A.U. Bankaitis, PhD

Dr. Bankaitis is an invaluable resource to audiology. She is a pioneer who pushed practice management boundaries to advance infection control. At a time when the need for infection control in an audiology setting was virtually unrecognized, she generated awareness and was the influencer of change. Dr. Bankaitis self-published the first books specifically outlining infection control implementation in the audiology clinic and helped create the Academy’s infection control guidelines in audiology.

Beyond infection control, Dr. Bankaitis applies her experiences as a medical audiologist, researcher, and business executive to offer solutions for the benefit of the profession and the patients we serve. Throughout her career, she has created free resource information on different clinical issues including hearing instrument considerations for amplified stethoscope users and on-ear capabilities of personal sound amplification products through her blog (aubankaitis.com) or the resource section of the Oaktree Products website. She is recognized as the “go-to” person for a wide range of topics and had the trust of the profession.

The Academy is pleased to bestow its 2022 Samuel F. Lybarger Award to Dr. A.U. Bankaitis in recognition of her significant contributions that have positively impacted the profession of audiology.