Volunteer Spotlight: Amy Hartman, AuD

What is your background in audiology?

I am currently the Director of Clinical Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In this position, I am involved in all facets of AuD education and am committed to student training, particularly in the area of pediatric audiology. My clinical passion is working with children with hearing loss, particularly audiological assessments of infants and children, and central auditory processing evaluations.

I am actively involved in local, state, regional, and national initiatives to promote screening, early diagnosis, and treatment for children with hearing loss. I have been involved in multiple research projects focusing on early hearing detection and intervention. Another area of passion is outreach and volunteering, some examples of outreach activities include setting up and running out of hospital clinics for the Amish and Mennonite population in Wisconsin, and hosting a dramatic play summer camp for children with hearing loss. Before working at the university, I worked at a children’s hospital, in a school setting, and at a large otolaryngology clinic.

Why do you volunteer with the Academy?

I believe it is vital for all professionals to give back to their profession. One of the ways you can do this is to volunteer for your professional organization. You can also do this in other ways, such as supervising AuD students in their external placements. This is essential for the betterment of our profession.

Do you remember when you first wanted to be an audiologist? What can you tell us about that experience?

Originally, I thought I wanted to be a speech-language pathologist and was taking all the undergraduate courses. I liked the courses but did not love them. Then I took the aural rehabilitation course, and we talked about hearing aids and other technology. I was hooked. I love that audiologists are able to make such meaningful contributions to people’s lives. After that, I decided to apply to graduate schools in audiology.

What do you most look forward to every summer?

Going on a vacation in northern Wisconsin with my entire family. I have been doing this since I was young and now continue the tradition with the next generation.

If you were to have followed the profession you wanted as a young child, what would you be now?

As a young child, I wanted to be a teacher.