“I feel privileged to serve Fuel’s university members as they shape the future of audiology through education, clinical training and research. Universities are the heart and soul of audiology, crucial to the profession’s existence, success, quality and sustainability. I am always ready and happy to help them.”
Donald W. Nielsen, Ph.D., FAAA
Education
- University of Cincinnati, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minor in economics
- Wayne State University, Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology
- Wayne State University, Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology, minor in audiology
- NIH Special Fellow, University of Florida
Certifications
- American Academy of Audiology
- American Auditory Society
In high school, Hi-Fi was my hobby. I built my own equipment, so I learned a lot about sound, hearing and the technologies that drive it. In graduate school, I made my hobby my profession and studied sensory psychology, emphasizing hearing and audiology.
Since then, I’ve worked in a variety of roles in university and research settings. My research has focused on the inner’s micromechanics and noise’s effects on hearing. Recently, I researched and wrote “The Intelligence Revolution in Hearing Healthcare Delivery,” a white paper explaining how AI will affect hearing healthcare delivery, hoping this will help clinics prepare for the future. I’ve also overseen research in various otologic areas, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, brainstem implants, pathology and electrophysiology.
After a short retirement, I responded to a request to reinvigorate the Audiology Clinic at Northwestern University as their Clinic Director. In that position, I enlisted the assistance of Fuel Medical Group. We successfully revitalized the clinic and earned the university’s thanks. When I left Northwestern University, I wanted to help other universities. So, I joined Fuel as their Audiology University Advisor and have happily worked with Fuel’s university members to make their clinics more successful.
Past Roles in the ENT, Audiology and Medical Fields
- Director, Northwestern University’s Audiology Clinic
- Director of the Central Institute for the Deaf, Professor and Chairman of Speech and Hearing, and Adjunct Professor of Otolaryngology, Washington University
- Adjunct Faculty Member of Otolaryngology and Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California
- Executive Vice President for Research, House Ear Institute
- Director of Otological Research, Henry Ford Hospital
- Charter Member and President, Association for Research in Otolaryngology
- Adjunct Psychology, Audiology, and Otolaryngology Faculty Member, Wayne State University
- Graduate Research Assistant, Otological Research Laboratory at Henry Ford Hospital
Community Involvement
- Fremont California Chamber of Commerce
- Strategic Planning Facilitator (United Way Volunteer) Salvation Army Transitional Housing Program, St. Louis, MO
- U.S. Navy, Office of Naval Research