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Jana Al Jurdi, B.S.
Central Michigan University Graduate ProgramJana M. Al Jurdi, B.S., is a third-year Doctor of Audiology student at Central Michigan University. She is interested in Vestibular Science and has ongoing research about Saccadic testing and Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMPs). Currently, she is the Fundraising Chair for Central Michigan University's Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). Future plans include obtaining a Ph.D. in Vestibular Science.
Financial Disclosures: none – unemployed graduate student
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Kristen Angster, M.D.
Division Head of Otology/Neurotology at Henry Ford Health SystemKristen Angster, M.D. is the Vice Chair of Care Pathways and Operations as well as the Division Head of Otology/Neurotology for the Department of Otolaryngology at Henry Ford Health system in Detroit, MI. She is also an associate professor at Wayne State University, School of Medicine as well as Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She earned her M.D. and completed her otorhinolaryngology residency at the University of Maryland and her neurotology fellowship at the University of Michigan. She has been with Henry Ford since 2018. Her clinical areas of interest include cochlear and bone conduction implants, vestibular schwannomas as well as chronic ear surgery. Dr Angster also enjoys teaching residents, medical students and the Wayne State audiology students particularly in the Temporal Bone lab was removal course.
Financial Disclosures: Henry Ford Health, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Erica Bennett, Au.D., Ph.D.
Senior Staff Audiologist at Henry Ford Health SystemErica Bennett, Au.D, Ph.D is a senior staff audiologist at Henry Ford Health System. She earned her AuD and PhD from the University of Wisconsin. She completed her externship at Henry Ford Health System and has been working as a clinical audiologist there since 2017. She is a past president of the Michigan Audiology Coalition. Her clinical areas include amplification, cochlear implants, and diagnostics. In addition to clinic, Dr. Bennett is also the research coordinator for the Audiology department and helps facilitate ongoing research projects. Finally, she is adjunct faculty for Wayne State University and oversees the clinical education for the first and second year graduate students.
Financial Disclosures: Henry Ford Health, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Kayla Birsching
Kayla Birsching is a junior undergraduate student at Central Michigan University in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Kayla's career plan is to be an audiologist and plans on starting an Au.D. program in the Fall of 2025. Her main interest in audiology is vestibular assessment.
Financial Disclosures: none, unemployed undergraduate student
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Alex Boesch, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant at Intercultural Connections, LLCAlex Boesch, Ph.D., is an educator, scholar, and consultant. He is the Principal and Founder of a consulting group called Intercultural Connections, LLC which focuses on building capacity among individuals and groups to engage across differences of culture and identity. In this work, Alex blends frameworks of intercultural competence, social justice, education, and psychology to cultivate self-understanding, meaningful relationships, and an inclusive workplace.
Alex also serves as the Director of Educational and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Wayne State University. In this capacity, he leads efforts for individual, group, and system-level change for equity and inclusion. He provides vision and leadership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of activities that enhance awareness, understanding, and integration of diversity, equity, inclusion, and intercultural competence.
Alex is an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator and has been trained by the International Institute of Restorative Practices. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He holds a Master of Education from The University of Vermont and a Bachelor of Science from Loyola University Chicago. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, and catching up with friends.
Financial Disclosures: Wayne State University, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
King Chung, Ph.D.
Dr. King Chung is an educator, a researcher, an inventor, and a humanitarian. Her areas of expertise are in acoustics, amplification, calibration, humanitarian audiology, and wind noise research.
Dr. Chung’s research focuses on how to improve signal processing strategies of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Her research team also developed an automated hearing test app to improve the access to hearing loss identification, especially in low- to mid-income countries. She was granted two US patents with a third one pending.
Dr. Chung has led students onto >10 humanitarian research and service trips to 8 countries in 5 continents since 2010. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil in 2019 and a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from American Academy of Audiology in 2020.
The overarching goals of Dr. Chung’s research, teaching, and services are very much influenced by Helen Keller, who once said: “Blindness separates people from things. Deafness separates people from people.” Dr. Chung says: “Everyone deserves to connect with other people, so let’s help them hear!”
Financial Disclosures: Massachusetts General Hospital, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Stelios Dokianakis, Au.D.
Audiologist/Practice Owner at Holland Doctors of AudiologyDr. Dokianakis is a full-time audiologist and private practice owner in Holland, Michigan. His undergraduate degrees are in Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a Masters in Audiology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and an Au.D. from A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences. He serves on the State of Michigan Audiology Board and is Vice-Chair of the American Tinnitus Association. With a strong technical background and over 25 years of clinical and research experience, his clinical focus is helping those with bothersome tinnitus.
Financial Disclosures: Holland Doctors of Audiology, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: American Tinnitus Association – Board Membership
Kelly Dunham, BS
DHH Education Consultant at Michigan Department of Education – Low Incidence OutreachKelly Dunham has more than 15 years of experience as an itinerant teacher supporting students in Michigan who are DHH. She is passionate about many areas in Deaf Education, such as supporting accessibility in the classroom through accommodations and technology; addressing social and emotional learning needs with a whole-child approach; and the importance of appropriate DHH services in early intervention and early childhood education. Dunham previously served on the Michigan School Professionals for Students who are DHH executive board and is on the planning committee for the annual Family Matters! conference. She has successfully built peer-to-peer supports, empowering students to connect with each other while also connecting families who are navigating the journey of raising a child who is DHH. Dunham studied Deaf education at Michigan State University.
Financial Disclosures: State of Michigan, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Nicole Ferguson, AuD
Director of Clinical Services & Instruction, Audiology at Central Michigan UniversityDr. Nicole Ferguson is currently serving as the Director of Clinical Education & Services in Audiology at Central Michigan University (CMU). She has a wealth of experience in clinical supervision, audiology services, and plays a pivotal role in the administration of a multi-service line audiology clinic in the Carls Center for Clinical Care and Education on CMU's campus.
The audiology clinic on CMU's campus is instrumental in providing the clinical foundation of the Doctor of Audiology program. Serving over 3000 patients annually, it ensures CMU students receive current and evidence-based clinical instruction in the depth and breadth of audiology practice. In this capacity, Nicole oversees the clinical education of audiology graduate students, managing clinical placements, evaluations, and remediation plans to foster tomorrow's audiologists. Nicole plays an important role in shaping the audiology graduate students' education through designing personalized and comprehensive clinical placements and facilitating a supportive learning environment for the students.
Drawing from an extensive background in audiology, Nicole is an accomplished educator, serving as an instructor for graduate-level introduction and intermediate clinical practicum courses in audiology at CMU. She is committed to inter-professional educational opportunities, collaborates with multiple health discipline educators, and fosters comprehensive learning experiences for future audiologists.
With expertise in navigating ethical considerations, Nicole acknowledges the power differential in the supervisory relationship. She has experience in developing the Carls Center's non-discrimination policy emphasizing the student's rights to a fair and equitable learning environment and the patient's role in ensuring that experience exists for all learners.
With an unwavering commitment to improving audiology services and ensuring high-quality education standards, Nicole previously served as the President of the Michigan Board of Audiology and as a Site Visitor for the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) for audiology programs seeking re-accreditation. She is a member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Michigan Audiology Coalition (MAC), where she actively contributes to the advancement of audiology practices and standards.
In addition to her dedication to clinical practice, Nicole is committed to research and knowledge dissemination. She has presented at conferences, such as the Michigan Audiology Coalition Virtual Conference and the ASHA Annual Conference, sharing her expertise on topics ranging from off-campus supervision to hearing loss and fall risk. Nicole is also a published researcher, with her work on the status of hearing aids in nursing homes featured in "The Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology."
Educationally, Nicole earned a Doctor of Audiology degree from Central Michigan University in 2002, building a strong academic foundation for her career.
Financial Relationship Disclosures:
• Receives Salary for Employment from Central Michigan University
• Receives Salary for Consulting from the State of Michigan
Non-financial Relationship Disclosures:
• None to report
Rachel Fryatt, Au.D.
Audiologist at University of Michigan - Michigan MedicineRachel Fryatt, AuD is a clinical audiologist at the University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program, specializing in cochlear implants, hearing aids, and bone conduction devices for adult and pediatric patients. She currently serves as the Adult Bone Conduction Device Lead for UM’s Audiology division. Dr Fryatt currently serves on the board of directors for MAC and is active in national organizations.
Financial Disclosures: University of Michigan – Michigan Medicine, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: Michigan Audiology Coalition – Board membership
Tracy Hagan Winn, Au.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor at Northwestern UniversityTracy Winn, Au.D. is a clinical audiologist on faculty at Northwestern University. She began her career at the Tampa Bay Hearing and Balance Center in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Winn worked at the Northwestern University Hearing Clinic in Chicago and then became the director of audiology at a north suburban ENT practice. She then went on to work for a major hearing aid manufacturer before returning to Northwestern University in the Evanston Audiology Clinic. Dr. Winn has a great deal of experience in diagnostic audiology, hearing aid fitting, and central auditory processing evaluation. She is licensed in the state of Illinois and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dr. Winn received a Doctorate of Audiology from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences. She earned her master’s degree in Audiology from Michigan State University, where she also received a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications. Outside of work, Dr. Winn enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, participating in and organizing events at her church, and playing with her dog, Beatrix.
Financial Disclosures: Northwestern University, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Gyl Kasewurm, Au.D.
Private Practice Owner/Consultant at DrGyl.comDr. Gyl Kasewurm started her private practice immediately after graduating with her audiology degree and has taken the single office in Michigan to almost $4,000,000 in gross revenue. The practice is known as a benchmark for the patient experience across the country. Kasewurm received her Doctorate in Audiology from Central Michigan University. She has earned many awards and honors throughout her career and is now focusing on helping other audiologists maximize productivity and profitability of their practices.
Financial Disclosures: Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services, salary
Dr. Gyl .com Services, salary for consulting services
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Beth Kennedy, Ph.D.
Director of DB CentralBeth Kennedy, Ph.D., is the Director of DB Central, a federal grant project housed at CMU. She is also the Director and Instructor for the DeafBlind Intervener Training Program offered through CMU. Beth has worked in the field of deafblindness since 1991.
Financial Disclosures: salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Samantha Kesteloot, AuD
Educational Audiologist at Trenton Oral Program for the Deaf/ Hard of HearingDr. Samantha Kesteloot has been an educational audiologist with Trenton Public Schools since graduating from Wayne State University’s Audiology program in May 2020. She serves as co-chair of the MAC Pediatric subcommittee and is one of the Michigan representatives for the Educational Audiology Association. Dr. Kesteloot is also a Deaf/ Hard of Hearing Guide with Michigan Hands & Voices, in this role she draws on personal experiences growing up and living with hearing loss to unbiasedly support families and D/HH children. Dr. Kesteloot loves to volunteer with the Family Matters! Conference, engage in various presentations or educational series, and guest lecture with her colleagues at EMU & WSU.
John Kirsh, M.A.
MDE-LIO DHH Education Consultant at MDE-LIOJohn Kirsh has more than 30 years of teaching experience, including 22 years of K–12 classroom experience teaching all core academic subjects to students who are DHH. He grew up Deaf, wearing hearing aids since he was three years old, acquiring spoken English skills and then American Sign Language (ASL). Kirsh earned a BS in applied mathematics from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in Deaf education from Michigan State University. He also completed graduate courses in special education, including a concentration in mathematics education. In addition to his outreach work at MDE-LIO, Kirsh supports educational interpreters, ASL assessments and learning, as well as transition.
Kristen Lee, M.D.
Medical Geneticist, Clinical Assistant Professor Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at University of MichiganDr. Lee earned her M.D. from Ross University School of Medicine, and completed Pediatric Residency at Ascension St. John Hospital in Grosse Point, MI. She then completed both a Categorical Medical Genetics Residency as well as a Medical Biochemical Genetics Fellowship at the University of Michigan. After completion of Medical Biochemical Genetics Fellowship, she began her faculty position as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, and is board certified in Pediatrics, Clinical and General Genetics, and Medical Biochemical Genetics. She has a dual faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Lee sees patients in a variety of clinical settings, including General Pediatric Genetics and Biochemical Genetics Clinics, Adult Medical Genetics, Cancer Genetics, and in a Multidisciplinary Genetics of Hearing Loss Clinic in conjunction with colleagues in Otolaryngology.
Financial Disclosures: University of Michigan – Michigan Medicine, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Ross Maddox, Ph.D.
Associate Professor at University of Michigan - Michigan MedicineRoss Maddox earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, and his B.S. in Sound Engineering from the University of Michigan. Following his Ph.D., he completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS). Prior to joining the Kresge Hearing Research Institute at the University of Michigan as an associate professor, he was on the faculty of the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester.
Financial Disclosures: University of Michigan, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Kate Marchelletta, Au.D.
Regional Sales Director of PhonakKate Marchelletta, Au.D., has a diverse work experience in the field of audiology. Kate started working as an Account Manager at Phonak in June 2017 and later became the Regional Sales Director in October 2021. Kate also served as the President of the Michigan Audiology Coalition from July 2018 to July 2019. Prior to that, she worked as a Clinic Director at Wayne State University from February 2009 to June 2017. Kate began her career at Henry Ford Health System as the Clinical site and externship coordinator from July 2007 to June 2017.
Kate Marchelletta completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Western Michigan University. Following that, she attended Indiana University Bloomington and obtained her Doctor of Audiology degree.
Kellie Murphy, B.S.
Manager of Sports and Wellness at Special Olympics MichiganKellie Murphy, B.S., is the Manager of Sports and Wellness for Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI). Since joining SOMI in 2014, Kellie has played a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s health disciplines from six to nine, making Michigan one of the few states to offer all available disciplines: Healthy Hearing, Healthy Young Athletes, Health Promotion, Fit Feet, Fun Fitness, Medfest, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Strong Minds. Kellie writes grants quarterly to support and advance the SOMI Healthy Athletes programs, ensuring that athletes receive these health services at no cost. As Manager of Sports and Wellness, she has significantly increased access to health services for over 22,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across Michigan by collaborating with volunteer clinical directors and local areas. Her extensive experience includes planning and executing health services for local areas, at state-wide events, and even an international event that served 24 countries.
Financial Disclosures: Special Olympics, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Kristina Petraitis, Au.D.
Audiology & Education Manager at UnitronKristina Petraitis, AuD, is the Audiology and Education Manager at Unitron. Kristina received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing in Australia and worked as an RN in the largest public hospital in Melbourne, Australia. She furthered her career completing her Doctorate of Audiology from Northeast Ohio Audiology Consortium (NOAC) through Kent State University, Ohio. Prior to joining Unitron in 2017, she spent over 7 years in an ENT clinic conducting diagnostic hearing tests, and hearing aid fittings. In addition, after the clinic underwent restructure, she took on the office administrative role. From her years of interaction with patients in various settings, Kristina continues to focus on the patient experience as a primary importance to deliver world class health care.
Financial Disclosures: Sonova USA , salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Brittany Richmond, B.S.
Graduate StudentBrittany Richmond, B.S., is a third-year audiology student at Central Michigan University. Her journey in audiology is deeply rooted in personal experience, as she witnessed her father's struggle with hearing loss due to head and neck cancer and noise exposure during his time as a farmer. Currently, Brittany serves on the executive board of Central Michigan University's Student Academy of Audiology chapter, where she spearheads event organization and collaborates with local businesses to fundraise for the chapter's initiatives. Her leadership role allows her to channel her passion for audiology into tangible contributions within her academic community. Brittany's academic interests are diverse, encompassing primarily geriatrics, diagnostics, tinnitus, and hearing aids. However, she also provides unwavering commitment to person-centered and culturally competent care to her future patients. She recognizes the importance of understanding each individual's unique needs and experiences, striving to tailor her approach accordingly. Looking ahead, Brittany is determined to integrate more chronic pain considerations into her practice post-graduation. Her holistic approach to audiology reflects her desire to address not only the auditory aspects of her patients' lives but also the broader implications on their overall well-being.
Financial Disclosures: none, unemployed graduate student
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Kristine Riley, PhD
Associate Clinical Professor at Northwestern UniversityDr. Riley's areas of interest include pediatric audiology, cochlear implantation, and language
development in children with typical hearing and those who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. She
practiced as a clinical pediatric audiologist for 10 years before pursuing and completing her Ph.D.
at Northwestern University.
Financial Disclosures: Northwestern University, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Caitlin Sapp, Au.D., Ph.D.
Director, Early Hearing Loss Lab of University of North Carolina, Chapel HillCaitlin Sapp is the head of Pediatric Audiology at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC and the director of the Early Hearing Loss Lab at UNC. She completed her Au.D. training and her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. She has extensive experience in infant hearing assessment and case management and has collaborated with state EHDI departments on quality improvement efforts related to audiology services. Her research interests include examining the factors that improve language and social outcomes for children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in particular malleable clinician factors like parent counseling.
Financial Disclosures:
University of North Caroline, Chapel Hill – salary
Eli Lilly/Akouos -Independent consulting
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Jennifer Smart, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director/Associate Professor of Grand Valley State UniversityJennifer L. Smart, Ph.D., CCC-A is an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Doctor of Audiology program in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Grand Valley State University. She has published in multiple journals and presented her work both nationally and internationally. Her current research is focuses on improving healthcare access for underserved populations and the diagnosis and rehabilitation of adults and children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). She has volunteered with Special Olympics for more than 14 years in both Maryland and Michigan. She is currently a volunteer Clinical Director with Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) for both Healthy Hearing and Healthy Young Athletes. Her dedication to community service has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Faculty Volunteer Service Award from the Towson University Alumni Association (2019), the Golisano Health Leadership Award for her leadership in Special Olympics Maryland Healthy Hearing programming and advocacy for inclusive health for people with intellectual disabilities (2020), and another Golisano Health Leadership Award for her significant contributions to the development of SOMI’s Healthy Young Athletes program, which was one of the first programs in the country (2022).
Financial Disclosures: Grand Valley State University, salary
Non-Financial Disclosures: none
Gabrielle Watson, Au.D.
Audiologist II at University of IowaGabrielle S. Watson, AuD, CCC-A is an Audiologist at the University of Iowa Cochlear Implant Program, specializing in cochlear implants and hearing aids for adult and pediatric patients. Prior to joing University of Iowa she practiced as an Audiologist at the University of Michigan Hearing Rehabilitation Center. She has had opportunities to present on several topics relating to both pediatric and adult cochlear implants nationally and internationally. She is very honored to be back in Michigan to present and serve as the 2024 MAC Conference Chair.
Financial Disclosures: University of Iowa Healthcare – salary,
MEDEL – Consultant Fee
Non-Financial Disclosures: Michigan Audiology Coalition – volunteer MAC Conference
Committee chair