The Utah Center for Vocology, housed within the University of Utah's College of Fine Arts, continues its mission of investigating the use, habilitation, and rehabilitation of the human voice through specialized research and professional training programs.
Interdisciplinary Research Staff
The center is comprised of a diverse staff of active researchers, professors, clinicians, and graduate students. These professionals represent multiple academic disciplines across the University of Utah campus, including the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Department of Theatre, the School of Music, and the Voice Disorders Center.
Academic and Research Leadership
Leadership at the center is provided by Director Lynn Maxfield, Ph.D. The staff also includes Senior Scientist Ingo Titze, Ph.D., Data Scientist Anil Palaparthi, Ph.D., and Post-Doctoral Fellow Amanda Stark, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Additional staff members include Research Associate Brian Manternach, D.M., Administrative Officer Angie Keeton, M.M., and Research Lab Assistants Fiona Blume and Annie Powell.
The Summer Vocology Institute
A primary component of the center's educational mission is the administration of the Summer Vocology Institute (SVI). For more than twenty years, the SVI has served as a premiere training ground for studies in vocology, which is defined as the science and practice of voice habilitation.
Global Educational Impact
The SVI curriculum consists of four classes that students complete through six weeks of in-residence study at the University of Utah. Because of the intensive nature of the program, the coursework may be completed over multiple summers. The institute has attracted students from a wide array of international locations, including Asia, Australia, Europe, Israel, and across North and South America.
Professional Affiliations
The Utah Center for Vocology maintains active membership in several professional organizations to advance the field. These include the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the American Laryngological Association (ALA), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Musical Theatre Educators’ Association (MTEA), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA).
Historical Origins
The institution's origins date back to the National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS), which was formally organized in 1990. The NCVS was established with the assistance of a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, following a request for applications for National Multi-Purpose Research and Training Centers.
The NCVS Consortium Model
Although the NCVS was eventually conceived as a "center without walls," its original home was located at the University of Iowa. The original NCVS consortium was composed of four organizations: the University of Iowa, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Utah.
