Education

My work and all of my experience to date would not have been possible without the exceptional mentorship of my highly regarded PhD advisor, Dr. René Gifford. Dr. Gifford afforded me an innumerable number of opportunities during my time in her lab over the past seven years—conference attendance, manuscript authorship, grant submissions, funding for my projects, teaching and speaking opportunities… The list goes on and on. I don’t know many people who are busier than Dr. Gifford, but somehow, she always provided the perfect balance of mentorship and independence. She pushed me outside of my comfort zone, yet she was always available for a pep talk when needed. Specifically, I want to thank her for her constant support of my goal to maintain my role as a clinical audiologist during my time as a PhD student, which ultimately shaped my career trajectory.

I also extend immense gratitude to Dr. Robert Labadie. In addition to being an excellent researcher, teacher, and surgeon, Dr. Labadie is an enthusiastic motivator and visionary. I have him to thank for pushing me to officially make the decision to pursue my PhD. Like Dr. Gifford, he has afforded me many opportunities especially related to cochlear implant imaging and surgical approach, which have contributed significantly to my career thus far. Clinically, Dr. Labadie is a colleague I can count on to challenge the status quo to better our outcomes and better meet the needs of our patients. Dr. Labadie’s line of communication is always open, which has led to lots of shared ideas, advice, clinical successes, and laughs over the years.