returned.
With help from dedicated volunteers, Greg co-founded the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association in 2018. This association is dedicated to bringing support and information to the stuttering community of Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLSA and its amazing team work towards helping people who stutter develop and maintain a positive self-image while also helping their families, professionals, and allies become more knowledgeable about stuttering.
Dr. Paul De Decker is a sociolinguist in the Department of Linguistics at Memorial University. His research includes SSHRC-funded, qualitative and quantitative studies of linguistic variation and language change in varieties of English spoken in Newfoundland and Labrador, including differences across region and time. His interests in sociolinguistic practices (i.e. patterns of language behaviour, attitudes, and ideologies) that emerge with non-standard and stigmatized speech styles led him to partner with the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association (NLSA) to investigate the sociolinguistics of stuttering and speech disfluency under the Communication Collaborative.
Luca Dinu is a transcriptionist and producer for Some Stutter, Luh! He holds a BA in linguistics from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and has transcribed for a number of linguistics-related podcasts, including Field Notes and The History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences Podcast. He is also the co-author (with Paul De Decker) of the open textbook Digital Media Essays for Research and Communication, available on Pressbooks.com.
Maryam Shoghi obtained her MA in Linguistics from the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies in Iran. She is interested in how culture impacts the experience of stuttering. Maryam hopes to shed light on the social and cultural dimensions of stuttering, providing valuable insights for people who stutter, their families, and the broader community. She believes that a better understanding of stuttering from a socio-cultural perspective can help to reduce stigma, increase awareness, and create a more inclusive society for all.
Laura Howell is a producer and cohost of Some Stutter, Luh! Her academic interests explore the intersection of sociolinguistics, dialects, communication blocks and the neuroscience of how and why communication differences often lead to and interact with discrimination, prejudice, and socioeconomic stability. She’s a PhD Candidate at Memorial University, supervised by Dr. Paul De Decker in the Department of Linguistics and Dr. Benjamin Zendel at the School of Medicine. Laura lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, with her husband and two children.
Amanda Tiller-Hackett is the Humanities Collection Development Librarian in the Collection Strategies Division at the Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland. She’s also a wife and mother of two. Amanda did some coursework in Linguistics during her undergraduate degree, and currently manages collections in Linguistics as part of her professional duties. Amanda is also a person who stutters. While her stutter has become managed in adulthood, fluidity will probably always be something she has to work for. Being a member of this team allows Amanda to become part of a conversation that holds great personal significance to her, and also part of an admirable effort to normalize stuttering, and to create a deeper understanding of stuttering in our province and beyond.
Sarah Kristian Perry is a dedicated educator and lifelong learner transitioning from academia to software development. Passionate about bridging communication barriers, she is currently honing full-stack development skills with the aim of working in community collaboration and language revitalization.
Mykayla is the SSL social media manager. She maintains and shares info across all of our social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok.
Ocean McCord is an MA linguistics student at Memorial University of Newfoundland. They are interested in social justice and how to reduce harm related to language. They did their BA in linguistics at Carleton University, where they did an undergraduate thesis on neopronouns.
Mehdi holds a PhD in Linguistics from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, Iran. Currently, he is an assistant professor at Chabahar Maritime University in Iran. He is interested in Phonetics and Cognitive Linguistics. His PhD dissertation was on Compensatory Lengthening in Modern Persian from a Cognitive Usage-Based phonological perspective.
Team Alumni
We are deeply grateful for everyone who has contributed to this podcast over the years. Here, we recognize our former team members whose dedication and creativity will not be forgotten.