Starkey Laboratories Inc, Eden Prairie, Minn, has announced this year’s recipients of the William F. Austin Scholarship and the Outstanding Student Clinician Awards. The winners were chosen from among nearly 180 applicants to receive academic scholarships of up to $10,000.

“Students are the future of audiology, and we at Starkey believe that providing them with the opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams is critical to the industry’s success,” said Barry Freeman, senior director of education and audiology for Starkey. “It is gratifying to be able to provide scholarships to students around the country through this program.”

Starkey is dedicated to professional advancement through education. Its William F. Austin Scholarship recognizes outstanding audiology graduate students pursuing clinical, teaching, and research careers in audiology. This year’s scholarship recipients are Lisa Dau, Towson University; Andrea Fowler, Vanderbilt University; Kristin Musser, Washington University School of Medicine; Jessica Richardson, AT Still University; and Greta Stamper, University of Kansas.

Starkey also provides 10 Outstanding Student Clinician scholarships to students pursuing careers in clinical audiology and private practice. This year’s recipients are Laura Bradley, Auburn University; Amanda Burg, Kent State University-Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium; Abby Caudle, Auburn University; Stephanie Cunningham, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Krista Delaney, University of Florida; Ashlee Harrington, Towson University; Yun Jin Kim, George S. Osborne College of Audiology at Salus University; Jamie Lewis, Wayne State University; Nicole Rose, University of Florida; and Lauren Tolbert, University of South Florida.

The William F. Austin and the Outstanding Student Clinician scholarships are awarded through Starkey University, a comprehensive educational outreach program that offers hearing care professionals and audiology students unique learning opportunities that focus on a variety of relevant, hands-on curricula. To learn more about Starkey University and the scholarship programs, visit StarkeyPro.com (Audiology & Education section/University Outreach).

The 2010 William F. Austin scholarship recipients are as follows:

Lisa Dau is a third-year AuD student at Towson University. Her interest in health care began at an early age when a close relative suffered a stroke. She is pursuing audiology to help improve the quality of life of patients and their families and hopes to someday run an audiology practice focusing on the needs of children. Dau has conducted research on many audiology-related topics and assisted with a healthy hearing initiative for elderly individuals in her community. She is involved in a number of groups including the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA), the Student Academy of Audiology at Towson, and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).

A first-year AuD student at Vanderbilt University, Andrea Fowler experienced a eureka moment during college when a guest audiologist spoke about the field and its possibilities. A love of music and interest in working with an older population combined to make audiology Fowler’s career of choice. She has done research and worked in an audiology office to help further her knowledge, and she is excited to begin building relationships with people with hearing loss. She has participated in the NSSLHA and volunteered for a number of organizations including assisted living facilities, The Children’s Center, Project Sunshine, and the Special Olympics.

Kristin Musser is a fourth-year AuD student at the Washington University School of Medicine. Her interest in the field of audiology extends to research as well as clinical practice. She is interested in pursuing a research doctorate in the future, building on a strong base of published and presented work. Her clinical externship at the Central Institute for the Deaf allows her to work with children from birth through early adolescence and their families. Musser is a member of AAA, the Student Audiology Group at Washington University, the Missouri Academy of Audiology, the American Auditory Society, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, and the Iowa Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

A third-year AuD student at AT Still University in Arizona, Jessica Richardson lived with a college roommate who was born deaf and had a cochlear implant. This experience had a profound effect on her and helped her form the goal of going into private practice. Richardson is involved in a number of organizations and volunteer opportunities including the Student Academy of Audiology, hearing screenings, and research.

Greta Stamper is a PhD student at the University of Kansas. She knows firsthand about hearing loss, as she was diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss at the age of 7 and has been wearing hearing aids since age 12. Stamper holds an AuD from the University of Iowa, but found herself looking for more comprehensive answers to clinical questions. She is now in pursuit of a PhD, and hopes to eventually become a professor in academia, where she would like to conduct research on cochlear mechanics and outer hair cell function. She has published, presented a wide body of research, and is involved in a number of organizations including the American Auditory Society, AAA, the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Iowa Speech and Hearing Association.

The 2010 Outstanding Student Clinician recipients are:

A third-year AuD student at Auburn University, Laura Bradley is interested in practicing audiology in a hospital setting and is particularly interested in using her skills to educate musicians about hearing conservation. She has been involved in a number of organizations including NSSLHA, and the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA).

Amanda Burg is a fourth-year AuD student at Kent State University – Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium. She has a passion for audiology and looks forward to being inspired by the patients that she will serve. Burg has been involved in organizations including the International Society of Audiology, the SAA, the AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Ohio Academy of Audiology, AAA, and the National Association for Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA).

A fourth-year AuD student at Auburn University, Abby Caudle has had the opportunity to work with a variety of patients from older veterans to children. She has conducted research into the breakdown of communication between teachers and audiologists and hopes to further her knowledge in school communication during her externship. She has participated in a number of organizations including NAFDA, the Alabama Academy of Audiology, and the NSSLHA.

Stephanie Cunningham is a fourth-year AuD student at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She plans to use her experiences running a United Way Hearing Bank clinic to help propel her private practice career after graduation. She has been involved in a number of organizations including the SAA and NAFDA.

A third-year AuD student at the University of Florida, Krista Delaney plans to put her degree to good use in a cochlear implant clinic, helping patients of all ages. She was inspired by audiology after hearing the stories told by a professor who had a cochlear implant. Delaney is involved in her community from the Special Olympics to the SAA and the Student Florida Academy of Audiology.

Ashlee Harrington, a third-year AuD student at Towson University, began her journey into audiology in an introduction to speech pathology and audiology course. She hopes to open a private practice and work with the pediatric population to help them hear the small moments in life that are often taken for granted. Harrington is involved in the Towson University Student Academy of Audiology and has been a member of AAA, the SAA, and NAFDA.

Yun Jin Kim is a fourth-year AuD student at the George S. Osborne College of Audiology at Salus University. An interest in working with children first sparked her interest in audiology; now, her goal is to open a private audiology practice and be an involved community member. Kim has been active in a number of organizations including AAA, the Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology, and the NAFDA.

A third year AuD student at Wayne State University, Jamie Lewis suffered from chronic otitis media as a child, eventually choosing audiology as her profession of choice. She plans to go into private practice with an emphasis on pediatric audiology. She has been involved in Autism Ontario, Autism Services Inc, Wayne State Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Aacademy of Doctors of Audiology, the SAA, the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, and the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Nicole Rose is a third-year clinical audiology doctoral student at the University of Florida. She has a passion for audiology that crosses all ages and hearing losses. Her goal is to be in a private practice that is intimately connected with its community–from classes for consumers to outreach to schools and nursing homes. She has been a member of a number of organizations including the Florida Academy of Audiology, the University of Florida Student Academy of Audiology, AAA, and the NSSLHA.

A third-year AuD student at the University of South Florida, Lauren Tolbert is excited to build relationships with patients in a clinical setting. She has experienced the joy of giving back through a service trip to the Appalachian Mountain region, where she volunteered time and knowledge to provide hearing help to those in need. Tolbert has been involved in a number of organizations including the SAA, AAA, the Florida Academy of Audiology, and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology.

[Source: Starkey]