Dr. Carlos Benítez-Barrera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Florida, where he directs the Pediatric Auditory Experience & Brain (PAEB) Lab. His research examines how children’s everyday auditory environments shape language and cognitive development, with a strong focus on children with hearing loss and bilingual, Spanish-speaking populations. He earned his PhD in Hearing and Speech Sciences from Vanderbilt University and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Benítez-Barrera is also the Director of AUDITIO, a bilingual, open-access journal of audiology, and is actively engaged in international and Spanish-language initiatives that promote rigorous, inclusive, and open science for Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.