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Ashley Hinton performs an ear exam on a small child.

Catching up with Honors Alum Ashley Hinton

Meet Ashley Hinton, Au.D., a senior translational scientist at Skylark Bio in Boston, Massachusetts, and a University of South Florida (USF) Judy Genshaft Honors College alum. Today, Hinton is using her doctorate in audiology to help provide innovative care and treatment options to patients suffering from hearing loss. When not designing treatment plans, Hinton enjoys spending her spare time restoring her 1969 Jeep and teaching figure skating with her mother at Spinnations in New Port Richey, Florida.

In a recent interview, Hinton reflected on her time as an Honors student at USF studying in the audiology program.

“My advice? Immerse yourself in the experience.” - Ashley Hinton  

Q: What do you remember most about your time in the Judy Genshaft Honors College? 

Many years and three buildings ago, I was part of the USF Honors College. As a first-generation college student, I was nervous (read: terrified) of the new world around me. Thankfully, the Honors College faculty and staff are kind, dedicated people that want nothing but the best for their students. I have too many great memories to list here from leading the Honors College Student Council to working in the office to studying abroad in Panamá. 
 
Q: What was your experience like in the Doctor of Audiology program at USF?  

It was a challenging and fun four years. I had great classmates, excellent professors, and experienced clinicians to guide me through all stages of the program. I feel that USF’s program made me well-prepared for life after school. The opportunities for networking and professional growth are endless as I was able to attend charity events, work with veterans, and travel for my research while acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful as an audiologist. 

Ashley Hinton smiles while standing next to a research presentation

Q: What is unique about the audiology program at USF? 

USF’s audiology program front-loads their curriculum with didactic coursework in the first year, a feature that drew me to the program. I did not have a CSD background coming into the program, so getting my feet wet with course- and lab-work helped me during the first year before going into the clinic in year two. Additionally, because of its location, students can experience a number of different clinical settings including ENT clinics, non-profits, hospitals, and VAs.

Q: How has this program helped you in your career?

The USF audiology program, while clinical at its core, allowed me the time and flexibility to pursue my love of research. I worked in the Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research with Joseph Walton and Robert Frisina during my four years in the program. I was also awarded a T-35 fellowship from the NIH which sent me to Washington University in St. Louis for a summer to work strictly in the lab. It was through these experiences that I became interested in pharmaceutical interventions for hearing loss, an area that has yet to bring a product to market. Combining the immersive clinical education with my experiences in the lab gives me a unique perspective on drug development and treating patients with hearing loss. 

headshot of Ashley Hinton

Q: What is the most fulfilling thing about being an audiologist? 

I’m a translational scientist, a liaison of sorts between the laboratory bench and clinical bedside. My clinical education and laboratory experience allow me to communicate effectively with basic scientists, physicians, and clinical audiologists to develop protocols for testing new drugs in clinical trials and evaluating data to determine their efficacy. Patients with hearing loss are desperate for a better solution, and solving that puzzle is both challenging and exciting. 

Q: What are your future career aspirations?

I have worked in Biotech as a translational scientist for five years since graduating from the USF Au.D. program. The landscape of pharmaceutical interventions for hearing loss is rapidly evolving, and we will likely see the first drug approved and on the market in our lifetime. To be a part of that in any way, shape, or form would be immensely gratifying. 

 “It was a challenging and fun four years. I had great classmates, excellent professors, and experienced clinicians to guide me through all stages of the program. I feel that USF’s program made me well-prepared me for life after school.” - Ashley Hinton 

Q: What advice do you have for current Honors students?

My advice? Immerse yourself in the experience. Meet everyone you can; that speaker at an Honors event might be a future colleague … or boss! Keep an open mind; your career aspirations as a freshman may not be your career aspirations as a sophomore. And finally, lean into the experience of the experts around you; the Honors College is full of them! 

Students interested in learning more about the health profession pathway programs hosted by the Judy Genshaft Honors College, including the graduate admission pathway to the USF College of Community & Behavioral Sciences, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Doctor of Audiology program, can visit the Honors College website.  

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About Honors News

Committed to intellectual curiosity, global citizenship, and service across three unique Tampa Bay campuses, Honors News shares the exceptional stories of the Judy Genshaft Honors College.