Graduation year: 2010 and 2013
Degree: AuD (2010), PhD (2013)
Hometown: Huxley, Iowa

Looking back, what were the keys Iowa provided to you that contribute to your professional success?

The years I spent at Iowa in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders were some of the best of my life (not just because this is where I met my wife!). The clinical, academic, and research training I received have been instrumental in my development as a teacher and researcher. My clinical instructors were such a great model of how to treat others (patients and students alike) with compassion, empathy and respect. They reinforced the importance and necessity of relying on best-practices to guide intervention. Although I don’t practice clinically, the lessons I learned from my clinical instructors have shaped and guided my approach to conducting human research and interacting with my own students.

I cannot say enough about how beneficial the academic and research environment at Iowa was to my own professional development. Looking back, the one thing I appreciate the most was the freedom I was given to explore. Importantly, with that freedom I was also provided the tools to make discoveries. I’m indebted to many at Iowa, especially my PhD mentor, Shawn Goodman. Shawn taught me MATLAB programming, digital-signal processing, and the foundational principles governing acquisition and analysis of signals. These skills have been principal in my development as an independent investigator.

Finally, Iowa gave me a community. My classmates were fantastic, and I treasure the time we spent together. The faculty and staff were so welcoming and friendly, extending hospitality to me and the other students. Moreover, we (students) were treated as equals. I have sought to emulate the hospitality, collegiality and respect I experienced at Iowa with my own students.

Looking back, the one thing I appreciate the most was the freedom I was given to explore. Importantly, with that freedom I was also provided the tools to make discoveries.

What’s your current position, and how have you applied what you learned?

I am an associate professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. I am fortunate to both teach in our AuD program and conduct my own research. As a faculty member, I aim to serve my students in the same manner the faculty and staff at Iowa served me. My primary goal is for my students to succeed and achieve their goals in a welcoming and respectful environment.