McNair Scholar 2019 Calvin Duong
Calvin Duong is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Speech-Language Hearing Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts. Focusing on hearing sciences, he plans on working towards a clinical degree in Audiology. His research interests are centered on improving quality and accessibility of hearing healthcare, including hearing instruments.
As an individual with congenital hearing loss, my dream is to receive a Doctorate of Audiology so that I can connect with and improve the lives of the community who have faced similar struggles due to their hearing loss.
Research project
Assessing the need for a connected hearing healthcare system for improving access to hearing healthcare services in low-resource communities across Minnesota
Abstract: The prevalence of hearing-loss (HL) in the US is expected to double and this projected growth will put enormous pressure on the current hearing healthcare sector. Millions of individuals with HL are likely to go untreated. Untreated HL is associated with reduced rates of academic and vocational achievement. The projected prevalence indicates an impending epidemic that requires innovative measures to delivering hearing healthcare to rural and low-resource communities. This study examined the distribution of hearing healthcare providers across Minnesota. The goal was to quantify disparities in access to hearing healthcare using a geographical information system (GIS). The locations of Minnesota licensed hearing healthcare providers were geographically mapped. The geocoded locations were superimposed on a map displaying 87 Minnesota county populations. Results show disparity in access to hearing healthcare with many rural counties having limited access to providers. In summary, Minnesotans need preemptive measures to curb an epidemic of untreated hearing-loss.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Evelyn Davies-Venn is currently an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. She received her M.Sc., Au.D., and Ph.D. in Audiology at the University of Washington. Dr. Davies-Venn’s current research focuses on hearing aids, particularly in assessing individual factors and improving outcomes with hearing aids as well as access to hearing healthcare services. As an alum of the McNair Scholars Program at the U of M, Dr. Davies-Venn has been involved with the program for years as a faculty mentor, advisor and consultant.