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 AAAF Matches Funding from the Texas Academy to Promote Future Audiologists

In its efforts to foster the next generation of audiologists, the AAAF has been working with the Academy to increase awareness among high school students about audiology as an exciting career option. It kicked off this new initiative by partnering with the Texas Academy of Audiology to recognize Texas high school students who conducted audiology research for their science fair projects.

Thomas Thunder, AAAF board member and Academy PR Committee member, has been promoting this endeavor for the last several years that encourages audiologists to mentor interested students as they conduct audiology projects. He was excited to see it bear fruit in Dallas. “This new Academy project will help attract students with a science aptitude to a career in audiology as a clinician or researcher,” Thunder said. “We hope to get state academies involved in the science fair activities of their state, and we were happy to invite two top students from Texas to display their posters at AudiologyNOW!®.”

AuD students from Rush University and Northern Illinois University escorted the students and their families through the exhibit hall where they witnessed the technology and excitement of audiology as a career. Students Nathan Jacob and Ryan Johnson, of Murphy, Texas, each received a $300 award funded jointly by the Texas Academy of Audiology and AAAF. Jennifer Melander, the students’ science teacher shared that the boys were “blown away by the convention and all of its offerings!" She further stated that “it's NOT hard to get kids involved in something if they know they will have help from an expert.”

The AAAF hopes to continue funding this program that fosters audiology mentoring by working with state academies across the US to provide awards to high school students conducting science fair projects in the hearing sciences. For information on how your state academy can encourage the next generation of audiologists, contact the AAAF offices at 800-222-2336.