Audiology

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Faculty and Staff

The department’s faculty is committed to the interdisciplinary model and recognizes its significance in maintaining the quality of graduate education for healthcare professionals. Although the majority of the program’s course offerings are discipline-specific and will be taught by the department’s full-time faculty, students also will receive substantial instruction from experts and qualified practitioners in affiliated disciplines. The department’s adjunct faculty and ASHS core faculty include educators and professionals with advanced degrees and expertise across a range of affiliated disciplines, including human anatomy, biomedical engineering, speech-language pathology, manual communication, genetics, syndromology, statistics and experimental design, medical informatics, pharmacology, and business administration.

Audiology departmental faculty

Tabitha Parent Buck, Au.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Audiology
tparent@atsu.edu

AUD 520  Neurology
AUD 531  Embryology and Genetic Conditions (co-instructor)
AUD 545  Amplification I
AUD 722  Advances in Audiologic Care

Dr. Buck was appointed as chair of the Department of Audiology in July 1999 and holds an associate professorship in the department. Dr. Parent-Buck obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in audiology from Purdue University and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She has practiced in a variety of clinical settings and has worked as a sales representative and trainer in the hearing aid industry for AVR Sonovation. She provided academic and clinical instruction as assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of New Mexico, where she was recognized for teaching excellence. Dr. Parent-Buck has published in the areas of hearing aid technology and otoacoustic emissions. She has conducted numerous presentations on the Au.D. movement, otoacoustic emissions, pharmacology for audiologists, the use of web-based educational tools, and the use frequency compression as an alternative to wasted amplification.

Rebekah Fallis Cunningham, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator, Audiology
rcunningham@atsu.edu

AUD 614  Pediatric Audiology
AUD 626  Auditory Processing Disorders I
AUD 636  Auditory Processing Disorders II
AUD 645  Amplification III

Rebekah Fallis Cunningham, Ph.D., was appointed to the Department of Audiology in August 2003. She obtained her B.A. in Speech and Hearing from Indiana University, her M.S. degree in Audiology from Purdue University and her Ph.D. degree from the University of Cincinnati. She has practiced privately and as the coordinator for the pediatric program at a large hospital. She has also worked at two children’s hospitals and a center for developmentally delayed children where she was the audiology director. During this period, she taught graduate audiology students at ASHS and Ball State University. Dr. Cunningham has frequently in-serviced medical staff, departmental students and faculty, nursery staffs, and physicians on newborn hearing screening and audiology. In addition, she served for seven years on the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) Task Force on the Early Identification of Hearing Loss in Infants and Young Children. Dr. Cunningham has presented numerous courses on OAEs, auditory processing disorders and pediatric audiology. She has published several journal articles relating to these same topics.

Thomas G. Rigo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Audiology
trigo@atsu.edu

AUD 514  Auditory Science
AUD 524  Essentials of Audiology I
AUD 534  Essentials of Audiology II
AUD 535  Speech Perception
AUD 611  Counseling in Audiology
AUD 621  Audiological Rehabilitation for Adults
AUD 644  Occupational and Environ. Hearing Conservation

Dr. Rigo was appointed to the Department of Audiology in May 2002. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Communicative Disorders and Audiology from The Florida State University. Prior to his appointment at ASHS, Dr. Rigo was an associate professor of audiology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he formulated and directed an accredited graduate audiology program for 18 years. He has extensive teaching experience in applied science and clinical coursework. During this time, Dr. Rigo also served as audiologist and clinical supervisor at the UL Lafayette Speech, Language, and Hearing Center. He was recognized at UL Lafayette for outstanding teaching and academic advising. Dr. Rigo has published in numerous scholarly journals and presented extensively in the areas of auditory processing disorders, aural rehabilitation, and multi-modal perception of speech.

Les R. Schmeltz, Au.D.
Assistant Professor, Audiology
lschmeltz@atsu.edu

AUD 513 Professional Roles and Responsibilities
AUD 711  Educational Audiology
AUD 725  Amplification IV 
AUD 732  Screening and Monitoring Programs in Audiology
AUD 743  Ethics and the Health Care Delivery System
AUD 834  Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Dr. Schmeltz received his B.S. degree from Northern Michigan University, M.S. from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. He has an extensive background in early identification and has presented on numerous topics related to newborn hearing screening, early intervention, data management, and clinical techniques. He also serves as the Technical Assistance Network audiologist for the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University, providing technical assistance and support to EHDI programs in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Dr. Schmeltz has conducted Pediatric Audiology Training workshops conducted by NCHAM in Iowa, California, and Illinois.

Henry P. Trahan, Au.D.
Assistant Professor, Audiology
htrahan@atsu.edu

AUD 521  Anatomy and Phys. of the Auditory-Vestibular System
AUD 523  Infection Control and Cerumen Mgmt (co-instructor)
AUD 533  Acquired Auditory-Vestibular Disorders
AUD 546  Otoacoustic Emissions
AUD 616  Auditory Evoked Responses
AUD 624  Tinnitus: Evaluation and Treatment
AUD 637  Vestibular Assessment and Treatment I
AUD 717  Vestibular Assessment and Treatment II

Dr. Trahan was appointed to the Department of Audiology in December 2001. Dr. Trahan received his B.S. in Speech and Hearing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, M.C.D. in Audiology from The Louisiana State University Medical School, School of Allied Health, and Au.D. from The University of Florida. He has an extensive background in neurodiagnostics, vestibular assessment and rehabilitation, hearing aid fitting and dispensing, and business. His professional experience includes 17 years as owner and director of the ACI Hearing and Balance Center in Lafayette, La. During this time, Dr. Trahan was an adjunct instructor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and served as a clinical supervisor and externship supervisor for several graduate audiology programs. Dr. Trahan’s scholarly contributions include publications and professional presentations on such topics as vestibular assessment and rehabilitation, hearing aid technology, otoacoustic emissions, and pediatric assessment.

Audiology adjunct faculty

Steven A. Huart, Au.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Audiology
shuart@atsu.edu

AUD 615  Amplification II

Dr. Huart received his B.S and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and Au.D. from Central Michigan University. Dr. Huart has served on the governor’s advisory board for audiology, speech pathology, and hearing aid dispensing in Wisconsin and Arizona. He has been an examiner for the hearing aid dispensing and dispensing audiology examinations in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona. Dr. Huart is currently the supervisor of audiology at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. He has supervised numerous graduate students and presented extensively on hearing loss and amplification at both public and professional meetings. The emphasis of his practice at Mayo Clinic is on selection, fitting ,and verification of hearing aids. His research interest is in using behavioral style indicators to improve outcomes in hearing aid fitting and aural rehabilitation.

Martin L. Lenhardt, Au.D., Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor, Audiology
mlenhardt@atsu.edu

AUD 734  The Aging Auditory System

Dr. Lenhardt is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds affiliate professorships in pediatric dentistry and environmental science. He maintains a scientific relationship with the School of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary. Dr. Lenhardt holds an M.S. in Audiology from Seton Hall University, a Ph.D. in Habilitation Science from Florida State University, and an Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. He has commercialized two patented hearing aid inventions with seven more patents pending. Dr. Lenhardt has published extensively in the areas of auditory physiology, auditory perception, and speech perception.

Anijta T. Pikus, Au.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor, Audiology
apikus@atsu.edu

AUD 782  Audiological Management in Heritable Syndromes

Dr. Pikus is currently the president of Zebra Systems International after more than 20 years in federal service where she was most recently senior advisor in the Office of Rare Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. At the NIH she created and established the first audiology facility on the campus of the NIH and served as its director for nearly 20 years. Before NIH, Dr. Pikus was assistant professor of audiology at Temple University Medical School. She received a M.A. in Audiology from Temple University and Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Dr. Pikus is known internationally for her expertise and contributions to clinical hearing science, syndromology, and genetics, with more than 200 publications and presentations on these subjects.

Jennifer A. Ratigan, Au.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Audiology
jratigan@atsu.edu

AUD 620  Manual Communication I
AUD 640  Manual Communication II

Dr. Ratigan received her B.S. in Special Education and Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Arizona and Au.D. from Gallaudet University. Dr. Ratigan  is currently in private practice in the greater Phoenix area. Her clinical specialties and interests include vestibular assessment and cochlear implants. She has received extensive specialized training in these areas and in the area of auditory processing disorders. Dr. Ratigan is fluent in American Sign Language and has teaching experience in manual communication systems. Her scholarly contributions include publications and presentations in the areas of cochlear implants and assistive devices.

Kimberly G. Skinner, Au.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Audiology
kskinner@atsu.edu

AUD 813  Professionalism and Leadership

Dr. Skinner received her Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences, an M.S. in Audiology from California State University, Sacramento, and a B.A. in linguistics from the University of California at Davis. She has practiced audiology in private practice in her home county of San Luis Obispo, California, since completing graduate school in 1996. She has served her community as president of the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo Daybreak and as a volunteer at the local youth correctional facility. She has served her profession as president of the California Academy of Audiology.

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, Ph.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Audiology and ASDOH
aspolarich@atsu.edu

AUD 540  Pharmacology

Dr. Spolarich was appointed to the Department of Audiology in June, 2006.  She is a registered, licensed dental hygienist specializing in the care of medically complex patients, and practices part-time in geriatrics. She graduated summa cum laude from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and received her PhD in Physiology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Dr. Spolarich is an internationally recognized author and speaker on pharmacology. In addition to teaching AUD 540 Pharmacology, she teaches Clinical Medicine and Pharmacology at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, and pharmacology at the USC Dental School in Los Angeles.

Rupal S. Vora, M.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Audiology
rvora@atsu.edu

AUD 523  Infection Control and Cerumen Mgmt. (co-instructor)
AUD 531  Embryology and Genetic Conditions (co-instructor)
AUD 710  Basic Principles of Medical Imaging

Dr. Vora was appointed to the Department of Audiology in December 2004. She completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA, graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology. She subsequently completed her medical training at the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles. She completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, CA and is board certified in Internal Medicine. In addition to teaching AUD 710 Basic Principles of Medical Imaging, Dr. Vora is a contributing lecturer for AUD 520 Neurology, AUD 523 Infection Control and Cerumen Management, and AUD 531 Embryology and Genetic Conditions.

Carla M. Zimmerman, M.N.S.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Audiology
czimmerman@atsu.edu

AUD 510  Acquisition and Development of Communicative Skills
AUD 530  Comm. Methodology for Hearing Impaired Children
AUD 822  Speech and Language Disorders in Children

Zimmerman received her Master of Natural Science degree Speech-Language Pathology from Arizona State University. Since 1988, she has owned and operated a private practice dealing exclusively with hearing-impaired individuals. Zimmerman is also the Birth to Three Coordinator at Desert Voices Oral Learning Center. She has delivered a number guest lectures and professional presentations concerning service delivery to hearing impaired children and cochlear implants. Zimmerman has served as a clinical supervisor to speech-language pathology students since 1988. She is fluent in Signed Exact English and trained in Cued Speech.

ASHS core faculty

R. Curtis Bay, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
cbay@atsu.edu

HS 522  Research Methods and Design
HS 532  Methods of Data Analysis

Dr. Bay was appointed as associate professor of biostatics in August 2005. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology (quantitative emphasis) from Arizona State University in 1991. Dr. Bay has extensive experience as a statistical consultant for a number of public and private agencies. Formerly, Dr. Bay was the director of the Office of Medical Research and chair of the IRB at Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, Ariz. His past academic experience includes an appointment as faculty research associate in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. Dr. Bay has published extensively in medical and healthcare scholarly journals. His specific expertise and interests include statistics, biostatistics, structural equations, and models for clustered data.

Elton L. Bordenave, B.B.A., M.Ed.
Assistant Professor, Audiology and Physical Therapy
ebordenave@atsu.edu

AUD 633  Practice Development I
AUD 723  Practice Development II

Bordenave received his B.B.A. (Bachelor in Business Administration) from Baylor University and his M.Ed. from Grand Canyon University. Bordenave teaches healthcare administration and regulation core courses at ASHS. His areas of professional activity and expertise are healthcare finance, regulatory compliance, healthcare information systems, and risk management. Prior to Bordenave’s appointment to ASHS, he was a healthcare consultant in private practice and formerly managed a large physical therapy practice. His past educational and scholarly contributions include in-services, professional presentations, and seminars to statewide educational and professional organizations.

H. Richard Wienke, M.D., FACS
Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
rwienke@atsu.edu

HS 511  Human Anatomy for Audiologists

Dr. Wienke was appointed as assistant professor of clinical anatomy and physician assistant studies in July 2005. Prior to this, he was a visiting instructor in PA anatomy at ASHS. Dr. Wienke received his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame and his medical education at Loyola University medical center in Chicago. He then completed a residency in general and vascular surgery at Loyola medical center. Dr. Wienke has spent the past 30 years in the private practice of general, vascular, and bariatric surgery. He is board certified in general surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery as well as numerous other medical organizations. Dr. Wienke has lectured extensively in the area of bariatric surgery.

Departmental staff

Melanie A. Kropp
Assistant to the Chair, Audiology
mkropp@atsu.edu

Ms. Kropp was appointed to the Department of Audiology in August of 2002. She assists the Chair and faculty with the administration of both the Entry Level Doctor of Audiology Program and the Transitional Doctor of Audiology Program. Ms. Kropp’s first priority is to see that the needs of the Au.D. students at the Arizona School of Health Sciences are being met. Among her many other duties, Ms. Kropp coordinates all of the special events pertaining to the Audiology Department including the White Coat Ceremony, and the Graduation Dinners.

Jennifer C. Apel
Administrative Assistant, Audiology
jcapel@atsu.edu

Ms. Apel was appointed to the Department of Audiology in January of 2006. She assists the Chair and faculty with administrative needs of both the Entry Level and Transitional Doctor of Audiology Programs. Ms. Apel works closely with Ms. Kropp to assist students during the course of their professional studies.