Faculty Profile for Lori L Stiritz

Biography Section

Biography and Education

I have been a practicing audiologist since 1983 and I have been involved in higher education since 1988. My personal education pathway started at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and ended at The University of Texas in Austin. I have supervised students delivering Audiology services in a clinical environment and taught academic courses covering testing for hearing loss and the treatment of hearing loss as well as neuroanatomy. In addition, I have extensive administrative experience as an Interim Chair and chairing/serving on committees at the department, college and university level. This includes budget management (clinic and departmental), accreditation (writing annual reports and a seven-year self-study), personnel, marketing, student learning outcomes, and developing and completing departmental strategic goals.

Teaching Interests

No matter which course I am teaching, my goal is to impart the importance of incorporating the details of the science with the patient's needs. One is not more important than the other. This is why I enjoy teaching the preciseness of acoustics, speech perception, psycoacoustics, neuroanatomy and diagnostic/rehabilitative audiology in the classroom and then supervising students in the clinic as they learn how these scientific principles are the basis for diagnosing and treating hearing loss. I take satisfaction in shaping how students learn to combine the science with the humanistic art and develop into independent practitioners.

Research Interests

•Central Auditory Processing Testing and Therapy: I am interested in the differential diagnosis of Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) and ADHD and language/literacy disorders and also in establishing new clinical protocols for the treatment of CAPD.
•The Impact of Ethnocentrism in the Delivery of Clinical Services to Patients and in the Preparation of Student Clinicians: I am interested in ways to diminish the effects of ethnocentricity on clinical decision making and increase overall cultural sensitivity in both students and practitioners.