University Ear, Nose, & Throat Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists

Catherine Palmer, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders and the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as the Director of Audiology for the UPMC Integrated Health System. Dr. Palmer conducts research in the areas of auditory learning, post hearing aid fitting, the relationship between hearing, cognitive health and health outcomes, and matching technology to individual needs. She has published over 100 articles and book chapters in these topic areas as well as provided over 200 national and international presentations. Dr. Palmer teaches the graduate level amplification courses at the University of Pittsburgh, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Seminars in Hearing, and served as the president of the American Academy of Audiology 2019-2020. Her clinical activities focus on providing evidence-based care in the evaluation and treatment of hearing loss including providing technology matched to individual needs. 

Prior to joining UPMC in 2016, Dana Ailes, AuD, has worked in the greater Pittsburgh area since she began practicing audiology in 1992. She received her bachelor's degree in speech and hearing disorders from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, her master's degree in audiology from West Virginia University, and her doctorate of audiology from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences at Arizona School of Health Sciences. Her special interests include diagnostic audiology, hearing aid fittings, and assessment and treatment of vestibular disorders. She is a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. She currently sees patients at our UPMC Natrona Heights ENT & Audiology location.

Kate Bayer, MA, has been practicing in the field of audiology since 2003. She received her bachelor's degree from West Virginia University and her master's degree from Ohio University. She is a certified member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Ms. Bayer’s special interests have focused on diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings, and rehabilitative services. She also provides assistive devices to improve communication for individuals with various types of hearing losses. Over the last two years, she has been working with some of our UPMC Senior Communities to implement an effective on-site audiological program.

Beth (Annie) Bereksazi, AuD, CCC-A, has been practicing in the field of audiology since 2005. She received her bachelor's degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. She is ASHA-certified and licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing and hearing aid fittings.

Benjamin Boss, AuD, joined the staff of audiologists at the UPMC Eye & Ear Institute in 2014. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his doctorate degree from Arizona State University. His special interests include cochlear implant assessment and programming, tinnitus retraining therapy, diagnostic testing, hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and hearing protection. He is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. 

Danielle Cassels, AuD, began working at UPMC in 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and her doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include electrophysiology, diagnostic testing, and hearing aid fittings. 

Amanda Cassidy, AuD, has worked with UPMC since 2007. She received her doctorate degree from West Virginia University. She is a member of the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. She previously worked in an ENT environment, but since 2018 has been working with our HearCARE program in UPMC Senior Communities to implement an effective on-site audiological program. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings, and providing assistive devices to improve communication. 

Kathleen Coyan, AuD, joined UPMC in 2015. She earned her doctorate degree in audiology from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2013. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special interests include diagnostic testing and hearing aid fitting. 

Gina DeBeni, AuD has worked as an audiologist with UPMC since 2011.  She received her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology as well as her doctorate degree in audiology from West Virginia University.  She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology as well as licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing and hearing aid fittings. 

Debra Eisner, MS, has worked as an audiologist at UPMC since 1979. She received her bachelor's degree in hearing and speech from the University of Maryland and her master's degree in audiology from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing and hearing aid fittings. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

Renee Garvin, AuD, CCC-A, has been practicing in the field of audiology since 1989. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate from A.T. Still Arizona School of Health Sciences. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, ASHA-certified and licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Dr. Garvin's special interests have focused on evoked potentials, intra-operative monitoring, and vestibular evaluation. She also provides hearing aid related services. She is currently one of our audiologists staffing our UPMC St. Margaret location and our UPMC Mercy Hearing and Balance Center.

Kathleen Gilmartin-Vesco, AuD, joined the staff of audiologists at the UPMC Eye & Ear Institute in 1980. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and received her doctorate degree from the University of Florida. Dr. Gilmartin-Vesco’s clinical duties include audiologic evaluations of adults and children, special tests, hearing aid dispensing, and cochlear implant assessment and programming. Dr. Gilmartin-Vesco is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

Rick Hyre, MA, has been an audiologist with UPMC since 1981. He received his bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master's degree in audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. His special interests include diagnostic testing, hearing aid fitting, electrophysiology, and intraoperative monitoring. He is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

Megan Keirans, AuD, earned her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology from Northeastern University in Boston, and her doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her clinical areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing protection, assistive listening technology, and adult amplification services. She completed her clinical externship year with UPMC at our Eye and Ear Institute location and has been with UPMC as a clinical audiologist at our St. Margaret location since 2016. 

Samantha Kilar, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and her doctorate degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her clinical areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing protection, hearing aid fittings, and vestibular testing. She completed her clinical externship year with the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and has been a clinical audiologist at the Horizon (Hermitage) office since 2017.

Erika Linkenheimer, AuD, earned her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from the California University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate degree from Salus University. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed in state of Pennsylvania. She completed her clinical externship at the Pittsburgh VA Health Care System. She has been with UPMC since 2019.

Virginia Milne, AuD, began working as an audiologist with UPMC in 2010. She received her bachelor's degree in communication disorders and psychology from Case Western Reserve University and her doctorate of audiology degree from Kent State University as part of the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings, vestibular testing, clinical education, and auditory processing disorders. She is also a part-time lab instructor at the University of Pittsburgh and teaches a clinical procedures lab for second year AuD students.

Corrine Pfaff, AuD, joined UPMC in 2015 at our Horizon (Hermitage) office. She currently practices at our Monroeville location. She received her bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders from The Pennsylvania State University and her master's degree and doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings and assistive listening devices.

Kara Quigley, MA, has worked as an audiologist since 2000. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from The Ohio State University and holds a license to practice in the state of Pennsylvania. Her special interests include diagnostic testing and hearing aid fittings. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Jillyn Roxberg, MA, received her bachelor's degree in speech and hearing science from the University of Iowa, and her master's degree in audiology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Prior to joining UPMC in 2007, she worked as both a clinical and research audiologist in the Department of Veterans Affairs and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her primary interests are diagnostic evaluations, vestibular testing, and hearing aid fitting. She is a member of the American Auditory Society, American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

Reva N. Rossman, Ph.D., joined the University of Pittsburgh as a graduate student and remained after receiving her doctorate in 1992. She received her underg​raduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her master's degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to Pittsburgh, she worked as a clinical and research audiologist in Toronto and at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Rossman specializes in rehabilitative audiology including the use of hearing aids, other assistive devices, and counseling to improve communication and quality of life for individuals with hearing loss. 

Elizabeth Schano-Goldberg, MA, received her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Pittsburgh, and her master’s degree in speech language and hearing from Temple University. Prior to joining UPMC in 2018, she was a clinical audiologist for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs where she specialized in diagnostics and hearing aids. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

Lynda Steelman, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her clinical doctorate in audiology from Bloomsburg University. Prior to joining UPMC in 2019, she worked as a pediatric audiologist at a private practice in Lancaster, Pa.  She is board certified in audiology by the American Academy of Audiology. Her primary interests include diagnostic testing, auditory processing disorders, and hearing aids.

Lori Zitelli, AuD, began working for UPMC in 2012. She received her clinical doctorate in audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her interests include amplification, tinnitus treatment, clinical education, clinical research, and interventional audiology. She is also a part-time lab instructor at the University of Pittsburgh and teaches a clinical procedures lab for first year AuD students. She is an active fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. 
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Stephanie Brunn earned her Master of Arts Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Kent State University in 1993. She is qualified to evaluate and treat speech/language disorders, cognitive disorders, voice disorders and swallowing disorders (dysphagia). Stephanie has worked in a multitude of settings (acute care, post-acute rehabilitation, home health, outpatient, and long-term care) with a wide variety of neurological, oncological, cardiac and pulmonary disorders. She has many years of experience treating swallowing disorders including the completion of Modified Barium Swallow Studies. She also has experience in the completion of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing. Stephanie has been working for the University of Pittsburgh Physicians Department of Otolaryngology (Division of Speech Language Pathology) since February 2015 and is a provider of outpatient services that are provided through the Swallowing Disorders Center at UPMC.

Danielle Columbe M.A., CCC-SLP, Director of Operations, is a graduate of Penn State University and earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Akron. She has been with the Department of Otolaryngology since 1999 where she began her career as a clinical fellow in the UPMC Voice Center. She spent several years serving as a member of the Swallowing Disorders Center team completing Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) studies with ENT and providing outpatient swallowing therapy to patients with dysphagia. Ms. Columbe has extensive experience in evaluating and treating swallowing disorders in medically complex patients in the adult acute care/ICU setting. Her clinical background includes work with tracheostomized, ventilator dependent, neurologic, hand and neck cancer, trauma and geriatric populations. At present, Ms. Columbe works closely with ENT surgeons and leads the specialized team of Speech-Language Pathologists who provide voice restoration to head and neck cancer patients following total laryngectomy. Her collaborative work with ENT with this population has been shared in a poster presentation at the 2014 ASHA convention and a study published in Annals of Otology and Rhinology.

Jim Coyle is a board-certified specialist in Swallowing Disorders. He evaluates patients and teaches clinical practicum (adult diagnostics) and is funded by the NIH to investigate the use of technology and signal processing in the screening and treatment of dysphagia. Other research includes the effects of exercise in relating dysphagia caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, and investigation of brain networks related to swallowing function. He's a Fellow of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association and received the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016.

Christina A Dastolfo, MS, CCC-SLP, specializes in voice disorders. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of singing and speaking voice disorders, research in the singing and speaking voice, and sings as an avocation. Christina received her bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College and her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Robert Fire, BFA, MM, AGMA, AEA, is a voice teacher, therapist, and coach specializing in building solid vocal techniques and correcting impediments to healthy, vibrant singing. His clients have been accepted to many of the nation’s most prestigious voice, theater, and musical theater programs. Robert graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University. He has extensive experience in opera, oratorio, musical theater, sacred music, and concertizing.

Rita Hersan, MS, CCC-SLP, received her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology and a master's degree in Communication Science and Disorders from the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Ms. Hersan is a master clinician with special emphasis in pediatric voice disorders. She is one of the co-authors of Adventures in Voice, a specific program for children with voice disorders, and has presented nationally and internationally. Currently, Ms. Hersan has been working with her colleagues on developing a Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease at the UPMC Voice Center. She has worked at the Voice Center since its inception in 1995 and has been the Vocal Health Outreach Coordinator for the past ten years.

Jessica Jordan is a Medical Speech Pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Ms. Jordan received her Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Master’s Degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Her clinical training has largely been in the adult acute care setting, but she has experience in the rehabilitative setting as well. Ms. Jordan’s primary focus in the acute care setting has been in the evaluation and treatment of dysphagia with emphasis in tracheostomized and ventilator-dependent patients, pulmonary transplant patients, those with head and neck disease, and the geriatric population. Ms. Jordan also works with outpatients in evaluation of swallowing function and dysphagia treatment in those with head and neck disease, neurological disorders, as well as the geriatric population.

Kathryn Krobot, MA CCC-SLP, is a medical speech pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics and her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Krobot’s clinical and educational training is in adult acute care speech-language pathology with emphasis on dysphagia, tracheostomized patients, stroke patients, and patients with neurological disorders. She is certified in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy and works with patients with Parkinson’s disease. She is also involved with voice restoration for total laryngectomy patients.

Brian R. Leonard is a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He obtained a Master’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania. Brian is the primary acute care therapist at UPMC East. He has experience in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals in acute care, rehabilitation, and outpatient care settings. Brian primarily works with individuals who have dysphagia following head and neck cancer and other etiologies.

Ali Lewandowski, MA, CCC-SLP received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and her bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the UPMC Voice Center team in 2015, she completed her clinical fellowship with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. While studying at Pitt, Ali worked as a graduate research assistant in the University of Pittsburgh Voice Lab where she quickly became interested in the evaluation and treatment of voice disorders. Ali is certified in Foreign Accent Modification, and she also provides Transgender Voice and Communication Training.

Lindsay Savinda, MS, CCC-SLP, is a medical speech pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology. She graduated from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and earned her master's degree in Speech Language Pathology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Lindsay is experienced in evaluating and treating speech, language, and swallowing disorders in an acute care setting with exposure to the rehabilitative setting. She works closely with acute and long term swallowing disorders and has experience with Modified Barium Swallow studies. Lindsay also works in the Swallowing Disorders Center providing diagnostic swallowing evaluations and treatment. She also provides evaluation and treatment to the head and neck cancer population during and post CRT treatment. Her population of focus is with adults and geriatric patients.

Kristen Stablein has spent her career as a Speech Language Pathologist within the acute care and post-acute rehabilitation settings. She earned her Master of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Duquesne University in August 2009. She has been working for the Department of Otolaryngology since 2012. Kristen has experience in evaluating and treating speech, language, cognitive-linguistic, voice, and swallowing disorders with various neurological, oncological, cardiac, and/or pulmonary diagnoses. She has extensive experience in completion of Modified Barium Swallowing Studies (MBSS) for both inpatients and outpatients. She also has experience in completion of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). While the majority of her time is spent treating inpatients, Kristen also provides outpatient swallowing therapy for those patients who have been seen within the Swallowing Disorders Center.

Tracey Thomas, MS, CCC-SLP has been a member of the UPMC Voice Center for more than 17 years. She specializes in respiratory re-training, telemedicine, and preventive voice care. Tracey received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Nicole Veydt, M.A./CCC-SLP, received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the California University of Pennsylvania, and her Master’s degree from Ohio University. She has extensive experience in the adult inpatient rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospital settings, evaluating and managing a wide range of cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders, including work with tracheostomized and ventilator-dependent patients. Ms. Veydt is also certified in and provides instruction to clients seeking foreign accent modification.

Tamara Wasserman-Wincko, MS, CCC-SLP, is one of the clinical practice managers of the Speech Pathology Division and a clinical instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology. She earned her master's degree at Nova Southeastern University in speech pathology and completed her fellowship at UPMC. She also serves as the coordinator of the UPMC Swallowing Disorders Center. Ms. Wasserman-Wincko has co-authored a text book chapter on the management of swallowing disorders in patients with tracheostomy tubes and has participated in conference presentations. Her area of expertise is in evaluating and treating patients with all types of swallowing difficulties in the outpatient and acute care setting, including patients with head and neck cancer.