At Pacific Since: 2014

Rupa Balachandran, PhD earned her doctor of philosophy in speech and hearing sciences from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Before coming to Pacific she was the director of audiology and, most recently, the director of clinical services at the Hearing and Speech Center of Northern California. She joined the Pacific family in 2014 as audiology program director and associate professor of audiology. As program director she is responsible for leading the faculty, staff and students, as well as developing the clinical training program. She believes that by being located in San Francisco, students will have opportunities to work in very different clinical environments and participate in a wide variety of community outreach experiences.

Her primary goal is to grow the doctor of audiology program into a strong, vibrant clinical training program that will be a model for audiology education. She is driven by an unshakeable belief that when people get together they can solve big problems. What she loves about Pacific is the culture, which provides a stimulating and engaging environment where faculty and students can achieve their goals.  

Dr. Balachandran holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology. She served as the president of the California Academy of Audiology in 2012 and on the Board of Directors in 2013. She is also a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. Her research interests include speech perception, children with auditory processing disorders and seniors with hearing loss.  

What originally led her to pursue a career in audiology was a desire to work in a profession that would enable people to achieve their goals. Her mentor, the late Dr. Irving Hochberg, had a great influence on her professional life. He taught her how to manage a successful professional career, while also benefiting from the rich rewards of having a family.  

Dr. Balachandran is married with two children, a son and a daughter. She enjoys being involved in her children's school. Her hobbies include cooking, entertaining and hiking with her dog. She also enjoys watching commercials, she finds that they often use humor and creativity to communicate the message in a unique way. She loves cars and driving; she can picture herself enjoying being a limousine driver.

Teaching Philosophy: “I believe that a teacher should create curiosity and wonder about the subject matter in a student. I believe a teacher/student relationship has reciprocity and is a lifelong learning process for both.”

Courses:

AUDI 311 - Assessment IV: Pediatric assessment
AUDI 313 - Assessment V: Central Auditory Processing Disorders
AUDI 315 - Amplification I
AUDI 317 - Amplification II
AUDI 319 - Amplification III

Research Summary: “I am interested in developing clinical tools to assess Central Auditory Processing disorders. I am also interested in the effects of untreated hearing loss on patient safety, adherence to medical care plans and quality of life.”

Research Interests:

Assessment of Central Auditory Processing Disorders
Hearing Loss as a Public Health Issue