Josh Sevier, AuD, LLM

About Dr. Sevier

What are your clinical interests?
Auditory implants, electrophysiology, and objective measures

What do you/did you love the most about your job?

The journey I get to go on with patients., I see cochlear implant patients when they are struggling to communicate most. Going on that journey with them of access, rehabilitation, and understanding is amazing when you get to see how far they’ve come. Also, teaching students along that journey is incredibly rewarding to me. Seeing their faces when concepts click or they recognize what they’ve done for someone’s quality of life is amazing. I’m a really lucky guy.

What company or organization do you work for right now? If you’re retired, where did you last work?
Rush University Medical Center

What’s a project you’re working on right now? Why is it meaningful to you?

Right now, we are researching the impact of social determinants of health on hearing-health access and resources. We are looking at it from both adult and pediatric aspects in different studies. It’s meaningful because we want to identify the barriers to people receiving hearing-health care in different areas so we can work with stakeholders to eliminate them. I grew up very poor, so making life that much easier for people means the world to me.

How has your career benefited from being a member of the Academy?
From seeing the profession’s evolution and where we are trying to go. Specifically, looking at the legislative affairs arena of audiology is one of my favorites. Working behind the scenes on the Government Relations Committee and seeing what we are striving for gives me great hope for our future. I genuinely hope we get those initiatives over the finish line. That work is made possible by the Academy.

Any tips or advice for new members on how to best leverage their Academy membership?

Find out the work of each of the committees, how you can contribute to them, and the overall mission of the Academy. This profession is ours, and it only continues to do well when we do well for it. Be involved and meet people. The connections you can make within the Academy can lead to lifelong friendships and initiatives the really mean something to you.

Fun Facts

Where is your hometown?
Nashville, Tennessee, but I currently live in Chicago, Illinois

If you could bring back one TV show that was canceled, which one would you bring back?

Probably Rocko’s Modern Life from the mid-1990s. It was a favorite of mine growing up and is the reason I still use the phrase, “laundry day is a very dangerous day.”

What are you reading or listening to at the moment?

I read constantly. At the time of this writing, I’m reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. I’m an absolute history nerd, and this trilogy has been at the top of my list for a while.

Best vacation you’ve ever been on?

This is hard. It honestly may be a combination work/vacation trip I took in 2024. I was invited to speak in Tunisia in North/Central Africa. I attended a three-day conference, which was amazing, but I was also taken to see the entire country and interact with the culture. Most importantly, the people really struck me. The incredible giving nature and desire to show their way of life meant the world to me.

Who is your hero, and why?

The world is a better place because my grandfather is a part of it. Without a doubt, the man is my hero and the model of what a good person is. When I was born, he was my step-grandfather. He pushed us academically and as people. I think my ability to connect with people came from him. He would do anything for anyone, so that really resonated with me to do what I could to help those who needed it. Everyone needs a hero like him.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

It would probably be to teleport. I love traveling so much that if I could go anywhere in the world whenever I wanted, I’d do it daily.