Press and Media

I grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana, home of Purdue University. Both of my parents worked at Purdue, my father as a chemistry professor (with a specialty in extra-terrestrial materials) and my mom as an academic counselor (earning an MFA in photography along with her MA in counseling).

From both of them, I learned the importance of education and hard work, and most importantly to “do the right thing for the right reason.” That’s been the guiding principle of the care I provide from the beginning.

Unlike my colleague, Dr. Muscio-Traylor, I didn’t find audiology till a little later in life. But my passion for helping and caring for others has been there from the beginning. I’ve always been a nurturer, whether it’s animals or people. Like many younger folks, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I floated through a few years of college but without any particular purpose or goal.

My start in healthcare began after my oldest brother (a physician) recommended I look into Emergency Medicine. Once I began training to be an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), I knew healthcare was my calling. After obtaining my EMT certification, I went on to become a full paramedic. Although emergency medicine is fascinating and exciting, it also takes a toll. After several years, I knew I needed to find a profession with more autonomy and better hours (I was working 7pm-7am!).

While stationed at the hospital ER one evening, my old little league coach (Dr. Carl Binnie, of blessed memory) came in accompanying one of his players who was injured. Dr. Binnie also “happened” to be a professor of Audiology at Purdue.

We got to talking and he suggested I speak with him more, along with one of his colleagues, Dr. David Goldstein. Little did I know then that they were giants in the field of Audiology and Purdue had one of the best programs in the country. I’ve been hooked ever since! To make ends meet while finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked as a psychiatric technician in an inpatient acute care psychiatric/addiction treatment facility. I received both my B.S. (Bachelor of Science) in Hearing & Speech Science and M.S. (Master of Science) in Audiology from Purdue University.

I began my audiology career at the Hearing & Speech Center of Northern California (formerly San Francisco Hearing & Speech Center), a non-profit clinic in the city. From there, I moved on to do professional technical support and product management for the seminal hearing aid manufacturer ReSound in Redwood City.

The knowledge, experience, and expertise I gained from working on the manufacturing side has been invaluable for my patient care ever since. After several years at ReSound, I chose to return to clinical practice, because patient care is really my true calling. For over a decade, I worked alongside two fantastic ENT physicians (Drs. Nieberding and Makarewycz) in Burlingame, performing diagnostic evaluations for them and as sole practitioner for El Camino Hearing Center.

Since I live here in Berkeley, I’d been looking to have my own practice closer to home. In 2014, I purchased Berkeley Hearing Center, in large part because of its reputation for excellent service and patient centered care. Since then, more and more people have become aware of our expertise and the genuine care we provide.

So this year, we moved Berkeley Hearing Center from its longtime (but very small) home on Shattuck Avenue to our incredible new home on Channing Way! Although I moved to the Bay Area in 1996, my heart has been here ever since I first came out to see the Grateful Dead in 1985! Live, improvisational music has always been a passion, as you’ll see from the concert posters adorning the office walls. I try to take full advantage of everything our exciting and beautiful area offers, from snowboarding and scuba diving to teaching myself how to make sushi! I live here in Berkeley with my beautiful & amazing wife and daughter.

I am blessed to do what I do! I get to work with state-of-the-art technology. I use every facet of my varied medical training and technical expertise to help my patients reconnect to life. I get to make a real difference in people’s lives, giving back the blessings I have received.