AFA closes, donates estimated $650K to ATSU’s Audiology program

MESA, Ariz. – The Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) announced that it is assigning the remainder of its assets to the Audiology program at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS), which will launch the new AFA Institute affiliated with its Mesa, Ariz., campus.

For 21 years, AFA has worked to transform audiology to a doctoring profession. With more than 50 percent of professionals in audiology now holding Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degrees, that goal has been accomplished, and the Indiana-based AFA is closing its doors.

AFA is donating an estimated $650,000 to ATSU-ASHS in cash and securities. In addition, ATSU-ASHS will receive full rights to the Evaluation of Practicing Audiologist Capabilities (EPAC), an audiology practitioner qualifications analysis process used by accredited educational institutions to determine placement of an audiologist in an Au.D. degree program. AFA has also turned over its member database to the University.

“This gift to ATSU-ASHS will be an enduring legacy,” said AFA Chair Deborah Price, Au.D., ’00, who is a member of the first graduating class of the Audiology program at ATSU-ASHS. AFA and ATSU-ASHS have a longstanding history, dating back to when the board of AFA reached out to ATSU-ASHS in the late 1990s to encourage the development of an Au.D. program. An important aspect of AFA’s mission was to promote the Au.D. degree for the profession of audiology. AFA also had a strong desire to see an Au.D. program emerge within a health professions school with a long history of educating healthcare practitioners.

“AFA provided the initial spark that led to the birth of the Au.D. program at ATSU-ASHS,” said Tabitha Parent Buck, Au.D., associate professor and chair, audiology. “AFA and ATSU-ASHS have shared in the excitement of the growth and the success of both the transitional and entry level Au.D. programs. There is a strong commonality of vision and mission between AFA and ATSU-ASHS related to audiology education and practice.”

“The AFA Institute will allow the Audiology program at ATSU-ASHS to provide cutting-edge resources for its students and further enhance the audiology practice model,” said ATSU Associate Provost O.T. Wendel, Ph.D. Dr. Wendel, who played an integral role in establishing the Audiology program at ATSU-ASHS many years ago, also played a key role in meeting with AFA board members to discuss the opportunities for educational and clinical advancement at ATSU-ASHS, leading to the recent gift to the Audiology program.

The generous gift from the AFA will provide a wide range of opportunities for the Audiology program. Over the years, ATSU-ASHS faculty, students, and administration have benefited from the AFA through scholarship opportunities for students, welcome and graduate information packets each year, otoscopes for third-year students, and more.

“We are truly grateful to the AFA for their inspiration and support over the years,” said Dr. Parent Buck. “As chair of the Audiology program, I am honored and proud to have worked over the years with the AFA and to have the AFA Board of Directors think of the Audiology program of ATSU-ASHS as the appropriate place to carry on the Foundation’s legacy by promoting excellence in Au.D. education and patient care.”

The development of ATSU’s AFA Institute will be an exciting endeavor. “The full scope of what will comprise the AFA Institute is not fully mapped out yet, but the Audiology program faculty and ATSU-ASHS administration are looking forward to the challenge,” said Dr. Parent Buck.

“Planning will focus on building a premiere institute to facilitate clinical learning within the full scope of audiology, business practice experiences, community outreach, and collaborative interdisciplinary clinical models,” added Dr. Wendel.

“This sizeable gift from the AFA is a wonderful endorsement of our audiology faculty and students, and we will put it to excellent use for student learning,” said ATSU President Jack Magruder.