Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin '22 Ph.D. knew from the age of 13 that audiology was the career she wanted to pursue. She earned a bachelor's degree in speech, language, and hearing sciences and psychology with minors in cognitive science and neuroscience from UConn. She also gained a master's in hearing science from Gallaudet University. Most recently, she graduated from UConn with her Ph.D. from the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in August 2022.

Torri’s dissertation looks at service accessibility for families of children who have been identified as Deaf or hard of hearing. It outlines the steps for what accessibility is, specifically through the lens of public health, and how audiology and public health intersect in Early Intervention (EI). The American Journal of Audiology will publish this model, which describes what elements within a family drives them toward or away from EI (for example, families who are offered services and refuse them). The model also explores how to conceptualize EI as a public health service instead of a clinical provision.

Torri is not only an alum of UConn; she is also a UConn professor. She is currently an assistant professor-in-residence in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn Health. In her role, she coordinates and administers the Connecticut Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, which is an interdisciplinary training program. She assists in teaching the audiology LEND supplement course that focuses on the use of narratives and family-centered practice within the realm of hearing and other developmental differences.