The mission of our department is to maintain an active research program as a source for the clinical and scientific education of our students, and as a vehicle for professional growth for our faculty. Through our commitment to academic and clinical excellence, the mission of the CDS Department continues to maintain a nationally and internationally recognized graduate program in Communicative Disorders and Sciences.

The University at Buffalo Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences sponsored the eighth Annual Student Research Day on Friday, April 25, 2008. Ten presentations were given by Ph.D. and Au.D. candidates on topics related to the areas of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. A poster session also took place, consisting of several clinical research projects and topics, completed by first-year M.A. and Au.D. students. Please click on 'read more' to view the presentations from Student Research Day.

This summer from July 26 through July 31, three AuD graduate students will attend an audiology summer camp sponsored by Oticon Audiology in Keystone, Colorado. This is the 11th annual Oticon summer camp that involves audiology students in seminars, discussions, and workshops on Oticon technology and amplification. This year's program will focus on patient profiles and modern technology. Guest faculty member, Dr. Anne Marie Tharpe, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University, will focus on the assessment and management of children with hearing loss. Many AuD graduate students at Buffalo have attended this summer camp in previous years, and have commented that it was a very beneficial and fun experience.

On April 17, 2008 AuD student Carolynne M. Jones participated in a poster session at the University at Buffalo Sigma Xi Research Day and Celebration of Academic Excellence at the Center for Arts. Carolynne's poster summarized her AuD research project on "Trends of Acceptance in Deaf Culture: Opinions about Hearing Status and Cochlear Implants". The purpose of the study was to document the evolution of values by members of Deaf culture over the past ten years in regards to a) the acceptance of individuals who choose to use a cochlear implant b) the acceptance of individuals without physiological hearing loss who choose to identify with Deaf culture. Pictured is AuD graduate student, Carolynne Jones, and Dr. JoAnn Hammer. Click on 'read more' for details on Carolynne's research.

On April 7th 2008, ABC's Good Morning America aired an excerpt on tinnitus, focusing on its symptoms and the Nueromonics device that has become a prominent therapy device for the relief of tinnitus. UB's Center for Hearing and Deafness and the Dept. of Communicative Disorders, along with Dr. Richard Salvi and Dr. Ed Lobarinas contributed invaluable information on tinnitus and information on recent research taking place at UB. The opportunity to have the department and center and faculty represented reflects the indispensable amount of research that has and continues to be conducted on tinnitus here. In addition to research, the UB Speech Language and Hearing Clinic has grown tremendously in treating patients with tinnitus clinically, especially through counseling and fittings with specific noise generators. Dr. Christina Stocking, along with all of the audiology clinic staff, has been involved in the growing activity of treating tinnitus patients. Pictured is Dr. Lobarinas. Click on 'read more' for the rest of the article.

Dr. Carrie Secor, Au.D., is an adjunct clinical assistant professor and supervisor in our CDS department. As a clinical supervisor she is responsible for graduate student training at the University Clinic in diagnostic audiology, hearing aid evaluations and fitting, and central auditory processing. Dr. Secor is also employed at Hearing Evaluation Services in Buffalo since 2005. There, her areas of expertise are in hearing aid and FM fittings, as well as central auditory processing disorders. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Secor is Hearing Evaluation Services’ Education and Outreach Coordinator. She organizes community events, hearing screenings and in-services to area physicians. Dr. Secor has been involved in multiple international research projects, has been published in the Handbook of Clinical Audiology, and has taught audiology lectures at the University at Buffalo. She completed her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees all at the University at Buffalo. Additionally, in 2004, Dr. Secor presented at the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) in 2004 on, “Acoustic Feedback Management and Telephone Use”. Feel free to contact Carrie at csecor@buffalo.edu for any questions.

On April 9, 2008, the University at Buffalo hosted their annual Wellness Awareness Day to promote the wellness of the faculty, staff, and graduate students at UB. Our Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic was one of the many clinics and departments participating in this event. Several clinical faculty and graduate students volunteered their time to participate, and to answer all speech, language, and hearing questions and concerns. Au.D. graduate students conducted free hearing screenings throughout the event to all who were interested. Over 75 hearing screenings were performed. This event was an excellent way for students to gain practical experience, and for staff and faculty to learn and inquire about speech, language, and hearing health.

Dr. Nancy Stecker, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor in our audiology department. Dr. Stecker’s clinical and research expertise is in central auditory processing disorders (CAPD). Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when the brain recognizes and interprets sounds and words. People with auditory processing disorders have difficulty processing auditory information. Along with CAPD patients, Dr. Stecker also works with patients with tinnitus. Tinnitus is the ringing, whistling, buzzing sound that is perceived by some people in the ears or head. Dr. Stecker is largely involved with tinnitus evaluations and therapy for the current tinnitus study at UB entitled, “Randomized Trial of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy”. This study, headed by Dr. Christina Stocking at UB, was developed at the University of Iowa and is evaluating the effectiveness of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. Click on 'read more' for the rest of the article.