Rebecca Wiacek, AuD is a member of the Academy’s Public Awareness Committee. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit the committee page for a list of charges and initiatives, or review any of our other committees and councils.
What is your background in audiology?
I graduated with my bachelor of science in speech pathology and audiology from Towson University and my doctorate of audiology from Vanderbilt University. I now practice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the adult amplification and diagnostics clinics, with special interests in hearing aids, adults with special needs, and musician hearing conservation.
Why do you volunteer with the Academy?
I volunteer because I want to be a part of moving the profession forward. I have high expectations and high hopes for audiological professional practice and care, and therefore, feel called to volunteer to meet those desires. Volunteering allows me to contribute to bettering the profession at a larger scale. The Public Awareness Committee that I am a member of makes volunteering accessible and attainable by providing projects and opportunities that can be quickly accomplished.
When you were a child, what was your favorite thing about “back to school” time?
It was very exciting to receive the letter in the mail containing who my teacher was for the year. As a young child, you do not get a lot of letters in the mail, so this was a compelling gift! I would track down the mail courier and ask if there was anything addressed to me. After getting the letter, I would walk to the school and look at the posting on the front door to see who my classmates were. It was a look into new beginnings and exciting opportunities!
If there were anything about your education/work that you wish you could go back and tell your younger self, what would it be?
Stay humble, focused, and have fun!
If you had the opportunity to address every aspiring audiologist in the country, what advice would you give them?
Embrace the change through the growth and development in the field, while practicing gold standard care at the top of your license. You deserve continued personal and professional advancement and your patients deserve the best care.
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