Aaron Ziegler

Education

University of Michigan, BA- Spanish/ BFA Theater
Northwestern University,  MA -Speech, Language and Pathology 
University of Pittsburgh,  Ph.D.- Communication Science and Disorders 
Certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech
Post Doctoral Fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University earning a Certificate in Human Investigation 

 

Bio

Dr. Aaron Ziegler, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Scranton. With nearly two decades of clinical practice experience, Dr. Ziegler has made significant contributions to the field as a voice and upper airway-specialized speech-language pathologist. He is co-developer of PhoRTE® voice therapy, a standard of care and level 1B evidence-based treatment for the rehabilitation of age-related voice changes, also known as presbyphonia.

Dr. Ziegler's academic journey began with a BA in Spanish with a focus on Latin American studies and a BFA in theater with an acting concentration from the University of Michigan, where he studied under GRAMMY award-winning tenor George Shirley. He received an MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University and earned his PhD in Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh under Dr. Katherine Verdolini Abbott. He completed a voice-specialized clinical fellowship in speech-language pathology under Dr. Edie Hapner at the renowned Emory Voice Center in Atlanta. Additionally, he holds a Certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice & Speech, where he studied with Dr. Ingo Titze, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University, earning a Certificate in Human Investigations.

Dr. Ziegler has an extensive teaching history, including positions at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Columbia College-Chicago, Pacific University, and Portland State University. He currently serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Ghana in Accra, where he has taught a course on voice disorders since 2018.

Previously, Dr. Ziegler was the Director, Speech-Language Pathologist, and Singing Voice Specialist at Wellness Group for Voice, Speech, and Swallowing, LLC, an independent practice he established and co-owned in Portland, Oregon, serving the U.S. West Coast. He also worked at top voice centers in academic medical centers for nearly 10 years, including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Emory University Hospital Midtown, and Oregon Health & Science University. Additionally, he served as an Expert Consultant in Speech-Language Pathology (Multidisciplinary Craniofacial Team and Singing Voice Specialist) in the Department of Surgery, Division of Speech-Language Pathology at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI.

He is a founding Director and President of Bjorn This Way, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to fund speech pathology services for individuals in need. Additionally, he co-founded Confident Clinician Cooperative, LP, a web-based platform that provided virtual training and mentorship in voice and voice disorders rooted in implementation science.

Research and Expertise

Dr. Ziegler's research, funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, focuses on models of voice therapy and prevention. He has published over 30 research articles and book chapters, serves as an ad-hoc peer reviewer for high-impact scholarly journals, and has contributed to the 2018 and 2022 ASHA Conventions as Topic Committee Member for Voice and Upper Airway Disorders and Topic Co-Chair for Business and Practice Management: SLP. His clinical interests include vocal aging, gender expression, and vocal injury prevention, areas in which he is frequently invited to speak both nationally and internationally.

Courses Taught

CSD 300 Scientific and Professional Writing
SLP 500 Research Methods in CSD
SLP 536 Motor Speech Disorders