Meet Our 2025–2026 Audiology Doctoral Residents

Announcements
July 8, 2025
By
Dr. Jenifer Cushing

At Live Better Hearing + Balance, we're proud to invest in the next generation of audiologists through our highly selective Audiology Doctoral Resident Program. Also known as a fourth-year externship, this year-long clinical training program places top doctoral students into immersive, hands-on residencies at our clinics across Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Each year, we welcome a small group of outstanding audiology residents from accredited programs across the country. These future Doctors of Audiology train alongside our expert clinicians to gain experience in diagnostic testing, hearing aid fitting and verification, vestibular assessments, tinnitus management, and more.

This year, we’re thrilled to introduce five talented residents who are bringing passion, clinical skill, and patient-centered care to our practices and the communities we serve.

Morgan Brenk – White Plains, MD

Morgan joins us from Towson University and is completing her Doctorate of Audiology after earning her B.S. from James Madison University.

Her clinical experience spans military hospitals, ENT clinics, and research labs. Morgan is especially interested in vestibular care, tinnitus, and helping patients with dizziness. Originally from Hagerstown, MD, she brings warmth, enthusiasm, and a strong evidence-based approach to the patients at our White Plains hearing center.

Lindsay Deegan – Timonium, MD

Lindsay is a doctoral student at Towson University and holds a B.A. in Communication Disorders from the University of Alabama.

She has trained at prestigious institutions like Johns Hopkins Bayview and Nemours Children’s Health. With a strong academic background—including a thesis on optimizing auditory brainstem response testing—Lindsay is committed to delivering compassionate, informed care at our Timonium hearing clinic.

Cassidy Lewis – Pasadena, MD

Cassidy is completing her Au.D. at Utah State University and earned her undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.

She has a diverse clinical background and a special interest in working with patients experiencing dizziness and balance disorders. Cassidy’s passion for helping patients achieve their hearing goals shines through every appointment at our Pasadena hearing center location.

Kristen Nortwich – West Long Branch, NJ

A native of Marlboro, NJ, Kristen is a doctoral candidate at Montclair State University and holds a degree in Communication Sciences from West Chester University.

With prior externship experience at Live Better Hearing + Balance and involvement in NJhEARS and the Student Academy of Audiology, Kristen brings leadership, curiosity, and clinical excellence to our West Long Branch clinic.

Danielle Schopf – Rockville, MD

Danielle is completing her doctorate at the University of Maryland, where she’s also contributed to research on cochlear implants and binaural hearing in noise.

She has trained at Children’s National Hospital and in both pediatric and adult private practice settings. Danielle brings a deep commitment to patient-centered care and is excited to work with families at our Rockville hearing and balance clinic.

We are honored to support these exceptional clinicians on their journey to becoming audiologists. Their contributions already make a meaningful impact on our patients — and we can’t wait to see what the year brings.

If you're interested in learning more about our fourth year externship program or applying for next year’s cohort, visit our website Audiology Doctoral Resident Program webpage.

Chief Learning & Development Officer and Audiologist
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Written by Dr. Jenifer Cushing

Dr. Jenifer Cushing is the Chief Learning & Development Officer of Live Better Hearing + Balance and an audiologist in the Frederick, MD clinic. Dr. Cushing earned a Bachelor of Arts in Hearing & Speech Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Doctorate in Clinical Audiology from the University at Buffalo.

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