“The most rewarding part of working for NJHAP is the knowledge that I am making a true difference in the lives of the patients we work with,” says first-year audiology doctoral student Julianna Mijal.

Second-year audiology student Emma Simas agrees: “You feel nearly as much joy as they do when it’s their turn to get hearing aids. I am always incredibly grateful when they give us a call or send an email or letter and tell us all the new things they are hearing and experiencing with their new hearing aids.”

As students in the only Doctor of Audiology program in the state, Mijal and Simas are responsible for refurbishing donated hearing aids and working with a network of audiologists across the state to distribute them to people with hearing difficulty who may not receive hearing healthcare services otherwise. With oversight from Audiology Clinical Preceptor Elena Kagan-Weitz, they oversee the New Jersey Hearing Aid Project (NJHAP), which is housed in Montclair’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. The project is a partnership with the state’s .

“Working with NJHAP has been an excellent lesson in humility and humanity,” says Mijal. “Connecting with patients human-to-human and understanding the multifaceted lives that they lead outside of our clinic is key in making them feel seen and heard, which leads to the best care outcomes.”

“The hearing aid project is way bigger than us. I’m so incredibly proud to be part of this project, this community and so intertwined in audiology and hearing aid fitting and selection.”       ~ Emma Simas

Kagan-Weitz, who serves as principal investigator and director of the NJHAP, says that in addition to providing people in need with hearing care, it provides audiology students an opportunity to learn new skills. “All of our students have worked directly with NJHAP patients in providing them with audiological care, which incorporates our program’s exceptional education with community outreach for underserved populations.”

The mission: hearing health as social justice

The Audiology program is part of Montclair’s College for Community Health, which operates on the principle that “health is a cornerstone of social justice.” For many low-income seniors and individuals with hearing disabilities, the high cost of hearing aids – which can run as high as $7,000 and are not covered by Medicare – can impede them from navigating life.

Elizabeth Hill, director of the, a part of New Jersey’s Department of Human Services says hearing aids are often “the third most expensive purchase a person might make, after a house and a car.” In addition, she adds that “one of the biggest barriers that individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing face is access to hearing health care… our mandate is to eliminate barriers to participate in society where people live and work and interact.”

Hill says that the partnership with Montclair is essential for the program’s success: “We are one of the most comprehensive hearing aid programs in the country. We are very grateful for the partnership.”

How the partnership works: a cycle of giving

ĚÇĐÄvlog serves as the operational hub for the NJHAP, which started in 2013, and operates as a student-led “hearing aid bank” that provides hearing devices to recipients. It works because of:

• Donations: The program relies on public donations of used hearing aids to maintain its inventory. Donors are encouraged to mail their devices to New Jersey Hearing Aid Project, ĚÇĐÄvlog, 1515 Broad Street, Bldg. B, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.
• Refurbishment: Under Kagan-Weitz’s supervision, Montclair students work in a state-of-the-art lab to refurbish these devices. If devices cannot be refurbished at the University they are sent to outside hearing aid laboratories.
• Distribution: In collaboration with participating audiology clinics and a Montclair mobile audiologist serving 14 counties, the hearing aids are custom-fitted and provided free of charge to eligible NJ residents aged 65+ or those on Social Security Disability Income who have hearing loss.

A learning opportunity for current, prospective students

For audiology students, the NJHAP offers experience that blends professional training with community impact. Second-year audiology student Emma Simas says Montclair has helped almost 100 people get hearing aids and other assistive listening devices in the past year, and there is currently a six-month wait list.

Career Readiness: Students gain hands-on experience. Kagan-Weitz says the audiology doctoral students work together to manage the daily operations of the NJHAP. Selected for their qualifications, she says, the students are “professional, consistently kind and highly collaborative, with a genuine willingness to support others.”

Simas adds: “The Hearing Aid Project has kept me hands-on since Day One. I’ve had early exposure to all the hearing aid brands, manufacturers and history of the technology and how far it’s come.”

Lessons in Client Care: Audiology students provide client care in real time. Simas says she’s learned to manage the expectations of patients and work to establish realistic goals and meet families where they are in the process. “Many of the individuals who participate in NJHAP are faced with a myriad of barriers, many of which involve social stigmas and systems that work against them,” adds Mijal.

Real-World Impact: Montclair students see the direct result of their work as these devices are distributed to those in need. Simas says: “You talk to some of these patients or their families and you build connections with them. This year, the New Jersey Speech-Language and Hearing Association helped us fundraise for hearing aid supplies and made decorative bags for our patients so that we can dispense with their hearing aids with cleaning cloths, hearing aid brushes, battery cases and other tools to keep their hearing aids in the best shape. Being part of these two communities and seeing the combined impact is so heartwarming.”

Are you ready to make an impact?

Apply to the only Doctor of Audiology program in New Jersey and turn newfound clinical excellence into community action.

Doctor of Audiology students at ĚÇĐÄvlog Grace Gleba and Nicole Genser were both born with hearing loss and fitted with hearing aids as infants. This week, they graduate with Audiology degrees and don white coats, marking their transition from students to professionals, during a ceremony at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Their story is a full-circle journey that started at Summit Speech School, a preschool dedicated to teaching spoken language to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They were not close at the time and only discovered that coincidence years later when they reconnected at Montclair, drawn independently to the same program by personal experiences and a shared desire to help others.

“It feels like an invisible string tied us together,” says Gleba. “This shared experience from our early years somehow strengthened our connection in adulthood. Reconnecting in grad school felt like the culmination of a journey that began long ago.”

Genser agrees: “We’ve supported one another while learning to navigate this field – not just as patients, but now as providers. Being able to lean on someone who gets it makes the challenges feel less overwhelming and lonely. It’s comforting to know our bond is now lifelong.”

Doctor of Audiology Program Director Maryrose McInerney says Gleba and Genser have been exceptional students. “Grace and Nicole bring a unique and empathetic perspective to audiology shaped by their hearing loss,” she says. “Both are academic standouts, servant-leaders and passionate advocates.”

Fueling Purpose Through Advocacy

Gleba’s advocacy began early. As a child, she became the namesake of “Grace’s Law,” enacted in 2009 to require insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids in New Jersey. Last year, the law expanded to include cochlear implants.

Her diagnosis resulted from voluntary newborn hearing screening; today, are mandated statewide. Her mother, Jeanine Gleba, discovered that hearing aids weren’t covered by insurance for newborns. Mother and daughter fought for legislative change for nearly a decade.

“When a parent learns at birth that their child is deaf, it is devastating,” Jeanine says. “You don’t know if they will ever hear words such as ‘I love you,’ speak like the rest of the hearing world or have a successful career. You wonder if many doors might not be opened for a child with a disability and what challenges lie ahead.”

But the Glebas helped prepare Grace to succeed in a hearing world. “We never let her deafness define her, and we always had high expectations for her,” Jeanine says.

How Montclair’s Audiology Program Made the Difference

Gleba and Genser thrived in Montclair’s research-based, patient-centered program, the only doctoral audiology program in New Jersey.

They collaborated on pioneering research that addressed challenges faced by audiologists with hearing loss, focusing on clinical tools like listening scopes. Gleba, who presented her findings on “Assessment of Modified Listening Stethoscopes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiologists with Emphasis on Gain and Frequency Shifting” at the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSLHA) explains that standard listening checks weren’t always accessible due to her own hearing loss.

“I was unable to dependably listen to hearing aids programmed for individuals with milder hearing loss. As a result, I found myself depending either on verified objective measurements or on my normal-hearing peers to complete listening checks,” Gleba says. “I realized this wasn’t just a personal hurdle – it was a broader issue of equity in clinical practice.”

Genser explored a related topic: “.” She presented at state and national conferences and published in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s academic journal.  “I feel fortunate to have spent four years in a program that not only provided a strong clinical foundation, but also truly encouraged student initiative and ideas,” she says. “I was supported in my desire to share my work beyond the classroom through widespread means that help move our field forward, establish the narrative, and amplify underrepresented perspectives.”

Leadership Beyond the Classroom

Both women balanced rigorous academic and clinical schedules with part-time jobs and extensive community service. They:

• Conducted hearing screenings at events such as New Jersey Special Olympics, Head Start Screening Days or at senior centers
• Served as co-presidents of the Student Academy of Audiology
• Participated in NJSLHA’s Advocacy Day at the state capitol in Trenton
• Serve on the Board of Trustees for the Hearing Loss Association of America – New Jersey chapter

In addition, Gleba served two years as a doctoral assistant on the New Jersey Hearing Aid Project, playing a key role in coordinating services statewide for low-income seniors.

Supported by Faculty, Family and Friendship

Despite the demands of graduate school, both credit their success to support from family, faculty and each other.

“Having a strong, understanding support network made all the difference,” Genser says. “Without the people I leaned on, the road would have been much harder.”

Gleba adds: “I hope to pay it forward by holding the door open for others who share similar goals and dreams.”

Bright Futures in Hearing Health

Gleba and Genser have both accepted jobs as audiologists at clinics where they completed their residencies: Gleba as vestibular director at Adept Audiology in Florida, and Genser at the Center for Hearing and Communication in Manhattan.

“Completing my doctoral degree is a deeply meaningful, full-circle moment for me,” says Genser. “Now, I finally get to live that dream.”

Gleba reflects: “ Individuals with hearing loss often face additional challenges in reaching academic milestones, such as earning a doctoral degree. That’s why this moment is especially meaningful to me – it’s a personal achievement and a symbol of breaking the glass ceiling that others like me continue to face.”

Jeanine Gleba is excited to celebrate her daughter’s achievement: “For all parents, graduation is a shining moment and a joy to witness. This is quite a culmination for Grace and our family, much more so than Grace’s Law. Our daughter is now a doctor! Proud is an understatement.”

The University will celebrate its graduates at Commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

Story by Sylvia A. Martinez, University Communications and Marketing

Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?

• Prospective Students and Parents: Learn more about Montclair admissions, our Audiology graduate program and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
• Journalists: Contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview with a member of the Class of 2025.