William F. Austin Scholarship  |  Scholarship Recipients

Recipients of the William F. Austin Scholarship demonstrate leadership in academic achievement, career goals, research interests, motivations for studying audiology and more.

2009 Recipients

Alison Brockmeyer  |  Washington University School of Medicine

Alison Brockmeyer is a fourth year Au.D. student at the Washington University School of Medicine. She will be doing her externship in a hospital-based audiology department, where she hopes to further her knowledge in troubleshooting hearing aids and cochlear implants, which have become special areas of interest. Alison presented and hopes to publish her capstone project, which examined the signal processing options that are available to improve speech recognition in noise for cochlear implant patients. Following graduation next spring, she plans to pursue a career in clinical audiology and hopes to continue her research through a Ph.D. program. She is also involved in the community through the National Association for Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).

Ann Marie DePierro  |  Montclair State University

A fourth year Sc.D. student on the research track of the audiology program at Montclair State University, Ann Marie DePierro has been dispensing hearing aids for the past eight years and has clinical experience in hospital settings, which has allowed her to work with many different populations. Her research has involved electrophysiologic studies on binaural processing of complex stimuli in young, middle-aged and older listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment. Currently, her research is focusing on the pathways of the auditory system in middle-aged adults. Ann Marie has been very involved with the Hearing Loss Association of America's local chapter and local outreach programs sponsored by Montclair State University. After graduation, she is interested in both clinical and research opportunities.

Rachel Giacontiere  |  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

Rachel Giacontiere is a third year Au.D. student at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her passion is pediatric audiology. She has focused much of her research and clinical work on that aspect of the field and plans to work with pediatric patients in a hospital setting after graduation. She is also very interested in working with disadvantaged families to provide the services they need to help their children thrive. In addition to her clinical experience, Rachel has volunteered for the Woman's New Life Center, Children's Hospital Speech and Hearing Clinic and the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is also a member of NAFDA, the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Katherine Gibbons  |  University of Florida

A third year Au.D. student at the University of Florida, Katherine Gibbons is passionate about helping people around the world, which she has focused into her audiology studies. She spent nine months living in Sudan, Africa, where she was inspired to help those in need. After graduation, she plans to practice audiology in a hospital setting and would like to make use of those skills around the world. She has received clinical experience in her program and has volunteered to perform hearing screenings in Mexico. In addition, she is a member of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) and the International Society of Audiology.

Kara Schvartz  |  University of Maryland

Kara Schvartz is in her last year of the Au.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Maryland. She has conducted research, which has been presented at international conferences, in addition to being published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. She found a passion for audiology when her grandmother was suffering from severe to profound hearing loss. Her clinical experience has covered a range of prestigious facilities including Johns Hopkins Hospital and the National Institutes of Health. She has also been involved in community organizations including The Elms Assisted Living, ATCO Adult Work-Training Center and more. After graduation, Kara plans to serve as a post doctorate clinical research associate and hopes to pursue a career as a clinician and researcher with a focus on auditory rehabilitation in the geriatric population.

2008 Scholarship Recipients

  • Brian Vesely (Missouri State University)
  • Jonathon Whitton (University of Louisville)
  • Maureen D'Antuono (University of Maryland)
  • Kelli Wright (University of Akron)
  • Kelly Hoffard (University of Maryland)

2007 Scholarship Recipients

  • Jacquelyn Baudhuin (Washington University in St. Louis)
  • Marguerite Dartt (University of Texas at Austin)
  • Jovana Diggs (Arizona State University)
  • Gretchen Magee (University of Oklahoma)
  • Jenny Miller (University of South Dakota)

2006 Scholarship Recipients

  • Jay Aust (University of Minnesota)
  • Jerrica Kettle (University of Iowa)
  • Marissa Mendrygal (University of Texas at Dallas)
  • Rachel Scheperle (Missouri State University)
  • Susan Ternes (University of Kansas)

2005 Scholarship Recipients

  • Rebecca Benjamin (Lafayette, Indiana)
  • Lauren Calandruccio (Syracuse, New York)
  • Tiffany Lynn Harvey (White Marsh, Virginia)
  • Victoria Lee (Evanston, Illinois)
  • Amber Reith (Auburn, Alabama)

2004 Scholarship Recipients

  • Trevor Courouleau (Edmond, Oklahoma)
  • Sarah Friedman (Rockville, Maryland)
  • Jennifer Main (New Brighton, Minnesota)
  • Allison Paumen (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
  • Jennifer Vargo (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

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