The UCF College of Health Professions and Sciences welcomes Ann Clock Eddins as the director for the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders starting with the Fall 2022 term.
Eddins has nearly 30 years of academic experience within CSD and a passion for advancing academic programs, clinical services, and the development of faculty and researchers within the discipline. Her previous experiences in academic program development, coupled with her facilitation of research and management of academic health clinical services, makes her the ideal leader to build upon the successful history of the School while advancing diversity, equity and inclusion to facilitate the goals of the School.
She is an audiologist and holds a Ph.D. in auditory neurophysiology from State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed post-doctorate training in neuroscience at the University of Florida. She also earned MBA and MS degrees in business administration, with a focus on medical and health sciences management.
Outside of the university setting, Eddins helps to advance the field of CSD through her various leadership roles in professional organizations. She is the past president of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and has also held leadership positions with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Academy of Audiology. She has been awarded Fellow in ASHA, one of the highest honors the association bestows and considered the pinnacle achievement for professionals in CSD. Her experience and commitment to impactful research in CSD through federally-funded translational learning opportunities for students makes her the ideal leader to expand research opportunities, both in the School and collaboratively across the UCF Academic Health Sciences Center.
Prior to UCF, Eddins was a professor at the University of South Florida in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She also fosters international impact through her adjunct appointment with Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. Other institutions where Eddins has been faculty and in leadership roles include the University of Rochester, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Indiana University.
“Dr. Eddins is the right leader to advance research, academics and clinical services within the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders,” says Christopher D. Ingersoll, dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences, where the School resides. “She embodies the interdisciplinary and collaborative spirit that will propel the School to new opportunities in basic and clinical science, clinical education, service delivery, and community partnerships.”
Ingersoll says he is thankful for the service of Gregory L. Lof, who served as interim director for the School and helped navigate the challenges of a pandemic while laying the foundation for success for the new director.
Eddins will provide leadership and vision to enhance the already successful programs offered by the School and help UCF become a leading public metropolitan research university. This includes administration of one of the largest CSD schools in the nation, with an average of 700 undergraduates and 200 graduate students in its top-ranked program. Through further integration of high-impact research and clinical activities in the School’s clinics and research labs, she will assist faculty and students in growing translational research and programming that advances the field and ultimately helps people to communicate and connect with others.
“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to work with esteemed faculty and driven students in further advancing the School in education, research and clinical practice,” says Eddins. “It’s an exciting time to join UCF with the tremendous opportunities for building and enhancing its interprofessional education, embedded clinical services, and leveraging the expertise of its faculty across multiple areas of practice within CSD. I’m really looking forward to what we will achieve together.”
