The ILAA Doctoral Scholarship and Honors Committees and the ILAA Board of Directors are pleased to announce the 2012-2013 winners of the annual Doctoral Scholarship Awards for selected outstanding students in an Illinois Au.D. or Ph.D. program. This is the tenth consecutive year that ILAA has offered scholarships with funds raised through the generous contributors and purchasers at the annual auction and raffle. Applicants, who must be in at least their second year of study, submit essays and letters of recommendation. Selection by the Honors Committee is based on 1) the potential for the student to make a significant contribution to the field of audiology, 2) demonstrated academic accomplishment and intellectual ability, 3) the applicant’s character, school and community activities, personal motivation, and leadership potential, and 4) in the case of the research award, the potential benefit of the applicant’s research. Each recipient demonstrated outstanding abilities and characteristics, as well as numerous personal accomplishments and activities. This year’s recipients of the Au.D. scholarships are Kristen Cortese from Rush University and Sean Flowers from Northwestern University. The recipient of the research award is Cheryl Robinson from Rush University.
Pictured from left to right: Kristen Cortese, Sean Flowers, Cheryl Robinson
Ms. Kristen Cortese obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois. In addition to her academic and clinical studies at Rush University, Ms. Cortese has assisted in several research projects with children and adults and notes she enjoys “research and the way it defines and makes improvements to our clinical methods.” She is currently developing a research project investigating whether pitch pattern training is correlated with improved speech perception. Ms. Cortese is President of the Rush Student Academy of Audiology and has also served as Philanthropy Chair. Upon graduation, Ms. Cortese hopes to be a pediatric audiologist in the Chicagoland area, and plans to be a strong supporter of the profession and significant contributor to the field.
Mr. Sean Flowers graduated Cum Laude from Marquette University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. He originally planned a degree in biomedical engineering, but after attending a lecture on hearing science and hearing aids, he realized he had found his “dream career that combined the fields of engineering, medicine and patient care.” In addition to his academic work, Mr. Flowers is serving as the NU Student Representative to Illinois Academy of Audiology, Community Outreach Chair of the NU Student Academy of Audiology, and member of Hugh Knowles Educational and Community Outreach Committee. Mr. Flowers’ capstone project involves the interaction between cognition and compression speed during speech in noise tasks. In the future, Mr. Flowers hopes to open a Southside private practice with an emphasis on hearing conservation and health education. He also wants to be an active member in the governing bodies of audiology and be involved in legislative efforts that shape the profession.
Ms. Cheryl Robinson graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Deaf Education. After obtaining her degree Ms. Robinson was employed for two years at Park School as a teacher of total communication. Her time there working with students with hearing impairment motivated her to pursue her long-term goal of a degree in Audiology. At Rush University she has been able to pursue her “personal research and clinical interests in Pediatrics.” One research project in which she is involved is a study of audiovisual integration in background noise, comparing skills of children with normal hearing vs. children with hearing loss. Her current research is on audiologists’ perspectives on family supports and resources for parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ms. Robinson also has presented at four Grand Rounds. She is involved in various volunteer activities, and also served as national representative of the Rush Student Academy of Audiology and is currently its Secretary.
