Project AMP was created to increase awareness of the issues faced by students with hearing loss, and to increase professors’ use of  microphones in large classrooms. While project director Karen McLaughlin has long used a microphone while teaching, and encouraged her colleagues to do the same, the importance of making a bigger impact was impressed upon her by one particular student. After a class early in the term, the student told her how much her usual feelings of stress in the classroom disappeared when Karen put on the microphone, as she was deaf in one ear. She also reported experiences where professors would refuse to wear a microphone, based on general dislike or inconvenience. Project AMP was hatched by the time Karen reached her office.

            Project AMP is a UO service project housed in the College of Education.

Karen McLaughlin, PhD, CCC-SLP is the director of Project AMP.  She is a speech language pathologist and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) program at the University of Oregon.

Alison Stewart is the project assistant for Project AMP, and a junior in the CDS program.

The UO chapter of NSSLHA (National Student Speech Language Hearing Association) is an organization for CDS students interested in increasing understanding of human communication and communication disorders.  The members participate in chapter sponsored outreach, career development, and social activities. The members have chosen Project AMP as their special outreach/philanthropic project.

Contact us at projectamp@uoregon.edu