Deanna K. Meinke, PhD

Dr. Meinke began her career as a clinical audiologist working in a multi-specialty medical clinic. She then transitioned to consulting as an occupational audiologist, and ultimately earned a PhD from the University of Colorado in 2005. Currently, Dr. Meinke is a Winchester Distinguished Professor in the Audiology and Speech-Language Sciences program at the University of Northern Colorado.

Her research has been innovative and influential, and she is known for her seminal contributions to the field of hearing loss prevention. Any description of Dr. Meinke’s accomplishments is not complete without mentioning her involvement in the Dangerous Decibels® program. Dangerous Decibels has been incredibly successful and was honored as the recipient of the Safe-In-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award™.

Dr. Meinke has been extremely productive in obtaining research funding, has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, government reports, and a World Health Organization monograph. She is regarded as a skilled presenter, having conducted numerous workshops and scientific presentations worldwide. In addition, she has been an active research mentor for 70 national and international students, several of whom have been honored with awards—a testament to the excellence which she instills in her students.

Dr. Meinke’s nominators describe her as a “scholar, a mentor, and a friend to many,” whose passion for protecting hearing clearly demonstrates the indelible impact she has had on the profession of audiology.

The Academy is pleased to bestow its 2022 Jerger Career Award for Research in Audiology to Dr. Deanna Meinke in recognition of her significant contributions to audiology.