March 10, 2008 (Vol. 7, No. 4)

Senior Set to Pursue Audiology Doctorate

Like many high school seniors, Claudyne Vielot did not know what she would study in college. Then, after attending an audiology class at Marymount Manhattan College with her mother (a Marymount graduate), she became interested in studying speech and hearing.

Today Vielot, a member of both the Lehman Scholars Progam and the McNair Scholars, looks forward to graduating this spring and entering a top program for her audiology doctorate (Au.D.). So far, she has been accepted to programs at both SUNY Buffalo and the University of Connecticut and hopes to hear soon from the CUNY Graduate Center, St. John's University, and Montclair State University.

In addition to focusing on her major in speech-language-hearing sciences, the Brooklyn resident contributes to the Meridian as the student life editor and was inducted in 2006 into the Lehman chapter of Golden Key International Honor Society. Balancing her extracurricular activities and her school work has challenged her, she admits, but "it helps to have a network of mentors, friends, and family who care about you and support you."

That same network encouraged her to pursue a doctorate by nurturing her interest in research and lab work. Professor Christine Rota-Donahue (Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences) suggested that Vielot volunteer at the CUNY Graduate Center's Audiology and Auditory Evoked Potentials Laboratory, which gave her the chance to experience the life of a doctoral student.

"I do find research exciting because it gives me the opportunity to apply what I have learned in a real-life setting," said Vielot. "I believe it made me a better student."

Once she earns her Au.D., Vielot plans to work as a clinician and a researcher. Her research interests include HIV/AIDS and hearing loss as well as Central Auditory Processing Disorder, a neurological hearing condition.

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