Sharon Lesner, PhD

Dr. Sharon Lesner has excelled as an educator, clinical service provider, administrator, mentor, and researcher. Her students and colleagues praise her broad range of abilities. Dr. Lesner was the driving force behind the development of the Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium, NOAC. Her abilities and commitment were the impetus for the faculty to vote unanimously to develop a clinical doctorate in Audiology at the University of Akron. Dr. Lesner led a team which developed the curriculum for the new AuD degree. The Board of Regents of the State of Ohio made the decision that no new doctoral degrees would be approved. This did not deter Dr. Lesner. The proposal of a joint clinical doctorate between Kent State University and the University of Akron was approved by the Board of Regents. This was an excellent way to combine the clinical program at the University of Akron and the research program at Kent State University. The program began during 2001. Dr. Lesner received her PhD from Ohio State University during 1979. Dr. Lesner was named Fellow of the Institute for Life Span Learning and Gerontology. From 1998 to 2002 she served as a Research Scholar for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.