Graduate Student Chosen for Mentoring Program
| April 12, 2016 | A UAMS graduate student has been selected by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to participate in a prestigious mentoring program.
Sarah Kennett, a Ph.D. candidate in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program of the Graduate School and College of Health Professions, was chosen for the Pathways Program, a mentoring program for early-career researchers. Approximately 10-16 people are selected for the yearlong program that includes a two-day conference and additional support throughout the year.
“Being selected for this competitive program is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Robert McGehee, Ph.D., who noted that applicants include Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral fellows and junior-level faculty. “Sarah is the first student in our program to be chosen for the ASHA Pathways Program.”
The overall goal of the program is to give early-stage researchers the tools they need for a successful career, including instruction on how to compete for funding from the National Institutes of Health, said Kennett.
Such funding can “make or break your career,” she said, adding that she looks forward to learning how best to communicate her ideas so that she can receive the necessary funding to carry them out.
Participants in the program are matched up with an established researcher who will serve as a mentor. Kennett was paired with Michelle Hughes, Ph.D., the coordinator of Boys Town’s Cochlear Implant Research Program in Omaha, Nebraska.
“I’m a bit star-struck to be paired with Dr. Hughes,” said Kennett. “I must have cited her 15 times in my dissertation. I even teach from her textbook when I teach the audiology students about implantable devices.”
Kennett, who grew up in West Memphis, Arkansas, is slated to graduate with her Ph.D., this year. She obtained a Doctorate of Audiology from UAMS in 2014 and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
She currently works as a clinical audiologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and as an adjunct instructor at UAMS.
The shift from music to health care was a natural one for Kennett, who worked for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra after graduating from UCA.
“Music is such an important part of our culture, and music and communication connect people,” she said, adding that audiology opens up those lines of connection to people who might otherwise never experience them.
“I felt a strong inspiration to help people communicate the best they can. My research really reflects that desire, as I mostly focus on improving speech understanding and music perception outcomes in people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.”
She credits her mentor at UAMS, Sam Atcherson, Ph.D., with opening her eyes to the possibility of a career in clinical research.
“When I started graduate school, I had never considered a career in research,” she said. “Dr. Atcherson saw that I love helping people, but I also have natural curiosity and I am highly motivated to seek evidence and find best clinical practices.”
“For me, directing research from within the clinic keeps my finger on the pulse of the issues that are most important to the people I serve,” she said. “I hope I have the opportunity to do both throughout my career.”