Dr. Needleman received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland, and earned both her Master of Science degree in Audiology and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Development and Communication Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, with her area of expertise in speech perception in individuals with hearing loss. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, and certified as an audiologist by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Her primary responsibilities are management of clinical education within the Nova Southeastern University Audiology Program, including coordination of internship and externship experiences, both within the Nova Southeastern University Audiology Clinic and at external clinical training facilities.
Dr. Needleman has taught doctoral courses entitled Ethics, Coding, and Reimbursement, Practice Management, Interprofessional Education, Research Methods, Acoustics, Psychoacoustics, Speech Perception, Diagnostics, Implantable Hearing Technologies, and Aural Rehabilitation. She serves as senior representative of the American Academy of Audiology to the Audiology Quality Consortium, a council member and Vice Chair of Audiology for the Council of Academic Accreditation for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology graduate programs, a founding member and national president of Alpha Upsilon Delta, Audiology National Honor Society, and has served on multiple committees for the American Academy of Audiology.
Dr. Needleman’s current research is focused on student-clinician assessment criteria, preceptor roles and preparation, and characteristics of audiology student applicants for success in graduate school. Prior to joining Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Needleman served in a variety of roles in academia, hospital administration, and industry, including extensive experience in medical device manufacturing, overseeing Product Research and Development, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Affairs, as well as education and training with major hearing industry manufacturers.