The Knowles Hearing Center is not a typical academic research center.
Yes, we sponsor research, stimulate interdisciplinary discourse, and recognize academic excellence as part of our raison d’être. But we are much more than that. At Knowles, we are what our founder Hugh Knowles envisioned – we are a hub for the art and science of sound. We are the destination for discourse and discovery on sound science and the nexus for holistic hearing health.
What We Do
Interrelated goals of the Knowles Hearing Center:
- Stimulate scholarship on the frontiers of hearing science.
- Promote an interdisciplinary approach to hearing health, drawing together a community of biologists, neuroscientists, linguists, audiologists, engineers, humanists, artists, medical doctors, and clinicians.
- Provide clinical services of exemplary quality to those with hearing impairment.
- Train new generations of scientists of exceptional ability in an environment of the highest intellectual rigor and excitement.
- Advocate for a holistic understanding of sound and its impact on human health.
How We Do It
Bringing these goals to life:
- Award the Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to our understanding of hearing and its disorders.
- Convene our fellows to catalyze best practices in bench to bedside research and treatments.
- Host symposia and gather our diverse community at notable events.
Our History
Hugh Knowles
Hugh Knowles graduated high school at the age of 14 in 1919, already skilled in the emerging radio technology, and at 16 he became a merchant marine, serving as a radio operator. He earned a degree in Physics and throughout his career had a broad interest in theoretical as well as applied acoustical engineering. He was an inventor whose microphones were used for astronauts on lunar missions and to record meetings in the Oval Office.
He formed Knowles Electronics in 1954, specializing in hearing aid transducers. His company, Knowles Electronics didn’t produce hearing aids but their transducers were used by manufacturers around the world. He had over 50 patents by the time he retired.
Knowles was a supporter of arts and academics, was fluent in several languages, and loved to play and listen to the violin. The Knowles Center was founded in 1988 to honor his memory and the spirit of interdisciplinarity that permeated his life’s work. Knowles believed in the marriage of theory and practice, art and science, bench and bedside. This approach led to his success in advancing hearing health and this same holistic approach defines the work of the Knowles Hearing Center today.