New Summer Course! "What You Need to Hear!" by Elaine Mormer

The sense of hearing connects us to others and provides a critical channel for learning, communicating, and safety in our daily lives. Intricate mechanisms within the auditory system provide precise processing of the complex acoustic signals we use and enjoy in life. What happens when these mechanisms are not at full function?  This course will provide an overview of how we hear, what goes wrong, and the challenges of unaddressed hearing loss. We will explore the process of standardized hearing testing and discuss myths and truths about the wide array of available hearing solutions. Class activities will include discussion, anonymous polling, and demonstration of processes and devices. 

Elaine Mormer has had a long career as a licensed audiologist and audiology educator. She is currently a professor and vice chair in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. She teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and serves as a clinical educator for Doctor of Audiology (AuD) students. Her most recent research interests have included stakeholder engaged projects focused on self-perception of hearing-related difficulties and approaches to hearing health care for adults. Originally from Boston, she earned her Masters in Audiology at the University of Massachusetts and her PhD at the University of Pittsburgh. She was a 2019 co-recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Provost’s Innovation in Education Award and earned the 2020 American Academy of Audiology Outstanding Educator Award.