Overview

Benjamin James Kirby, PhD, CCC-A, is an Associate Professor of Audiology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at Â鶹ĆĆ˝â°ć State University (WSU). 

Dr. Kirby earned his AuD and PhD from the University of Iowa. His research interests include amplification, cochlear implants (CIs), psychoacoustics, and relationships between cognition and hearing. He is the Director of the Auditory Cognition Lab (ACL) located in Hubbard Hall on the WSU main campus. Dr. Kirby's work has appeared in Ear and Hearing, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and other auditory research journals. His research has been supported by fellowships and grants from the NIDCD, Texas Speech-Language Hearing Foundation, and other sponsors.

Dr. Kirby is the Editor of the Journal of Educational, Pediatric & (Re)Habilitative Audiology (JEPRA).

Information

Areas of Teaching Interest

CSD 504 Aural Rehabilitation

CSD 740V Aural Rehabilitation

CSD 803 Intro to Psychoacoustics

CSD 807 Acoustics and Instrumentation

CSD 870 Implantable Auditory Devices

 

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Kirby, B., & Sullivan, M. (2023). "Reliability of spectral-temporal ripple tests in children." JASA Express Letters, 3(4).

Ronney, A., Kirby, B. (2021) “Service-Learning in Audiology: A Critical Review”. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Group, 1-12.

Brennan, M.A., Browning, J.M., Spratford, M., Kirby, B., McCreery, R.W. (2021) “Influence of aided audibility on speech recognition performance with frequency composition for children and adults”. International Journal of Audiology, 1-9.

Schafer, E., Kirby, B., Miller, S. (2020) “Remote-Microphone Technology for Children with Hearing Loss and Auditory Processing Issues”. Seminars in Hearing, 41(4), 277-290.

Jorgensen, E.J., McCreery, R., Kirby, B., Brennan, M. (2020) “Effect of level on spectral-ripple detection threshold for listeners with normal hearing and hearing loss”. JASA, 148(2), 908-917.

Kirby, B. Spratford, M., Klein, K., McCreery, R.W. (2019) “Cognitive abilities contribute to spectro-temporal discrimination in children who are hard of hearing”. Ear and Hearing, 40(3), 645-650.

Kirby, B., Kopun, J., Spratford, M., Mollak, C., Brennan, M., McCreery, R. (2017) “Listener performance with a novel hearing aid frequency lowering technique”. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 28(9), 810-822.

Klein, K., Walker, E., Kirby, B., McCreery, R. (2017) “Vocabulary facilitates speech perception in children with hearing aids”. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(8), 2281-2296.

McCreery, R.W., Spratford, M., Kirby, B., & Brennan, M. (2016) “Individual differences in language and working memory affect children’s speech recognition in noise”. International Journal of Audiology, 56(5), 306-315.

McCreery, R.W., Walker, E.A., Spratford, M., Kirby, B., Oleson, J.J., & Marc Brennan, M. (2016) “Stability of audiometric thresholds for children with hearing aids applying the AAA Pediatric Amplification Guidelines: Implications for Safety”. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 27(3), 252-263.

Kirby, B., Browning, J., Brennan, M., Spratford, M., & McCreery, R. (2015) “Spectro-temporal modulation detection in children”. JASA-Electronic Letters, 138(5), EL465-EL468.

Brown, C.J., Jeon, E.K., Abbas, P.J., Chiou, L-K., Kirby, B., Etler, C., Karsten, S.A., & Turner, C.W. (2015) “Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials recorded from nucleus hybrid cochlear implant users”. Ear and Hearing, 36(6), 727-732. 

Kirby, B., Brown, C.J. (2015) “Effects of Nonlinear Frequency Compression on ACC Amplitude and Listener Performance”. Ear and Hearing, 36(5), e261-e270.

Kirby, B., Etler, C., O’Brien, S., Abbas, P.J. & Brown, C.J. (2012) “Relationships between Electrically Evoked Potentials and Loudness Growth in Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users”. Ear and Hearing, 33(3), 389-398. 

Kirby, B., Kopun, J., Tan, H., Neely, S.T. & Gorga, M.P. (2011) “Do “Optimal” Conditions Improve Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Test Performance?” Ear and Hearing, 32(2), 230-237. 

Grants

Funded

Texas Speech-Language Hearing Foundation President’s Research Award

TITLE: “Impact of Psychophysical Paradigm on Spectral Ripple Threshold in Children”

PI: Benjamin James Kirby, Ph.D.

FUNDED: 2/22/2020-12/31/2022 ($1,300 total)

 

Illinois State University New Faculty Initiative Grant

PI: Benjamin James Kirby, Ph.D.

FUNDED: 7/1/2017-6/30/2018 ($3,500 total)

 

NIH/NIDCD F32 (1F32DC015159-01A1).  Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows.

TITLE: “Development of Spectral Resolution in Children”.

PI: Benjamin James Kirby, Ph.D.         SPONSOR: Ryan W. McCreery, Ph.D.

FUNDED: 12/9/2015-7/28/2016 ($37,780 total)

 

NIH/NIDCD F31 (1F31DC012961-01).  Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Predoctoral Fellows.

TITLE: “The Impact of Frequency Compression on Cortical Evoked Potentials and Perception”.

PI: Benjamin James Kirby, Au.D.         SPONSOR: Carolyn J. Brown, Ph.D.

FUNDED: 7/19/2012-6/9/2014 ($54,064 total)