William F. Austin Scholarship

Starkey is pleased to offer the William F. Austin Scholarship, available to graduate students in audiology. The goal of the program is to support strong candidates pursuing clinical, teaching, and research careers in audiology. Up to six $10,000 scholarships will be available. Recipients are announced at the Student Focus Workshop.

2012 Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted!

If you are interested in applying for the 2012 William F. Austin Scholarship, click here to download and complete the application.

Scholarship Information

All applicants must be:

  • Accepted to or currently enrolled in an accredited graduate (Au.D. or Ph.D.) program in audiology.
  • Committed to a clinical, teaching and/or research career in audiology.
  • Committed to attaining the degree and working in the audiology community for at least five years.

Funding Restrictions

Scholarship funding applies to tuition only. Funds may not be used for books, living expenses, conference attendance or travel. Recipients will have up to four years to use their award. Any unused funding will be retained by Starkey. Previous winners may not re-apply.

Priority Consideration

Priority will be given to those with full-time status of 9 credit hours or more per semester.

Award Disbursement

Recipients will be notified regarding disbursement procedures.

Scholarship Recipients

Recipients of the Starkey scholarships demonstrate leadership in academic achievement, career goals, research interests, motivations for studying audiology and more.

2011 Recipients

Brittany Hensley

Brittany Hensley University of Florida

Brittany Hensley is a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida (UF). After receiving her Doctor of Audiology, she discovered that her clinical passions were focused on pediatric populations. However, she knew that teaching was her ultimate professional goal. She currently serves as an independent course instructor for an undergraduate audiology course while also serving as a mentor to the UF Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). Upon completion of her Ph.D., Hensley plans to serve as a faculty member of a Doctor of Audiology program. Hensley is involved with numerous organizations including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).

Imola Major

Imola Major San Diego State University

Imola Major is a third year Au.D. student at San Diego State University and the University of California. Her interest in audiology was piqued by an experience with a good friend who had hearing loss as well as spending time with a family member who is hard of hearing. Seeing the effects of hearing loss first-hand drove her to explore audiology. Major has spent time as a research assistant where she explored cures that assist with speech segregation as well as focused on the business side of audiology while working at SDSU Audiology Clinic. Major currently serves as the President of San Diego State University's chapter of the SAA.

Andy Lau

Andy Lau Salus University

A third year Au.D. student at Salus University George S. Osborne College of Audiology, Andy Lau enjoys the opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships with patients and be part of a nurturing profession. Lau has supplemented his educational experience with work as an audiometric technician, student clinician, tutor and research assistant. He aspires to give back to his community and is considering a career path that will lead him to become a director of a teaching clinic. Lau is the current President of OCA's chapter of the SAA and is Vice President of the Executive Council for Salus University, among participation in other organizations.

Jennifer Fowler

Jennifer Fowler University of Iowa

An Au.D. student at the University of Iowa, Jennifer Fowler's aspiration of becoming an audiologist has been influenced by her interest in science and music, her passion for serving others and her analytical and detail-oriented attributes. Upon completion of the Au.D. program, Fowler hopes to pursue a career as a clinical audiologist where she desires to use her clinical and research experience to provide a full range of audiological services, including services to cochlear implant patients. Fowler holds leadership roles in the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and the SAA.

Alexandra Parbery-Clark

Alexandra Parbery-Clark Northwestern University

Alexandra Parbery-Clark was trained as a concert pianist and ran a school for musically gifted children in France prior to joining the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, she is concurrently completing her Ph.D. and Au.D. Her doctoral work seeks to define the effects of musical training on the perception and neural representation of sound in both normal hearing and hearing impaired listeners. She is particularly interested in the application of musical training for the rehabilitation of communication disorders. She is involved in organizations including ASHA and the American Auditory Society (AAS), among others.

Previous Recipients

2010 Recipients

  • Lisa Dau (Towson University)
  • Andrea Fowler (Vanderbilt University)
  • Kristin Musser (Washington University School of Medicine)
  • Jessica Richardson (A.T. Still University)
  • Greta Stamper (University of Kansas)

2009 Recipients

  • Alison Brockmeyer (Washington University School of Medicine)
  • Ann Marie DePierro (Montclair State University)
  • Rachel Giacontiere (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center)
  • Katherine Gibbons (University of Florida)
  • Kara Schvartz (University of Maryland)

2008 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 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 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 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 Recipients

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