Elizabeth D Peña

Elizabeth Peña, PhD, CCC-SLP, F-ASHA, is a professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. A certified speech-language pathologist and Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Dr. Peña is internationally recognized for her contributions to bilingualism and the assessment of developmental language disorders in linguistically diverse populations. Her research focuses on differentiating language impairment from language difference, with particular emphasis on dynamic assessment and semantic development in bilingual children. Dr. Peña is the lead developer of the Bilingual English Spanish Assessment (BESA), a tool designed to reduce cultural and linguistic bias in language evaluations. She has also received ASHA Honors of the Association for her groundbreaking work in the field. Dr. Peña’s scholarship continues to shape clinical practice and policy, advancing equity in speech-language services for bilingual learners.