In March 2026, the UNC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) faculty and audiology trainees attended the 25th Annual Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. The conference opened with the LEND Audiology Workshop, which provided an opportunity for networking and collaboration with LEND audiology trainees from across the country.
First‑year Audiology LEND trainees Hayley Krush, Amelia Saccomondi, Kia Simms, and Mia VanDeurzen presented a poster titled “Inclusive Hearing Healthcare: Language Accessibility in Audiologic Evaluation”. This project, mentored by LEND faculty Hannah Siburt, AuD, PhD along with UNC faculty Hannah McLean, AuD and Oklahoma Baptist University faculty, Nancy Quick, PhD, CCC-SLP focused on language accessibility in audiologic care. Their poster was awarded 2nd place in the student poster category.
Additionally, 4th year UNC Audiology LEND trainees Casey Martin and Talia Mango—currently completing LEND externships at the University of Miami Ear Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital, respectively, presented their mentored research at the conference. Talia Mango, along with her co‑extern Emily Jones, received the Best Overall Poster Award, while Casey Martin, mentored by Dr. Chrisanda Sanchez, received the People’s Choice Award for her poster.
UNC LEND faculty member Djenne-Amal Morris, alongside second‑year Audiology LEND trainee Zakiya-mali Morris and Jessica Dallman, led an instructional session titled “Nervous System Regulation: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How It Applies to Early Intervention.”