Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences celebrates graduating students

At commencement ceremonies May 24, Washington University’s top ranked Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences awarded 14 Doctor of Audiology degrees and six Master of Science in Deaf Education degrees this year.

The Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences recognized its graduates during a Commencement Recognition Ceremony held at the Eric P. Newman Center on the medical school campus, Monday, May 15.

Director of Audiology, Amanda Ortmann, PhD, and the rest of the PACS faculty members are enormously proud of the graduates during their training here at Washington University.

According to Ortmann, the newly minted doctors of audiology add to the vast PACS alumni network. They will be working in various clinics, hospitals, and schools across the Midwest and East coast. Six of our graduates in the pediatric specialization have secured pediatric positions at facilities such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, and Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.

“Graduation was a wonderful event that recognized and celebrated each of the 20 graduates with their family and friends in attendance,” she said. “Commencement is one of our favorite times of the year as we have the opportunity to meet the supportive team behind each graduate. We are certainly not the only ones who are proud of these graduates.”

Two special awards are bestowed each year to outstanding graduate students. This year’s honorees were:

Antoinette Frances Dames Award

The Antoinette Frances Dames Award recognizes outstanding scholarship in teaching the hearing impaired, as judged by the faculty.

Recipient: Jillian Pratt

Max A. Goldstein Award

The Max A. Goldstein Award recognizes excellence and professional promise, as judged by the faculty.

Recipient: Brynn Gentile

Graduates with Doctorate in Audiology (AuD)

Director of Audiology: Amanda Ortmann, PhD

Graduates with Master of Science in Deaf Education (MSDE)

Director of Deaf Education: Casey Reimer, PhD

According to Director of Deaf Education Casey Reimer, PhD, six teachers of the deaf graduated from the Master of Science in Deaf Education program. They will be working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and the families of children with hearing loss across the country – from Washington to Florida – in both private and public schools.

Undergraduate Studies

On the Danforth campus, ten students celebrated undergraduate degrees that included a Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. According to Director of Undergraduate Studies Kate McClannahan, PhD, most are heading to medical school or graduate programs, including one to a Speech-Language Pathology program and one to WashU’s AuD program this fall.