By Will Bower

Jacqueline Carder recently joined the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) as a member of the clinical faculty.

Carder received a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science in 2007 and an Au. D. in 2012 from the University of Iowa. Since graduating, she has worked in several areas, including educational audiology. She has served as Clinical Director of Healthy Hearing with Special Olympics Iowa since 2016. 

Get to know Jacqueline, her interests, and what she’s been doing since graduating and returning to the university in this Q&A. 

What have you been up to since graduating from the University of Iowa with your Doctor of Audiology in 2012? 
Since graduating from the University of Iowa, I've had the opportunity to work in multiple settings and support patients of all ages which has aided my personal growth. Since 2016, I have served as a Clinical Director of Healthy Hearing, an initiative of Special Olympics Iowa, providing hearing healthcare to athletes. 

How was your experience working in educational audiology? What were your responsibilities in that position?   
Working as an educational audiologist was incredibly rewarding and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my students and their families. My responsibilities included evaluating and managing hearing loss in school-aged children and improving their access to verbal instruction through amplification and educational planning. I worked closely with teachers, parents, and other professionals to ensure that students received appropriate accommodations to succeed academically and socially. Additionally, I was able to provide clinical instruction to audiology graduate students and guide them in their understanding of educational audiology. 

What brought you back to CSD?   
I am passionate about bridging academic knowledge with clinical practice and excited to share my clinical experiences with students while fostering their professional development. I am thrilled to be working in the department where I received my education!   

What do you hope to achieve in CSD? 
The learning environment in CSD is very supportive and collaborative and I intend to reflect that in my interactions with students. My goal is for students to develop their technical skills and a strong foundational knowledge of audiology so they can provide high quality care in a variety of settings.   

What do you enjoy doing outside of your work as an audiologist?   
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our children. We love to travel as a family and have a trip planned to Iceland next summer. I love to bake, and I also collect Air Jordan 1 high tops. I currently own 20 pairs.