OU College of Allied Health Welcomes New Department Chair

OKLAHOMA CITY – Amyn M. Amlani, Ph.D., a nationally recognized audiologist, researcher and health economist, has been named professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health. He began the role on June 1.

As chair, Amlani will lead efforts to expand the department’s educational, research and clinical impact. His priorities include strengthening the John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center, advancing student training and accreditation excellence across audiology and speech-language pathology, supporting faculty scholarship, and establishing the Audiology Research in Implementation and Access (ARIA) Lab as a nationally visible research enterprise to improve hearing and communication healthcare access across Oklahoma and beyond.

He will support and promote the department’s research laboratories, including the Communication Sciences and Disorders Simulation Laboratory, sponsored by The Inasumuch Foundation; the Communication and Aphasia Research Laboratory; the Communication and Aural Rehabilitation Research Laboratory; the Speech Motor Control Laboratory; and the Tinnitus and Sound Sensitivity Laboratory.

“Dr. Amlani is a leading voice in national conversations shaping allied health. With more than three decades of experience across academic, clinical and industry settings, he brings a distinguished record of publication, professional service and clinical innovation to the OU College of Allied Health,” said Kevin Sauer, Ph.D., interim dean of the college and chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

In addition to his leadership experience, Amlani is widely recognized for his research on barriers to access and adoption of hearing healthcare. His work has informed policy discussions at the national level and has been presented at venues including the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center Speakers Series.

He has been an active teacher and mentor throughout his career, and he has led major curricular design in amplification, hearing science, and rehabilitative audiology. He has directed more than 20 Doctor of Audiology program capstone courses and served on more than 10 Ph.D. dissertation committees, with a focus on aligning curriculum, mentoring faculty instructors, and supporting student progression and outcomes.

He is the immediate past president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology. He previously served as a director-at-large for the academy, as well as a member of the American Board of Audiology.

Amlani’s previous academic experience includes serving as professor and chair of the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/UA-Little Rock. He also served on the faculty at the University of North Texas in Denton and at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He received a Master of Science in Audiology from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, and a Ph.D. in Audiology/Psychoacoustics from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He also holds a certificate in Health Economics and Outcomes Research from the University of Washington in Seattle.

“The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has a strong tradition of excellence in education, clinical care and research, and I am honored to join the OU College of Allied Health,” Amlani said. “I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, students and community partners to expand access to hearing and communication healthcare, strengthen opportunities for student success, and advance innovative research that improves lives.”

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About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university with campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. In Oklahoma City, the OU Health Campus is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with seven health profession colleges located on the same campus. The OU Health Campus serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the leading research institution in Oklahoma. For more information about the OU Health Campus, visit www.ouhsc.edu.