A FEW YEARS AGO, STUDENTS IN THE SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY PROGRAM AT UA WONDERED HOW PARENTS, LET ALONE SMALL CHILDREN AND INFANTS, COULD EVER HOPE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF ADVANCED HEARING AND SPEECH AIDS WITHOUT INTENSIVE TRAINING. SO THEY STARTED TO VOLUNTEER THAT ASSISTANCE. TODAY, STRUCTURED PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN UA AND MEDICAL CLINICS MATCH TRAINED STUDENT ASSISTANTS AND EVALUATORS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE—AND GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.

As a Distinguished Professor of speech-language pathology and an expert on traumatic brain injury, Dr. Roberta DePompei understands the vital importance of blending professional expertise with compassion — in any discipline. She notes, “The University looks outward:

How can we train our students? And how can we partner in the community? As a result, students really get engaged. They don’t just drop in to fulfi ll service hours and leave again. And these are our future Akron neighbors: proficient, caring, confident citizens.”

The University of Akron is involved in more than 600 collaborations with area community organizations—many of them the result of student ingenuity and passion.