Lei Sun

Lei Sun, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Sun is a first-generation immigrant who moved to the U.S. in her late 20s. She completed her B.A. and M.A. in Taiwan before changing her career path to become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Dr. Sun speaks Mandarin Chinese as her first language and English as a second language. Before joining CSULB in 2011, she was a school-based SLP, primarily working in preschools and elementary schools. Dr. Sun is passionate about Developmental Language Disorder, language-based learning disability, and evidence-based practice.

Dr. Sun has been teaching various undergraduate and graduate courses on developmental and acquired language disorders across the lifespan since joining CSULB in 2011. In addition, she has been heavily involved in department-level administrative work, including being the graduate advisor between 2020 and 2024, undergraduate mentor between 2016 and 2019, and NSSLHA chapter faculty advisor between 2011 and 2016. Most of her energy has been devoted to department-level work since joining CSULB, such as chairing students’ theses, chairing chair/TT/lecture searches and evaluations, and leading the restructure and development of numerous undergrad and graduate courses. Dr. Sun served on several CHHS committees such as the Professional Leave and Sabbatical Committee, Graduate Council, Educational Policy Council, Awards and Scholarship Committee, and Faculty Council. Dr. Sun also actively advocates for monitories, especially AAPI communities, by participating in the APIN, East Asia Subcommittee and serving as co-president (2019-2021) and executive board member (2022-2024) on the API SLP Caucus. She was a member of the CSHA Diversity and Inclusion Committee between 2019 and 2022.

  • Ph.D. in Communication Disorders and Sciences, University of Oregon
  • M.S. in Communication Disorders and Sciences, University of Oregon
  • M.A. in Communication, Shih Hsin University (Taiwan)
  • B.A. in Political Science, National Taipei University (Taiwan)

  • Developmental language disorder
  • The relationship between language and cognition
  • Speech sound disorders

  • SLP 456 Introduction to Speech Sound Disorders
  • SLP 662 Seminar in Language and Literacy Disorders in School-Age Children and Adolescents
  • SLP 663 Seminar in Preschool Language Disorders and Speech Sound Disorders

  • Daughrity, B., Sun, L., Fitzgerald, A., & Konrad, S. (2024).Professional Identity in Speech-Language Pathology Students. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups- Issues in Higher Education, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_PERSP-24-00043
  • Huang, T., Du, Y., Sun, S., Ito, N., Sun, L., Yu, B., Cheng, L-R, & Chiou, H. (2024). Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in speech-language-hearing sciences. Perspectives on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_PERSP-24-00071
  • Fitzgerald, A., Konrad, S., Daughrity, B., & Sun, L. (2023). Healthcare students' perceptions of professional identity and program support. Studies in Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2232381
  • Hung, P-F, Brock, K., Sun, L., Hanson, J., Larsen, S., & Small, C. (2023).  Perceived factors that facilitate or prevent the use of speech-generating devices in bilingual individuals with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(4),1644-1664. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00235
  • Sun, L. (2023). Speech sound remediation. In J. Ostergren & M. Vento-Wilson. Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: A resource manual (3rd ed., pp. 405-430). Plural Publishing.
    • Sun, L. (2019). Speech sound remediation. In J. Ostergren. Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: A resource manual (2nd ed., pp. 361-386). Plural Publishing.
    • Sun, L. (2014). Speech sound remediation. In J. Ostergren. Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: A resource manual (pp.355-379). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.
  • Yu, B., Nair, V., Brea, M., Soto-Boykin, X., Privette, C, Sun, L., Khamis, R., Chiou, H., Fabiano-Smith, L., Epstein, L., & Hyter, Y. (2022). Gaps in Framing and Naming: Commentary to “A Viewpoint on Accent Services.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00060
  • Hung, P-F., & Sun, L. (2022). Semantic Processing and Word Finding Difficulty Across the Lifespan: A Practical Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists. Plural Publishing. https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publications/semantic-processing-and-word-finding-difficulty-across-the-lifespan-a-practical-guide-for-speech-language-pathologists  
  • Sun, L., & Hung, P-F. (2018). School-based speech-language pathologists clinical decision-making processing in the state of California. Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy. 3(2). DOI: 10.4172/2472-5005.1000133 
  • Sun, L., & Wallach, G. (2014). Language Disorders Are Learning Disabilities: Challenges on the Divergent and Diverse Paths to Language Learning Disability. Topics in Language Disorders. 34(1), 25-38. doi: 10.1097/TLD.0000000000000005 
  • Sun, L., & Wallach, G. (2013).  Adolescent Literacy: Looking Beyond Core Language Learning Deficits. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education. 20(2), 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1044/lle20.2.57
  • Sun, L., & Nippold, M. (2012). Narrative writing in children and adolescents: Examining the literate lexicon. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. 43, 2-13. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2011/10-0099)
  • Nippold, M., & Sun, L. (2010). Expository writing in children and adolescents: A classroom assessment tool. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 17, 100-107. https://doi.org/10.1044/lle17.3.100
  • Nippold, M., & Sun, L. (2008). Knowledge of morphologically complex words: A developmental study of older children and young adolescents. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in School, 39, 365-373. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2008/034)
  • Translated Chapters
    • Kim, M. (2020). Comprehension. (P-F. Hung & L. Sun Trans.). In L. LaPointe & J. Stierwalt (Ed.) Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders. (5th ed., pp. 90-99). Thieme Medical Publishers Inc. (Original work published 2018). 
    • Beeson, P., Rising, K., & Rapcsak, S. (2020). Acquired impairments of reading and writing. (P-F. Hung & L. Sun Trans.). In L. LaPointe & J. Stierwalt (Ed.) Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders. (5th ed., pp. 100-112). Thieme Medical Publishers Inc. (Original work published 2018). 
    • DeDe, G. & O’Bryan, E. (2020). Syntax and linguistic-based approaches. (P-F. Hung & L. Sun Trans.). In L. LaPointe & J. Stierwalt (Ed.) Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders. (5th ed., pp. 113-123). Thieme Medical Publishers Inc. (Original work published 2018). 
    • Togher, L. (2020). Pragmatics and discourse. (P-F. Hung & L. Sun Trans.). In L. LaPointe & J. Stierwalt (Ed.) Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders. (5th ed., pp. 124-134). Thieme Medical Publishers Inc. (Original work published 2018).