William C. Jackson Fellowship:
2022 Recipient: Sarah McDowell
Sarah McDowell is a graduate student seeking her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. Sarah is originally from Evergreen, Colorado and holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas. She hopes to pursue a career as a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist and researcher.
2021 Recipient: Kathryn Ideker
2020 Recipient: Stephanie Fowler
Susan and Jim Jerger Research in Audiology Fellowship:
2024 Recipient: Sarah Crow
Sarah received her Doctorate of Audiology from The University of Texas at Dallas in December 2024. She is currently a third-year PhD student in hearing sciences. Sarah’s research focuses on how auditory status affects auditory emotion recognition in adolescents and young adults. Her work aims to identify mechanisms underlying poorer peer social dynamics in individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and use hearing technology (i.e., hearing aids or cochlear implants). Sarah is grateful to receive this award to fund her dissertation on emotion recognition in individuals with cochlear implants.
Project: Central Executive Functioning and Emotion Recognition in Adolescents with Cochlear Implants: an fNIRS Study. Mentors: Andrea Warner-Czyz, PhD & Julia Evans, PhD
2024 Recipient: Conner Jansen
Dr. Conner Jansen, AuD, is a PhD student studying Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Jansen received his Doctorate of Audiology in 2024 from The University of Texas at Dallas. He also earned his Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a specialization in Audiology and a minor in American Sign Language from The University of Texas at Austin. Jansen’s dissertation research investigates the effect attenuation profiles of musicians’ earplugs have on the music perception of the wearer. He is also interested in research on vestibular and balance function in special populations, specifically those with a history of noise exposure.
Project: Sound Quality and Music Perception of Custom Passive and Uniform Fit Electronic Musician’s Hearing Protection Devices. Mentor: Colleen Le Prell, PhD
2024 Recipient: Saranya Mundayoor
Saranya is currently pursuing a PhD in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at UT Dallas in Dr. Edward Lobarinas’ Translational Auditory Perception (TAP) lab. She is working on personalizing and optimizing hearing aids for children using machine learning. Saranya is grateful for the Susan and Jim Jerger Research in Audiology Fellowship for supporting her project and is excited to see the impact this research will have on hearing aid fitting in children.
Project: Personalizing and Optimizing Hearing Aid Prescriptions for Children and Adolescents using Artificial Intelligence. Mentor: Ed Lobarinas, PhD
Past Recipients
2023 Recipient: Prabuddha Bhatarai
Prabuddha is extremely grateful for the Susan and Jim Jerger Research in Audiology Fellowship award. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Prabuddha is passionate about improving the outcomes of cochlear implants in children and adults through his research. Together, he and Dr. Kelly Jahn are exploring the emotional response and experiences of cochlear implant users.
2023 Recipient: Sean Kashiwagura
Sean is a graduate student pursuing a Doctor of Audiology degree at UT Dallas. He became interested in audiology and hearing sciences while conducting research on animal auditory systems during undergraduate studies. Sean’s research focuses on hyperacusis and sound-induced pain. He hopes to find better diagnostic tools and explanations for the underlying mechanisms of hyperacusis. While completing STEM education courses during his undergraduate, Dr. Stephanie Taylor was a key mentor in supporting Sean’s academic career in research. He hopes that his research will lead to effective interventions for individuals suffering from hyperacusis.
2023 Recipient: Shuang Qi
Shuang gained her clinical training in Audiology during her undergraduate and graduate studies in China. She is investigating behavioral factors contributing to the speech recognition deficits in noise and explore innovative techniques to improve the recognition performance. Shuang is grateful to receive this award to fund her dissertation topic on listening effort.
Robert D. Stillman, PhD Award:
2024 Recipient: Avery Moore
Avery is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is from Murphy, Texas. Avery previously graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She currently serves as a research assistant in the Larynx Lab at UT Dallas and hopes to become a voice, swallowing and upper airway specialized speech-language pathologist.
2024 Recipient: Staney Thomas
Staney is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology degree at UT Dallas. Additionally, Staney serves as the President of the Graduate National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) chapter, allowing her to get involved in leadership within the program. She loves working with adults with acquired neurogenic disorders, specifically being innovative in creating functional activities and the problem-solving aspect of modifying activities/cueing to encourage the successes of her clients. The culmination of practicum experiences that Staney has received in graduate school have solidified her passion for pursuing this career path!
2024 Recipient: Emma Segler
Emma Segler is a graduate student seeking her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. Emma holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Abilene Christian University. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatric speech-language pathology and dreams of one day taking her career abroad!
Past Recipients
2023 Recipient: Emily Ferrer
Emily is a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program at UT Dallas. She is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric speech pathology and could not have found a better place to do it than UT Dallas! She developed an interest in speech-language pathology because she wanted to give a voice to those without one.
2023 Recipient: Shir Gamliel
Shir is a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas and a research assistant at the Social Communication Lab. She enjoys serving both pediatric and adult populations and hopes to work in both a public school and a hospital after she graduates.
2022 Recipient: Natalia Savkovic
Natalia Savkovic is a currently working toward her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. Additionally, Natalia is a research assistant at the Language in Motion Lab and the Preverbal Lab. She is originally from Connecticut and completed an undergraduate degree in linguistics with a minor in French at McGill University in Montreal.
2021 Recipient: Sarah Dixon
2021 Recipient: Justina Ghali
2020 Recipient: Brooke England
2020 Recipient: Allison Pearson
Preferred Therapy Services Fellowship in Communication Disorders
2024 Recipient: Makayla Beebe
Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Makayla is currently working toward her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. She has a passion for supporting children and hopes to one day work in an elementary or middle school after she graduates.
Past Recipients
2023 Recipient: Camryn Diesto
Camryn Diesto grew up in Frisco, Texas. She went to UT Austin for her undergrade degree and moved back to Dallas to pursue a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. She is hoping to work in pediatrics in the future, specifically with the little ones 0-3 years old!
2023 Recipient: Drew Bodden
Drew is is a currently working toward her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at UT Dallas. Her hometown is Cedar Park, Texas and she also went to UT Dallas for her undergraduate degree.
2022 Recipient: Kathryn Watson
Kathryn “Katy” Watson is from Fort Worth, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in French with a concentration in linguistics from Louisiana State University. Katy comes to speech-language pathology following a career as an educator, primarily teaching high school French. She is passionate about language, travel, and finding common ground with anyone she meets.
2021 Recipient: Madison Duna
2020: Alyssa May
Allen Rupert Audiology Fellowship (multi-year)
2022 Recipient: Shamine Alves
Shamine Alves is a recent graduate from Hampton University where she majored in communicative sciences and disorders and minored in psychology. She is from the Atlanta Metropolitan area and has been a flute/piccolo player for 13 years.
Sharon and Ross Roeser Audiology Fellowship (multi-year)
2022 Recipient: Laine Shuttleworth
Laine is from Beebe, Arkansas and received her Bachelor of Art in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
Dr. Jeffrey Martin Fellowship in Audiology Research (multi-year)
2023 Recipient: Marianne Awad
Marianne is very grateful to have received this award and would like to recognize all the professors in the audiology program who have motivated her to pursue research, especially Dr. Kelly Jahn. Marianne’s involvement in the Neuroradiology lab has encouraged her to pursue research in the areas of audiology that are underrepresented in research, such as hyperacusis and autism. She hopes that as a research audiologist, she will use these opportunities to shed light upon audiologic conditions that have been misunderstood, fostering a better understanding between patient and clinician.
Jackie Clark Audiology Fellowship (multi-year)
2023 Recipient: Olivia Duffy
Olivia is excited to begin the audiology program at UT Dallas. She has been teaching students with hearing loss for the last three years, and she is ready to transition into being the doctor that diagnoses their hearing loss. Olivia would like to focus on pediatric audiology as she loves working directly with children.
