Category: Speech and Hearing Science

Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) Program Phasedown

Oct. 16, 2025 | Department of Speech and Hearing Science

On July 17, 2025, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved the decision to phase down the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) Program. Please read further to understand our decision and our continued commitment to hearing education and clinical services.

Our History in Audiology Training

The Doctor of Audiology (AuD) Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is nationally recognized for its excellence in clinical training and academic leadership. For decades, our program has prepared future audiologists to meet the evolving demands of healthcare addressing hearing and balance, consistently earning top rankings among peer institutions. Our alumni and current students continue to shape the field—advancing research, leading clinical innovation, and improving patient outcomes.

Speech and Hearing Science Building.

Today, the need for innovative models of hearing care is only increasing. With 48 million people in the United States and 477 million worldwide living with hearing loss, the demand for accessible, high-quality hearing care is growing rapidly. As a department, we are committed to supporting our students, alumni, partners, and community in addressing this global challenge.

Re-Envisioning Audiology Education at Illinois

Audiology education in general has experienced long-term challenges. Among these, a shortage of audiologists has contributed to a shortage of local clinical placement sites and clinical faculty, limiting the availability of supervised clinical training experiences. This is combined with limited applicants to our AuD program and competition from other AuD programs across the state and region. Over the past two years, the department engaged in a comprehensive review of the AuD program, assessed multiple models for long term sustainability, engaged in dialogue with statewide partners, and evaluated future trends in audiology education and clinical practice. As a forward-thinking department, we have decided to transition to new educational training models for supporting the future of hearing care.

After careful consideration, and with the best interests of our students, faculty, and the department in mind, we made the difficult decision to phase down the AuD program. As a result, we are no longer accepting applications to the AuD program.

A Continued Commitment to Hearing Health

We remain committed to educating future practitioners and leaders in hearing health. All currently enrolled AuD students will continue to receive full support from the faculty in meeting their educational and clinical requirements through the completion of their degrees. Our program continues to hold full accreditation status with the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). We are also designing new opportunities for students in our other degree programs to interface with our Audiology Clinic, collaborate with leaders in hearing science, and pursue interdisciplinary learning and innovation.

Our Audiology Clinic remains fully operational and continues to accept new patients and referrals without interruption. We are committed to serving the clinical needs of the university community and the public. Furthermore, we continue to pursue innovative models and partnerships as a leader in hearing throughout the state.

Designing the Future of Hearing Education and Research

Hearing science remains a core strength of our department, supported by a vibrant research community and ongoing investment in hearing innovation. Our faculty direct projects of national and international impact, to support children and adults across the lifespan with their hearing needs, and to improve clinical practice and technological solutions. With the growing influence of artificial intelligence, we are designing innovative undergraduate education opportunities that merge clinical practice with advancing computational methods, preparing students to thrive and lead in data-driven healthcare. We are building the future of hearing science and clinical practice, and we are training our PhD students to lead in this rapidly evolving field through our mentorship and interdisciplinary training.

We are deeply proud of our AuD program and the many accomplishments of our students, alumni, and faculty. We are also grateful for the valuable contributions of our adjunct faculty, emeriti faculty, and external clinical supervisors. We invite alumni, clinical partners, collaborators, and prospective students to join us in building the future of hearing science and advancing hearing care and education in Illinois and beyond.

Questions can be directed to Dr. Ian Mertes, the Director of the Audiology Program (imertes@illinois.edu).

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Illinois researcher earns NIH subaward to advance cochlear implant technology

Oct. 27, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

New grant advances cochlear implant noise reduction

Photo by caption

Justin Aronoff, an associate professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received a subaward on a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The project, led by Vortant Technologies, focuses on a novel approach called “spatially transparent binaural beamforming” that improves on noise reduction techniques in cochlear implant processors.

Cochlear implants have transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, offering a sense of sound to individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. Yet despite their effectiveness, users often face significant challenges in noisy environments such as restaurants, classrooms or crowded public spaces. Traditional technologies designed to filter noise can unintentionally distort spatial cues—the subtle differences in sound loudness and timing that allow people to locate and separate sounds in space. This distortion makes it harder for cochlear implant users to orient themselves in noisy situations, diminishing the devices’ usefulness in the real world.

The newly funded collaboration between Aronoff’s research group at Illinois and Vortant Technologies aims to solve this problem by advancing a promising new strategy in signal processing. Beamforming, the core technology under study, works by amplifying sounds coming from a specific direction—typically the person a listener wants to focus on—while suppressing sounds from other directions. While beamforming is not new, most existing approaches compromise spatial awareness. Vortant’s innovation, however, is a “spatially transparent” beamformer, meaning it not only improves speech perception in noise but also preserves the spatial cues that are critical for natural hearing.

“Beamforming helps improve speech perception in noisy environments by allowing a microphone to focus on sound from a specific location,” Aronoff said. “The problem with most beamformers is that while they enhance speech, they distort spatial cues, making it difficult to tell where different sounds are coming from. Vortant has been developing a beamformer that overcomes this tradeoff, both improving speech perception and preserving spatial information.”

Aronoff’s lab will play a key role in testing this technology. As the Illinois subawardee, he is responsible for designing and conducting behavioral studies with cochlear implant users. These studies will assess whether the new algorithm delivers on its promise to improve speech understanding in noisy conditions while maintaining the ability to detect where sounds originate. All participant testing will take place in Aronoff’s laboratory at Illinois, where his team has extensive experience conducting similar research.

Being able to follow conversations in noisy environments is one of the biggest challenges they face, and we hope this technology can make a meaningful difference in their everyday lives.

Justin Aronoff

SHS Associate Professor

Vortant Technologies specializes in developing assistive technologies that increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Aronoff first connected with the company through Phil Schaefer, Vortant’s chief scientist, when the two served together on an NIH SBIR review panel. Their shared interest in advancing assistive hearing technologies led to discussions of collaboration, eventually resulting in this funded project. Alongside Aronoff’s group on the Urbana-Champaign campus, a second subaward was issued to Ryan Corey at the University of Illinois-Chicago, expanding the collaboration across campuses.

For Aronoff, the project builds on a long-standing line of research aimed at maximizing the benefits of binaural hearing—the use of both ears—in cochlear implant users. His laboratory has previously been supported by an NIH R01 grant from the NIDCD, now in its fifth year, which investigates how cochlear implant users process spatial hearing cues. That project has already generated four peer-reviewed articles, additional manuscripts under review, and presentations at major national and international conferences. A renewal application for the R01 is currently under consideration, demonstrating the momentum and sustained impact of his research program.

The new SBIR project represents an opportunity to translate fundamental scientific findings into real-world applications. By validating the effectiveness of Vortant’s beamforming algorithm in a controlled laboratory setting, Aronoff’s group will help lay the groundwork for technology that could ultimately be integrated into commercial cochlear implant processors. If successful, the innovation has the potential to make daily listening situations—such as following conversations in a busy café or hearing a teacher in a lively classroom—more manageable and less exhausting for cochlear implant users.

For Aronoff, the potential impact is deeply motivating. “Our ultimate aim is to improve speech perception in noise for cochlear implant users,” he said. “Being able to follow conversations in noisy environments is one of the biggest challenges they face, and we hope this technology can make a meaningful difference in their everyday lives.”

The NIH’s SBIR program is specifically designed to support early-stage research and development conducted by small businesses, often in collaboration with academic partners. By fostering these partnerships, the program seeks to accelerate the translation of innovative ideas into marketable products that can benefit patients and society. The Phase I award to Vortant Technologies and its collaborators at Illinois and UIC exemplifies this mission, advancing cutting-edge science with clear pathways toward clinical application.

As the project progresses, Aronoff and his team will collect data to determine whether the algorithm meets its dual goals of enhancing speech perception and preserving spatial hearing. If the Phase I studies are successful, the team hopes to pursue a Phase II SBIR award, which would provide more substantial funding to refine the technology and move closer to commercialization.

For cochlear implant users, the promise of better hearing in noise could be life-changing. For Aronoff and his collaborators, the new grant marks an important step toward bridging the gap between laboratory research and the lived experiences of people who rely on hearing technology.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Health study involves adults with Down syndrome ‘every step of the way’

Oct. 15, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

NIH-funded study will develop community resources to support well-being of adults with Down syndrome

Marie Moore Channell and Joey Kane at the National Down Syndrome Society Adult Summit. (Provided)

The transition to adulthood can be a challenging phase for people with Down syndrome, as resources built to support them in their youth and in school begin to dry up.

Marie Moore Channell, associate professor of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the lead investigator on a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health, which will collect the direct perspectives of young adults with Down syndrome and develop community resources to support their social, mental and physical well-being.

Unlike any previous study on the topic, this one has a steering committee of adults with Down syndrome who’ve helped develop the direction of the study “every step of the way.”

“We realized that the research as a whole is missing that perspective from individuals with Down syndrome themselves,” Channell said. “It’s really a humbling experience as a researcher to take a step back and not say, ‘these are the topics missing in the literature.’ This time, we said, ‘you tell us.’”

Channell and her co-investigators, University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Susan Loveall and Vanderbilt University’s Meghan Burke, have obtained a two-year, $446,096 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for their study, titled “Developing and implementing community based participatory health research with young adults with Down syndrome.”

The research team will cast a wide net, conducting one-to-one Zoom interviews with adults with Down syndrome across the U.S. to better understand their health concerns, and how to best support them.

The study emerged from a separate survey the professors had sent out to caregivers of individuals with Down syndrome, which sought to identify the gaps in support that occur once they reached young adulthood. Adults with Down syndrome tend to live with a caregiver until age 50.

“Families tell us some version of the same thing, over and over: that the supports they were receiving when they were younger and in the schools, are taken away when they’re older,” Channell said.

They decided the topic warranted further investigation. But first, Channell and her team used their networks to form a steering committee with 12 young adults, all of whom have Down syndrome.

One of those steering committee members is Joey Kane, a 30-year-old from Seattle who met Channell at the National Down Syndrome Society Adult Summit a couple years ago. Channell described some of the participatory research she was interested in doing, and Joey was all ears.

“I like to help make a difference,” Kane said. “It’s giving my voice to be heard, and advocating not just for me, but for everyone else who has a disability.”

While the lead researchers have put the study in motion, the steering committee has met with them at least once a week over video calls, sometimes twice to accommodate members living in different time zones.

The health topics they’ve focused on, Channell said, have ranged from securing employment and community living, to improving physical health and self-advocacy skills.

All those priorities resonate with Kane. He lives in an apartment about a mile away from his parents’ house and has two jobs: he serves dinner at the cafeteria in a local nursing home and works the front desk at the Down Syndrome Center of Puget Sound, where he also helps teach in the center’s adult program.

Kane has enjoyed meeting the rest of the committee and learning about their perspectives on health topics. He credited Channell and the other study organizers for making sure everyone is represented.

“What’s really good about Marie and the people doing the study, is they can tell who hasn’t talked yet,” he said. “It makes me happy that everyone’s participating. If everyone participates, we’re going to have a good study.”

We realized that the research as a whole is missing that perspective from individuals with Down syndrome themselves.

Marie Moore Channell

Associate Professor, Speech and Hearing Science

Input from the steering committee has shaped the study in critical ways. For one, at the suggestion of the committee, the community resources will likely be geared for professionals who support individuals with Down syndrome, such as healthcare providers, case managers and job coaches.

The virtual interviews will be one-one-one video calls, rather than online surveys. Participants will be able to see questions ahead of time and bring pictures to illustrate their ideas.

“It is a technique we learned about in looking at the research, and that’s one the [steering committee] gravitated toward. It’s called ‘photovoice,’ and it’s been used in similar kinds of community participatory research methods,” Channell said.

The resources could take several forms, but what Channell knows for sure is she’ll be “working with this group every step of the way.” 

“I’ve never done this kind of work before, and it’s been a big learning curve, but really refreshing. Because it feels like we can make an impact a lot faster,” Channell said. “I still highly value the other kinds of research I’ve done, but this is something where it’s built into the project to implement into the community by the end.” 

The investigators will put together a “researcher’s toolkit,” compiling the successful practices and challenges of this participatory research. The team is currently hiring some of the steering committee members as co-researchers, who will be trained to help conduct the one-on-one interviews and take part in day-to-day research tasks.

“I’ve learned so much, and I see the value of connecting with the community, building a relationship and working with them before their research study is designed—not imposing your research questions on the community, we’re so used to doing that,” she said.

“It’s really challenging to change that, but I think it’s what we all should be doing more and more of as researchers.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Marie Channell, email channell@illinois.edu
Channell runs the Intellectual DisAbilities Communication Lab at Illinois. Visit their website.
 

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Message from the interim department head

Oct. 21, 2025 | Amy Woods

Amy Woods

Dear Alumni and Friends,

It is my pleasure to share with you the latest edition of our fall 2025 Speech and Hearing Science newsletter, which highlights the exciting work happening in our department. Even during a time of transition, our faculty, students, and staff continue to lead with innovation, dedication and a strong commitment to advancing both science and practice in the communication sciences.

One of the most inspiring projects featured is led by Associate Professor Marie Channell, whose research explores healthy aging among adults with Down syndrome. What makes this work so meaningful is the way adults with Down syndrome are engaged not just as participants, but as partners in the research process. Their involvement at every stage ensures that the findings are both scientifically rigorous and directly relevant to their lived experiences. This study exemplifies our department’s mission to connect scholarship with real-world impact.

We also celebrate the contributions of our new American Sign Language instructors, Jerri Seremeth and Lesli Williams. Through their teaching and leadership, they provide our students with invaluable skills in ASL while fostering greater cultural understanding of Deaf communities. Their work enriches the academic experience for our students and supports the department’s broader vision of inclusivity and accessibility. We also celebrate the contributions of our new colleague, Mariana Mendes Bahia, as she shares insights from her first year as an assistant professor in SHS.

Innovation in auditory research remains a hallmark of Speech and Hearing Science, and Associate Professor Justin Aronoff’s lab is making important strides in advancing cochlear implant technology. His research is aimed at improving how individuals with cochlear implants perceive and process sound, with the ultimate goal of enhancing quality of life. This line of inquiry has the potential to transform auditory rehabilitation and extend the benefits of cochlear implantation to even more people worldwide.

Finally, we highlight a collaborative project led by faculty members Sadie Braun and Dan Fogerty, who are working to develop hearing tests that more closely reflect the complex listening environments people face every day. Traditional assessments often fall short in capturing these challenges, but their approach promises to give clinicians better tools to understand and treat hearing difficulties in realistic contexts.

As you read about these efforts, I hope you share in our pride for the work being done here at Illinois. We are fortunate to have such dedicated faculty, staff and students pushing the boundaries of knowledge while remaining grounded in our commitment to service. Our alumni community is an essential part of this story, and I am grateful for your continued support and engagement.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

Sincerely,

Amy Woods

Interim Department Head

Speech and Hearing Science

James K. & Karen S. McKechnie Professor

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AHS Faculty Q&A: Mariana Mendes Bahia on swallowing disorders and her research agenda

Oct. 14, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

Speech and Hearing Science Assistant Professor Mariana Mendes Bahia, Ph.D. and CCC-SLP, is an expert on swallowing physiology, respiratory-swallowing coordination, and therapeutic strategies to alleviate swallowing disorders, called dysphagia. She joined the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in fall of 2024, and leads the Neuro + Swallowing Research Lab.

Mariana Mendes Bahia. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
How was your first year at the Department of Speech and Hearing Science here at AHS?

Mariana: My first year was a period of growth and adaptation as I became familiar with the university and the Department of SHS. I have been fortunate to receive consistent support from colleagues and departmental staff, which greatly eased this transitional period and helped me navigate new academic and administrative environments.

This year was also dedicated to establishing my laboratory, the Neuro+Swallowing Research Lab, and laying the foundation for my future research program. Setting up the lab allowed me to plan my next steps, define research priorities, and begin shaping a trajectory that aligns with my long-term academic goals, while learning to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a new institutional setting.

When did you first become interested in studying swallowing physiology and disorders, and why have you stuck with that topic in your research?

My initial interest in swallowing developed during my specialization in speech-language pathology in neurology, when I had the opportunity to conduct swallowing assessments and provide treatment for individuals with swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, related to neurological diseases.

I was fascinated by the complexity of the swallowing process—something we do countless times a day without even thinking about it. What intrigued me most was how such an automatic act relies on the intricate coordination of more than 30 muscles (and many other structures), several nerves, and brain structures. The interaction among all the swallowing structures, along with the brain and breathing, felt like solving puzzles, and this challenge sparked my curiosity and passion for learning more about the mechanisms behind swallowing and how to best support patients with these difficulties.

As a clinically trained speech-language pathologist, I have observed the devastating impact of swallowing disorders on individuals and their families. This experience has motivated me to integrate my clinical expertise and research background in the investigation of swallowing physiology, particularly the interaction between brain-swallowing and breathing-swallowing, to advance rehabilitation approaches that enhance swallowing ability, improve patient care and enhance the quality of life for individuals with dysphagia and their families.

Bahia in her office at the Speech and Hearing Science building.
You’ve described dysphagia as an “invisible” disorder. For the folks you’ve worked with, how does dysphagia impact their quality of life?

Swallowing is a critical process for life. We need to eat and drink for adequate nutrition and hydration. However, we also eat and drink for pleasure and comfort. Eating is a highly social activity. Therefore, the impacts of swallowing disorders or dysphagia are not restricted to the physical health domain, such as inadequate food or liquid intake, resulting in malnutrition, dehydration, or unintended weight loss.

Individuals with dysphagia face psychological, emotional, and social impacts, including fear of eating, embarrassment, loss of enjoyment when they cannot eat or drink certain foods, and reduced social participation in cultural events or family gatherings where eating is central. The limited ability to share a meal may weaken family and community bonds.

Which therapeutic interventions can work for those living with dysphagia?

Therapeutic interventions for dysphagia aim to improve swallowing safety—preventing food or liquid from entering the airway—and efficiency: ensuring adequate passage of food from the mouth to the stomach. Importantly, interventions are tailored to individual needs and target specific impairments evident in each person. Interventions may include compensatory strategies, such as head adjustments and dietary modifications, to reduce the risk of airway invasion, as well as rehabilitative exercises to strengthen the swallowing muscles, improve the movement of swallowing structures, and enhance the coordination of the swallowing process. Additionally, rehabilitative exercises can be paired with other therapeutic modalities, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation and brain stimulation.

Editor’s note:

To reach Mariana Mendes Bahia, email mmbahia@illinois.edu.
 

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Announcing our faculty promotions for 2025-26

Aug. 14, 2025 | AHS Staff

Seven AHS faculty received promotions for the 2025-26 academic year

Seven faculty at the College of Applied Health Sciences received promotions prior to the 2025-26 Academic Year. Here are their new faculty titles.

Professor

Nicholas Burd, Health and Kinesiology

Andiara Schwingel, Health and Kinesiology

Associate Professor

Susan Aguiñaga, Health and Kinesiology

Jacob Allen, Health and Kinesiology

Mary Flaherty, Speech and Hearing Science

Sharon Zou, Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Teaching Associate Professor

Kristen DiFilippo, Health and Kinesiology

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Illinois researchers aim to develop more realistic hearing tests to improve clinical outcomes

July 14, 2025 | Adelyn Mui

Sadie Braun, left, is working to develop more accurate and meaningful hearing assessments (Photo by Brian Stauffer)

Imagine sitting in a busy café, struggling to follow a conversation as voices and background clatter blend together. For many people with hearing loss, this is a daily challenge—yet traditional hearing tests, conducted in silent rooms with isolated tones, fail to reflect these real-world difficulties. At the University of Illinois, a team of researchers is working to bridge that gap by developing more accurate and meaningful hearing assessments that simulate everyday listening environments. 

Sadie Braun, an audiologist and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the College of Applied Health Sciences, is the team’s primary investigator and recently received a $30,000 pilot grant from the Center for Health, Aging, and Disability. She is working with Dan Fogerty, an SHS associate professor, on a project titled “Creation of Speech-in-Noise Profiles for Clinical Fitting of Hearing Technologies.” 
 
The project has two goals, the first being to analyze and better understand speech-in-noise testing results from clinical environments. 

“Instead of simply pressing a button when you hear a tone, we’re trying to get more out of tests that already exist which mirror real-world scenarios,” Braun said. “For example, it is fairly common now to play full sentences while background voices are talking at the same time—more like what someone might hear at a party or in a restaurant. We want to use these results to help understand the nuances in what causes understanding-in-noise difficulties on an individual basis.” 

The second goal of the project goes a step further: not just measuring how many mistakes a person makes during a hearing test, but understanding what kind of mistakes—and why they happen. 

“Right now, clinical hearing tests can tell you that someone misunderstood a sentence, but not how they misunderstood it,” Fogerty said. “Our approach focuses on the types of errors people make and the conditions under which those errors occur.” 

By analyzing these mistakes—called error profiles—the team hopes to gain new insights into what’s actually causing the difficulty. For example, one person might confuse similar sounds, like saying “cat” instead of “cats,” which could suggest a problem with sound clarity. Another person might only repeat the second half of a sentence, pointing to a possible cognitive issue like memory or processing speed. 

“We’re identifying patterns across different types of errors,” Braun said. “Then we compare those patterns with results from standard hearing tests to see if there are connections. That could help us predict which patients need which kinds of interventions.” 
 
Data collection will begin in the fall and participants will come from patients who come to the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Clinic and have consented to their audio recordings being used for this study. Braun said the tests focus more on adults, primarily those in their 50s and upward. 
 
With those error profiles, the team hopes to use those to improve hearing aid fittings and outcomes for patient satisfaction.  
 
“Different types of errors can have different real-life consequences,” Fogerty said. “Identifying the reasons why someone misunderstands speech will help the clinician identify recommendations to address those specific difficulties.” 

With support from CHAD, the pilot grant will allow Braun and Fogerty to gather foundational data, refine their testing protocols and begin developing detailed error profiles. Their ultimate goal is to translate this information into better hearing aid fittings, more accurate diagnoses and improved quality of life for patients. 

Looking ahead, the team plans to apply for additional funding to expand the project and validate their findings across broader patient populations. 

Braun emphasized the strength of the partnership at the core of this work. 

“This is a true collaboration between research and clinical practice,” she said. “Dr. Fogerty brings deep expertise in auditory research, while I bring the day-to-day clinical experience. Together, we’re approaching the same problem from different angles—and that’s what gives this project real potential to move the field forward.” 

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2025 Sapora Symposium: Honoring a century of legacy at Huff Hall

May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Themes of visionary leadership and George Huff were briefly overshadowed by Grimace

Lovable McDonald’s character Grimace made a surprise appearance at the 2025 Sapora Symposium (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

The theme of the 2025 Sapora Symposium was visionary leadership, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Huff Hall and paying tribute to the legacy of George Huff. Only one thing could potentially overshadow that, and it is purple and lovable: Grimace.

The iconic McDonald’s character—who’s ostensibly a tastebud—made his appearance during one of the final Sapora panels on March 28 at the Armory. Grimace’s appearance coincided with a panel on viral marketing. Grimace became a good luck charm for the New York Mets after throwing out the first pitch at a game in June 2024, leading to a winning streak and a purple seat dedicated to him at Citi Field. 

But beside the big, purple spectacle, this year’s symposium carried greater significance as it coincided with the Huff centennial, a cornerstone of Illini academics and a testament to the university’s rich sports heritage. The event celebrated not only a century of excellence in sports and recreation but also paid tribute to the enduring legacy of George Huff, the visionary coach and administrator who transformed athletics at Illinois and beyond.

The Sapora Symposium was created and developed by the alumni advisory board of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in honor of the Department’s founder, Dr. Allen Sapora. Sapora was a cornerstone to the education and careers of many of our alumni. In recent years, the department has hosted the likes of the Stanley Cup, Governor J.B. Pritzker, Theo Epstein, and celebrated the lives of Illini legends Lou Henson, Red Grange and Theresa Grentz.

“Sapora is one of the signature components of the RST undergraduate experience,” said Clinical Associate Professor Mike Raycraft, who created the course. “It is always exciting to recruit high profile guests and inspire students to consider classroom knowledge in the context of industry leaders and influencers.”

The spring 2025 series was presented by The Specialized Marketing Group Inc., a global sports, promotional and experiential marketing company.

“Not only is this an incredible opportunity for students to learn from and connect with some of the most influential, successful people in Recreation, Sports and Tourism, it gives those of us who are already in the industry the opportunity to speak directly to the youth that will shape the future of our business,” said TSMGI founder and CEO Jordan S. Bressler. “We are thrilled to be a part of something that allows students the unique opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and perspective as they determine what route they may wish to take.”

“Sapora is one of the signature components of the RST undergraduate experience.”

Mike Raycraft

This year’s symposium is particularly noteworthy as it honored George Huff, a legendary figure whose influence continues to resonate within the Illinois community. As the university’s athletic director from 1901-36, Huff played a pivotal role in shaping modern college athletics. His foresight led to the construction of Memorial Stadium and the establishment of key athletic programs that set a precedent for institutions nationwide. Under his leadership, Illinois became a powerhouse in collegiate sports and his innovations in athletic administration laid the foundation for modern sports management practices.

Huff Hall has stood as a beacon of athletic excellence for a century. Originally constructed in 1925 as the Men’s New Gym, the facility was later renamed in honor of Huff to recognize his contributions to the university’s athletic legacy. Over the decades, Huff Hall has hosted countless historic moments, from a speech by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt during World War II to championship basketball games to landmark wrestling matches to dance marathons, embodying the spirit of competition and community that Huff championed throughout his career.

The 2025 Sapora Symposium kicked off with an evening with RST alums Dee Brown and James Augustine at the Hubbard Inn, included a weekly Zoom webinar speaker series, continued with an all-day professional development event on campus and concluded with a site visit examining opportunities and impacts related to the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, Wintrust Sports Complex at the Village of Bedford Park, and MLB’s Chicago White Sox in April. In addition, it also included a pickleball fundraising event to benefit the Cunningham Children’s Home.

Raycraft and his work on the course sparked TSMGI’s involvement.

Mike Raycraft, right, with a special guest at the Sapora Symposium (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

“The platform that Mike has created creates so much opportunity for amazing conversations and discussions,” said Carly Eilian, vice president of public relations and communications at TSMGI, based in Deerfield, Illinois. “We love being a part of something that allows students the unique opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and perspective as they determine what route they may wish to take.”

Eilian said the symposium gives students the opportunity to learn from some of the most influential people in the recreation, sport and tourism industries, and that it allows people in the industry a direct pipeline to the next generation.

“We hope to continue the momentum of the symposium making it a must-attend event for our industry and prospective industry members,” she said.

Beyond the academic and professional development opportunities, the symposium also served as a celebration of the Illinois spirit. Alumni, faculty and students came together to honor Huff Hall’s centennial, reflecting on its storied past and looking ahead to its future role in fostering athletic and academic excellence. As the University of Illinois celebrates the 100th anniversary of Huff Hall, the 2025 Sapora Symposium stands as a fitting tribute to a man whose impact on collegiate athletics and sports management remains unparalleled.

As a testament to that, RST has established the Huff Society Fund. Gifts to the Huff Society Fund empower students in the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism program by supporting scholarships, hands-on learning opportunities, and event costs. Your generosity helps make transformative experiences—such as guest speaker events, experiential trips, and transportation—accessible to all students. 

Donations to the Huff Society Fund will also allow the department to recognize, recruit and retain top students while preparing them to become future leaders in the field. Donors to the Huff Society Fund join a passionate community of supporters dedicated to shaping the next generation of RST professionals

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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SHS researchers bridge research and real life

May 20, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Laura Mattie, left, and Meaghan McKenna exemplify how SHS researchers connect to community (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

The work at the College of Applied Health Sciences doesn’t stay in the lab—it transforms lives. Faculty such as Meaghan McKenna and Laura Mattie exemplify the college’s commitment to bridging research with community impact. Whether developing interventions for literacy in schools or building relationships with families of children with disabilities, they show how academic insights can create tangible benefits.

Mattie joined the faculty in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2015. Now an associate professor, she has spent the past nine years working on research with her colleagues in SHS as the principal investigator in the Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities Lab. She said her time spent at the department has led to close relationships, both personal and professional.

“The interdisciplinary nature of the department, the university and the college really has helped me to build more collaborations, and I think that’s one of the key things to being successful in my field,” Mattie said. “Some of my collaborators are my closest friends.”

Mattie’s fall semester class, titled Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across Communication Contexts, covers the development of social and communication skills in children with various neurodevelopmental disorders that her research is focused on as well. Her current research, which primarily concerns children with fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome involves longitudinal studies that require a level of personal connection with families of children partaking in her studies. 

For Mattie, being a new mom to two young girls has offered a fresh perspective on her research.

“As we’re getting closer to the end of the project and thinking of what to do next, the mom in me led to the thought, ‘How do we get information to moms and clinicians quicker?”’

Mattie said building relationships with families really allowed researchers to value their thoughts and experiences.

“I want to partner with families and clinicians—and we found this evidence that we think is helpful—but how can we package the information so they can use it every day; how can we really make it accessible for them, and instead of getting it to them in 10-15 years (the current research-to-practice gap), get it back to them quicker?”

McKenna isn’t just one of the most recent additions to the SHS as an assistant professor. She also has years of experience as a speech-language pathologist and a passion for connecting with districts, schools and educational professionals about solving problems of practice corresponding to literacy and multi-tiered systems of support.

“Forming partnerships and relationships is the most important thing I do,” she said.

Working in SHS is a position that is far from stationary: McKenna’s work pulls her across not only campus, but into surrounding cities and school districts where she aims to narrow the gap between research and practice. She currently partners with her colleague Amber Ray in the Department of Special Education and Holy Cross School in Champaign on writing intervention research. 

McKenna has also joined three other schools and districts who connected with her about their mutual interest in solving problems of practice corresponding to writing. In Danville, she is collaborating with the curriculum department and classroom teachers as K-2 instructional guides are created that highlight daily writing activities aligned with the core curriculum and evidence-based practices. In Blue Ridge, Illinois, professional development sessions that address writing instructional priorities identified by classroom teachers are held monthly. In Chicago, a Pre-K-8 school formed an instructional leadership team committed to vertical alignment of how the writing process (cycle) is taught and student writing is evaluated.

“I think it’s important for us to bridge what we’re doing in research and think about how it translates into practice,” she said. “I don’t think it’s productive to be in a research lab all day or writing papers if it doesn’t have any impact on the community or individuals who are going to be applying the findings. The opportunity to co-learn with schools and districts across the state (who are) committed to prioritizing writing has been the highlight of my second year in Illinois.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Fogerty-led research team tackles hearing health disparities with innovative at-home assessment

May 20, 2025 | Adelyn Mui

Research for a gap in treatment for hearing in noisy environments has been active for decades

An Illinois research team will work to implement an at-home assessment for hearing, including a smartphone app (Stock image)

Approximately 37.5 million adults in the United States experience hearing loss. A team from the University of Illinois is working to alleviate barriers in accessibility and affordability to hearing health care.

Dan Fogerty, an associate professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the College of Applied Health Sciences, recently received two grants to support his project, titled “Empowering Illinois Communities for Better Hearing Health.” The project is focused on improving access to hearing screening through an at-home assessment and focusing on a primary hearing complaint: difficult hearing in noisy environments. 

One grant is from the Chancellor’s Call to Action Research Program. This program aims to empower the university community to address the greatest challenges facing our society and seek new solutions. The second grant, from Campus Research Board, supports the work done to create the self-administered hearing assessment. Total funding from the grants amounts to just under $100,000.

“Current hearing screening methods, which consist of detecting simple tones in quiet, often fail to address real-world challenges,” Fogerty said. “Hearing screening can be improved by more accurately assessing the listening difficulties that people complain about and may be more motivated to address.”

Research for this gap in treatment for hearing in noisy environments has been active for decades, Fogerty said. 

“It involves both technology-focused solutions, such as advanced hardware and signal processing to reduce noise and enhance speech, as well as aural rehabilitative strategies involving education and training,” Fogerty said. “The focus of this project is to help identify the specific challenges that an individual might have when listening in noisy environments in order to customize the collection of strategies that might be most useful for them.”

A team consisting of researchers from the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation will develop and implement an at-home assessment, including a smartphone app. Over the course of the project, they will also examine implementation in the lab, the audiology clinic and in communities across the state.

Fogerty said this combined interdisciplinary approach will help them tackle accessibility and affordability issues.

Hearing screening can be improved by more accurately assessing the listening difficulties that people complain about and may be more motivated to address.

Dan Fogerty

Associate Professor

“Our partnership with the audiology clinic ensures the translation of this research into clinical practice. ACES brings expertise in community engagement, specifically through the Illinois Extension offices which will facilitate public education and access,” Fogerty said. “OVCRI contributes research infrastructure and computational expertise through NCSA.”

NCSA, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, will support the development of a hearing app that will expand access to the innovative hearing assessment. The high prevalence of smartphones allows online and app-based testing to be possible.

Fogerty said addressing hearing disparities is a priority because untreated hearing loss has widespread medical, social and economic consequences. Adults in underserved communities can be far away from hearing centers and often face shortages in hearing services with healthcare providers. Economic barriers, such as travel costs or time away from work, may also interfere with affordability.

“Mobile self-administered hearing assessments, downloadable to a smartphone, will literally put personalized hearing health information at our fingertips,” Fogerty said.

At-home hearing assessments are innovative because they enable advanced hearing care remotely, removing barriers and costs associated with in-person clinic visits.

“These tests can be conducted anywhere at any time,” Fogerty said. “This also increases the likelihood of patient follow-up and compliance with testing recommendations due to the convenience and flexibility of the assessment.”

Hearing aid use has been reported as low as 8.6% among adults with some hearing handicap. Fogerty said there are a variety of reasons for this statistic. 

“Gaps in insurance coverage and perceived social stigma may contribute,” Fogerty said.  “Underestimating hearing difficulties, limited awareness of potential treatment options, or difficulty accessing services are other common reasons. Our self-assessment is designed to address some of these factors.”

Even with some over-the-counter hearing aid options, OTCs are still relatively new and many barriers remain.

“Limited awareness of hearing difficulty or treatment, stigma, out-of-pocket costs [are still factors],” Fogerty said. “OTCs are also only intended for use by adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss without other medical conditions.”

The funding for this project will start in July and last one year, with the home-based assessments planned to start in early 2026.  Fogerty anticipates recruiting 200 adults across all study phases, which will include testing in the laboratory, audiology clinic and community.

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