Six New Doctors of Audiology From USF

In the Fall of 1999, the University of South Florida (USF) accepted its first class of clinical doctoral (Au.D.) students. Included in the initial student body were 19 post-baccalaureate students and 15 post-masters students.

In December 2000, the following six post-masters students completed the academic requirements to become the first Doctor of Audiology graduates from USF:
John Berardino, Au.D.
Shannon Felder, Au.D.
Renee Lokenberg, Au.D.
Sybil Prewitt, Au.D.
Susan Spirakis, Au.D.
Robert Zelski, Au.D.

In May 2001, five more students are expected to earn their doctoral degrees from USF. Of these five students, three are currently clinical instructors at USF. With the hooding of these three instructors, all Audiology faculty members at USF will have doctoral degrees, four Au.D.s and five Ph.D.s. The first post-baccalaureate students are expected earn their degrees in the Spring of 2003.

Also in May 2001, the department will move into a new 48,000 sq. ft. building with state-of-the-art clinical facilities, research facilities, classrooms, offices, and support services. A department-wide computer network will incorporate the clinical operations, research efforts, and teaching into a single coordinated system. Interaction with the USF School of Medicine and its ENT program has grown during the past few years and collaboration between Audiology and Otolaryngology faculty is strong. In addition to the USF Audiology clinic, a branch of the Tampa Veteran's Administration Hospital and a clinic of the Tampa United Cerebral Palsy Center will be housed in the new facility.

USF offers a residential program for both post-baccalaureate and post-masters students and does not offer a distance learning component. The four-year post-baccalaureate program consists of 127 semester hours of academic and clinical coursework. An important component of this curriculum is a 15 hour professional research project that is to be completed by the end of Year 3. The goal of this project is to insure that Doctors of Audiology are both educated consumers of research and are able to participate in clinical research.

For more information please contact Jennifer Lister, Ph.D., jlister@chuma1.cas.usf.edu, or visit USF's website at https://www.cas.usf.edu/csd/graduate/aud_program_page.htm