AuDacity 2026 - Bios

Debbie Abel, Au.D., spent 13 years in private practice in Alliance, Ohio, after moving to an existing practice from the Alliance Eye and Ear Clinic, where she was employed for 14 years, taking the ENT with her. She also supported two ENTs in Poway, California, for 8 years.

She is the manager of Coding and Contracting Services for Audigy, has authored several chapters in Plural Publication texts, and is the editor of The Essential Guide to Coding in Audiology: Coding, Billing and Practice Management, published in December 2017.

Amyn M. Amlani, PhD, is an audiologist, researcher, and thought leader whose work spans clinical practice, health economics, and hearing-health policy. With more than two decades of experience in academic, clinical, and industry settings, Dr. Amlani has authored numerous publications on hearing-aid delivery models, cost-utility analysis, professional standards, and the future of audiology. He leads Amlani Advisory Group, LL—formerly Otolithic, LLC—and consults widely on practice management, health policy, and strategic planning. Dr. Amlani is recognized for advancing evidence-based, ethical, and economically sustainable models of hearing care across the profession. Dr. Amlani is the immediate past president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology.

Dr. Amy Badstubner is a leadership and people strategy advisor and co-owner of dB Coaching Group, a firm that helps healthcare organizations solve people problems before they become business problems. As a former owner of a concierge audiology private practice, she understands firsthand the challenges leaders face when managing teams, navigating difficult conversations, and building strong workplace cultures.

With more than 20 years of experience in business ownership, leadership development, and professional coaching, Dr. Badstubner works with healthcare leaders to strengthen communication, accountability, and team dynamics so their organizations can perform at their best.

Mr. Calvert is a licensed Audiology Assistant and Chief Hearing Aid Technician for the Callier Center. He holds a BA in Kinesiology and over 20 years' experience in audiology environments. Andy has been involved in the development of in office 3D printing earmolds at Callier from designing through finished product delivery.

Nicole Carreon, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of Nobility Wellness Services, PLLC, a private psychotherapy practice providing individual and relational therapy, clinical supervision, and consultation. For the past nine years, Nicole has specialized in working with individuals experiencing tinnitus and other audiological conditions, including sound sensitivity, hyperacusis, and related psychological distress. She incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and modify maladaptive thought patterns, reduce anxiety-driven attention to auditory stimuli, and develop adaptive responses. Nicole also integrates Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based interventions, and somatic approaches.

Nick de Julio is a Sales Manager at Warner Tech-care Products, where he has become a recognized expert in earmold production and digital workflows across the audiology and dental industries. Since joining Warner Tech-care in 2018, Nick has partnered with both small practices and large organizations to help implement and optimize digital production processes. He has worked closely with industry-leading companies including Starkey, Estron, and Alclair, providing guidance on everything from equipment setup to workflow efficiency. Nick’s expertise spans scanner and printer installations, service and maintenance, production training, and day-to-day operational support for both new and established labs. Known for his hands-on approach and deep technical knowledge, he is passionate about helping hearing healthcare professionals successfully transition into digital manufacturing and improve patient outcomes through innovative technology solutions.

Kari Dermer, Au.D., CPC, is a certified career and leadership coach and co owner of dB Coaching Group, a leadership and people strategy firm supporting audiologists and business owners. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in leadership, mentorship, and professional coaching, she helps individuals navigate the human side of leadership, strengthen team dynamics, and build meaningful careers while not losing their sanity in the process.

Sara Downs is an audiologist and president of the Hearing Wellness Center and Tinnitus Treatment Center, a multi-site practice in northern Minnesota. She has been specializing in the treatment of tinnitus for over 20 years. Also certified in Mind-Body Medicine, she has been teaching self-care to patients and colleagues, weaving the practices into her treatment plans for patients with tinnitus. She has developed the Active Sound Therapy protocol and has recently completed a retrospective study about its efficacy. She served as Interim Executive Director of the American Tinnitus Association from 2023-2034 and still serves as a member of the board of directors. In her spare time she is a roadie and sound engineer for her son’s band. You’re also likely to find her hiking or biking in the woods on any given day.

Dr. Melissa Fling is a clinical audiologist and the founder of Custom Ear Solutions, a Colorado-based, small private practice specializing in hearing conservation and custom-fitted hearing protection. Dr. Fling completed her undergraduate degree in Audiology and Speech-Language Science at the University of Northern Colorado and her graduate degree in clinical audiology at Central Michigan University. She is interested in hearing conservation, diagnostics, and questioning the status quo of current audiology practice.

Kristi Gravel, AuD, CCC-A, PASC, COPM, serves as Director of Midwest Hearing at Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists, a 114-year-old ENT private practice with 13 audiologists and five audiology technicians in the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. Dr. Gravel previously served as President of the Minnesota Academy of Audiology and has been an adjunct and visiting lecturer at the University of Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa and Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She holds Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification (PASC) through the American Board of Audiology and previously worked at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital-Fairview for 11 years. She is a member of ASCENT (Administrator Support Community for ENT) and achieved Certification in Otolaryngology Practice Management (COPM) in 2022 after transitioning from front-line provider to business leader.

Julie A. Honaker, Ph.D., CCC-A is the Section Head of Audiology, Head and Neck Department, Integrated Surgical Institute, and the Director of the Vestibular and Balance Disorders Program at the Cleveland Clinic. Her passion for vestibular sciences developed during her master’s program in audiology (2001) and Ph.D. (2006) at the University of Cincinnati, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic (2009). Before joining the Cleveland Clinic in 2016, she was an associate professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where her teaching and research program focused on vestibular and balance sciences. As a clinical researcher, she strives to advance the care of patients with balance disorders. Still, more importantly, she mentors clinicians to become independent and critical thinkers, consumers, and producers of research. Her significant contributions to the field are enhancing audiology students' clinical training and research preparedness.

Cory Lambertson is a highly experienced professional in the field of additive manufacturing (3D printing). He currently serves as the General Manager of Americas for Asiga, a leading producer of 3D printers, operating from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and bringing over 10 years of experience to the role. Cory began his career in the Dental Laboratory Industry in 2013 at his father’s dental lab, Heartland Dental Laboratory. His background includes significant experience in corporate dentistry, where he first encountered the Asiga brand. Today, he is a prominent industry voice, often discussing the future of 3D printing, focusing on critical topics like material science, open-source printing, and optimizing digital workflows for applications in dentistry.

Director of Human Resources, Sarah has spent her 30+ year career in Human Resources with the objective of linking strategy and employee performance to help businesses achieve a goal driven culture. She has developed recruitment strategies, compensation and benefits structures, training programs, engagement surveys and solutions, performance management processes, employee relations and compliance plans for medical practices, in addition business sectors as higher education, apparel, and banking. Her background is further broadened by the 5 years she spent in the Air Force working on fighter jets. Sarah has written textbook chapters on HR, most recently in 2024 for the Audiology Practice Management Handbook with Brian Taylor and Robert Traynor. In addition to a Master’s Degree in Human Resources that kicked off her career, she has a random degree in Apparel Design from the Art Institute of Portland.

Bill Miller, Au.D., is a clinical audiologist and audiology researcher with more than 13 years of experience spanning direct patient care, outcomes research, and health technology development. Based in San Jose, California, Dr. Miller specializes in the intersection of audiologic science, human factors, and evidence-based practice reform. His research focuses on diagnostic-to-treatment alignment, patient decision-making, and the structural gaps between clinical assessment and real-world hearing outcomes. Dr. Miller advises healthcare organizations and technology companies on user experience design, research program management, and patient-centered product development. He maintains an active clinical practice alongside his work in health technology, bringing a practitioner's perspective to research and product contexts.

Nicholas Moyer is an Applications Engineer at Dreve America with a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of North Dakota. He specializes in digital workflow implementation, additive manufacturing, and customer support for Audiology and Dental 3D printing applications across North America. In his current role, he assists customers with workflow setup, troubleshooting, validation of new materials and printers, and provides full-system installation support and technical training.

Over his 4 years at Dreve America, Nicholas has presented and represented Dreve America at several industry events in the U.S. audiology and dental industries to deliver training and support focused on 3D printing applications and digital manufacturing workflows.

Robert Nickoloff earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota – Duluth in 2018. Following graduation, he completed a nine month contract with 3M's polymer research group before joining the Dreve America Research and Development Team.

Over his first five years at Dreve America, Robert served as a Polymer Chemist, where he focused on developing UV curable materials, 3D printing materials and processes, and various process optimizations for 3D printable medical devices. In his current role as General Manager, he works closely with the Dreve America Team, as well as the company's vendors and partners, to bring high quality German engineered products to the U.S. audiology and dental industries.

Mary Ellen Curran Rancourt, Au.D. has owned a private practice since 2019. She has worked clinically for over 30 years and as a Trainer for 2 hearing aid manufacturers. She was also an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College. She earned her BA at Rutgers University, her MA at the University of Connecticut and her AuD from Salus University. Prior to owning her own practice, she was a director in a hospital where she worked with the Quality Dept on a Failure Mode Error Analysis to improve processes for the newborn screening program. As a Trainer, she had opportunity to assist practices recovering from disaster. Lessons from those experiences built a foundation of preparation. When disaster struck, the practice was well positioned for recovery, but many hard lessons awaited. She has lectured on best practices, collaboration with speech-language pathologists, topics in pediatric and adult amplification and speech science.

Wisconsin-based audiologist and TEDx speaker Juliëtte Sterkens has more than four decades of experience in audiology, hearing rehabilitation, and assistive listening. Since 2012, when she retired from private practice in Oshkosh, WI, she’s been an assistive listening technology consultant to the Hearing Loss Association of America, thanks to special grant funding. She has received several awards for her work, including AAA’s Presidential Award, ADA’s Leo Doerfler Award, and the Wisconsin Audiologist of the Year Award. She serves on the board of HEAR-in-the-Fox Cities, a non-profit that helps pay for hearing aids for children in Northeast Wisconsin.

Susan Talia is the owner of a large private practice in Lafayette, Indiana. She is passionate about treating hearing loss to the highest abilities of our profession and public hearing access. She has worked as an instructor, both academically and clinically, at the University of Mississippi and at Purdue University. She is truly inspired by the potential for Auracast to change the experience of people with hearing loss in public spaces worldwide.

Dr. Wenger earned dual undergraduate degrees in Communication Science and Disorders and French from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by her doctorate in Audiology in 2012 from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. With clinical audiology experience that spans newborn hearing screening to the VA system, Dr. Wenger has been at the Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic in Edina, Minnesota since 2024 where she enjoys working with patients from across the United States on tinnitus and sound sensitivity management using Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Lenire. She has presented at local, state, and national audiology conferences, served on interdisciplinary state and national committees, and taught undergraduate and graduate audiology courses.