Skyler G. Jennings, AuD, PhD, CCC-A portrait
  • Adjunct Faculty, Neuroscience Program
  • PhD Director, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Otolaryngology
  • Associate Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Associate Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders
801-581-6877

Current Courses

Spring 2025

  • CSD 4200-001
    Hearing Science
  • CSD 4201-090
    Lab in Hearing Science
  • CSD 6655-001
    Adv Physiol Hear II
  • CSD 6970-004
    Proj/Thesis Research MS
  • CSD 7940-007
    Research Pract Ph.D.

Fall 2024

Summer 2024

Professional Organizations

  • Acoustical Society of America. 03/2013 - present. Position : Member.
  • American Speech Language Hearing Association. 05/2009 - present. Position : Member.
  • Association for Research in Otolaryngology. 01/2009 - present. Position : Member.

Practice History

  • Audiology Intern: Clarian-Arnettt Clinic (Lafayette, IN) (Spring 2007) Assessed adult and pediatric patients with hearing complaints or disorders. Provided adult and pediatric aural (re)habilitation through hearing aid fittings/adjustments and counseling. 04/2007 - present .
  • Doctor of Audiology Extern: Indiana University School of Medicine (Indiana University/Clarian Hospitals) (2007-2008) Assessed adult and pediatric patients with hearing and/or balance disorders using behavioral and electrophysiological techniques. Provided adult and pediatric aural (re)habilitation through the following services: hearing instrument fittings/adjustments, cochlear implant mapping/programming, bone-anchored hearing aid fittings, frequency compression hearing aid fittings. Monitored auditory health during surgery and during pharmacological treatment via intraoperative assessment and serial audiometric evaluations. 01/2007 - present .
  • Graduate Student Clinician: Purdue University Audiology Clinic (2004-2006) Assessed adult and pediatric patients with hearing complaints or disorders. Provided adult and pediatric aural (re)habilitation through hearing aid fittings/adjustments, counseling, auditory training and speech-reading exercises. 01/2004 - present .
  • Undergraduate Student Clinician: Utah State Speech/Language Clinic (2003-2004) Prepared and administered articulation therapy to a young child with a phonological disorder. Tracked clinical progress. Reported therapy outcomes via written documents and formal meetings with supervisors and parents. 01/2003 - present .

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is summarized in three statements: 1) be a chef, not a cook!, 2) understand the graphs, and 3) rise to the challenge.

 

Be a chef, not a cook!: If not properly trained, students often adopt the “cookbook” approach. When encountered with a patient with etiology X they look for the “recipe” for that patient. In contrast, I teach students to understand the “ingredients” and create a customized “recipe” tailored to their patient. I found the major difference between audiology “chefs” and “cooks” is the ability to master concepts rather than master facts. I teach concepts in audiology by packaging them into a model or framework. I introduce and develop these models through examples, figures, drawings, formulas, and succinct summary statements. During classroom activities I demonstrate how I use these models to understand and answer questions about audiology. My exams and assignments give students the opportunity to generate answers from the models developed in class.   

 

Understand the graphs: Data is at the heart of the concepts and models taught in my courses. I present these data through graphs. Analyzing a graph is an essential skill for learning new ideas and refining the models and frameworks that drive best practices in clinic and research. I provide my students with seven steps to interpreting graphs. Students apply these steps ad nauseam during class activities, assignments, exams, and student presentations with the goal of establishing and refining the models and frameworks that are based on critical concepts in hearing.     

 

Rise to the challenge: Clinical practice in audiology stands on pillars of research in acoustics, engineering, mathematics, biology, and psychology. The expectation of mastery of these basic science topics depends largely on instructor preference. I believe the rigor and quality of an audiology doctorate program is substantially increased when instructors facilitate in depth learning and “raise the bar” on academic performance in these areas. My experience is that students will rise to the instructor’s expectations if the appropriate support structure is in place. I challenge students with advanced topics in acoustic impedance, signals and systems, Fourier analysis, cochlear physiology, models of the auditory periphery, and psychophysical models of auditory perception. I support students with these challenges by carefully designing my lectures and assignments, being responsive to email and face-to-face communication, offering office hours, and training teaching assistants. 

 

My teaching philosophy is echoed in many student evaluations. Below are two representative evaluations:

 

“This instructor is talented in teaching. He explained difficult topics at a level I could understand. When anyone in the class had questions, he would explain it differently (usually with analogies) until everyone understood. He was also very organized.” – Undergraduate Student

 

“Dr. Jennings is a very intelligent professor and I really appreciate his eagerness to make sure we LEARN the topics, not just regurgitate information from the slides. I liked how he had extra readings for us (supplemental readings) to add to certain topics. I felt those were very important in my learning experience. I also like that he encouraged questions, even if at times they were sort of ‘dumb’ questions.” – Graduate AuD Student

 

Current Students

  • Jessica Chen, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Chair.
  • Jessica Chen, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Chair.

Former Students

  • Ali Almishaal, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Chair.
  • Ali Almishaal, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Chair.