New president of the American Academy of Audiology one of UA's own

Dr. Erin Miller, clinical faculty member and coordinator of The University of Akron’s hearing aid dispensary, has been elected president of the American Academy of Audiology. She is the third UA faculty member to become president of the academy, a distinction held by no other university, she says.

Miller, now serving a third year on the academy’s board of directors, will act as president-elect from July 2013 to June 2014 and begin her yearlong presidency in July 2014.

"It is a great honor to be elected to represent the nearly 12,000 audiology professionals who are members of the American Academy of Audiology," says Miller, who joined UA in 2005.

Group dedicated to hearing care

The American Academy of Audiology describes itself on its website as "the world's largest professional organization of, by, and for audiologists ... dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research, and increased public awareness of hearing and balance disorders."

Miller plans to increase public awareness of the academy's services, and on the academy's website she outlines her plan to make audiologists the premier providers of hearing and balance services, promote evidence-based practice and research, and recruit "the best and brightest to the profession."

She also mentions hearing loss in older adults as a particular concern.

Services can reduce health care costs

"Hearing loss is one of the most common and undertreated conditions in older adults," notes Miller. "Research conducted at Johns Hopkins, published earlier this year, found that elderly people with compromised hearing are at risk of developing cognitive deficits. Audiology services will become an integral component in helping to maintain independence in older adults, which should lead to reduced costs to the health care system."

Miller teaches subjects related to hearing aid technology and central auditory processing at UA, where "the audiology faculty ... have a long history of leadership in the profession of audiology and with the academy," she says.

She is also a clinical service provider to patients with hearing, balance and auditory processing disorders, as well as a clinical preceptor and coordinator of the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium.

Miller has received several honors from the American Academy of Audiology, including the Active Advocate of the Year Award in 2012, the Presidential Award in 2010 and the Scholar Award from 2002-2011.

 Story by Nicholas Nussen

Media contact: Laura Massie, 330-972-6476 or massie1@uakron.edu.