Preview of the University of Pittsburgh Teaching Vestibular Assessment and Rehabilitation across the Lifespan Conference

Catherine Palmer
PhD

Catherine Palmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as the Director of Audiology and Hearing Aids at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center including the UPMC Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Palmer conducts research in the areas of auditory learning post hearing aid fitting, the relationship between hearing, cognitive health and health outcomes, and matching technology to individual needs.  She has published over 80 articles and book chapters in these topic areas as well as provided over 100 national and international presentations. Dr. Palmer teaches the graduate level amplification courses at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Seminars in Hearing. 

Devin L. McCaslin
PhD

Devin McCaslin is the Director of the Vestibular and Balance Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. He has authored and coauthored publications that cover the areas of tinnitus, dizziness, auditory function, and outcome measures development. He is also the author of the textbook VNG/ENG (Plural).  Dr. McCaslin’s major academic, clinical and research interests relate to clinical electrophysiology, tinnitus, and vestibular assessment and management.  He is currently a co-principal investigator on a National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders funded grant investigating the high frequency aspects of vestibular function. Dr. McCaslin has served on the American Balance Society Board of Directors, American Academy of Audiology Board of Directors, and is the past president of the American Balance Society. He currently serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, sits on the American Auditory Society Board of Directors.

Patricia Gaffney
AuD

Patricia Gaffney, AuD has a bachelor's degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and earned her Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005.  She joined the audiology department at Nova Southeastern University in 2007.  Her specialty is vestibular diagnostics and treatment and amplification.  She teaches didactically and clinically with the Nova Southeastern University AuD students.   She is also adjunct faculty for the Bachelor of Health Science program and previously with the Speech-Language Pathology program.  Prior to  NSU, she worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, FL.  Professionally she has served as a member of the American Academy of Audiology Board of Directors and the AudiologyNOW! convention chair in 2013.

David Jedlicka
AuD

Dr. David Jedlicka earned his AuD from the University of Pittsburgh and is a staff audiologist at the Pittsburgh VA.  He also serves as a part time instructor at the University of Pittsburgh.  Currently he is the President Elect of the Association of VA Audiologists.  In addition to his work in tele-health, Dr. Jedlicka is a clinical researcher in the areas of functional balance assessments, hidden hearing loss, amplification and other audiology specialties.

Sam Bittel
AuD

Samuel N. Bittel is a specialist in the evaluation and treatment of vestibular disorders, dizziness, disequilibrium, and vertigo. Dr. Bittel earned his doctoral degree in audiology from Nova Southeastern University. He completed his residential training at the world-renowned American Institute of Balance.

Dr. Bittel teaches the doctoral audiology vestibular course at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he is also an adjunct professor in the neurology department. Dr. Bittel is a regularly invited lecturer locally and nationally, is actively involved in research, and well published in the scientific literature. Dr. Bittel enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and fly-fishing with his family when outside of the office.

Virginia Milne
AuD

Ginny Milne joined the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as a Clinical Audiologist in 2010 and became a Clinical Lab Instructor with the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. She received her undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University and doctorate at the Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium. Dr. Milne’s special interests include hearing aid selection and fitting, auditory processing disorders in adults, and clinical education and supervision.  Dr. Milne currently teaches the Clinical Procedures Lab for the second year AuD students and focuses one semester on vestibular testing and the other on hearing aids.

Elaine Mormer
PhD

Elaine Mormer is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Education in the Department of Communication Science & Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the Audiology Clinical Education Coordinator and teaches in the classroom and clinic. Mormer has published and presented continuing education programs at several national and international conferences on evidence based teaching practices. She was the 2013 recipient of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Academic Programs in Communication Science and Disorders (CAPCSD) as Vice President for Clinical Education Resource Development.