Our team is made up of nine audiologists with varied backgrounds and interests. We hope you enjoy getting to know us!
Paulette McDonald, M.A., CCC-A
Paulette is the Director of Audiology as well as the Cochlear Implant team coordinator. She received her Master of Arts degree in Audiology from Wayne State University in 1984. She is accredited by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Michigan. Paulette has been on staff at the Michigan Ear Institute since 1986. Her interests include testing children and working with pediatric and adult cochlear implant patients. She believes that it is both remarkable and rewarding to see the changes that cochlear implantation can make for the severely to profoundly hearing impaired population. Paulette is actively involved in state audiology committees. She enjoys volunteering at The Henry Ford Greenfield Village in their herb gardens as well as watching her son play college football.
Sally Augustyniak Delong, M.A., CCC-A
Sally earned her Master of Arts degree in Audiology from Wayne State University. Before becoming an audiologist, she obtained her teaching degree in Special Education from Eastern Michigan University. Sally has been with Michigan Ear Institute as an audiologist for 30 years. She is accredited by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Michigan. She enjoys counseling families regarding hearing loss and fitting patients with hearing aids. Sally is also a member of the Cochlear Implant team at MEI. Outside of work, Sally loves to cook, read, travel, and most of all spend time with her family. Sally and her husband have a daughter and 2 granddaughters who live in Colorado and a son who attends Albion College. Joy Wolney, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Wolney has been a part of the Audiology team at the Michigan Ear Institute since August of 1998. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Audiology in 1991 from Purdue University. She recently returned to school and received her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) in August of 2010. Dr. Wolney was motivated to earn this degree due to the ever-changing profession of audiology and because of her desire to continually improve upon the quality of care that she provides to her patients. She is accredited by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Michigan. She has extensive experience in vestibular testing and hearing aid fittings. Dr. Wolney enjoys building relationships with her patients and feels blessed that she is able to help improve the quality of people's lives. At home, she enjoys spending time with her husband and playing "mom" to her three children. She spends many nights and weekends cheering them on in their various activities.
Brandy Klann
Brandy Klann graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a bachelors degree in Audiology and Speech Sciences in 2001. She then went on to earn a masters degree in Audiology from Western Michigan University. She has been a member of our Audiology team since 2003. Brandy has desired to work with the hearing impaired from a young age and has a passion for working with Cochlear implant patients. She feels blessed to have a role in changing the lives of people with profound hearing loss. She has been happily married for 4 years and spends much of her time at home crafting and playing with her 19 month old daughter Kaelyn.
Michael E. Robinette, Au.D.
Dr. Michael Robinette received his Doctor of Audiology degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2004, and has been at the Michigan Ear Institute since 2003. He is a board certified audiologist and holds his audiology licensed in the State of Michigan. Dr. Robinette’s interests include hearing aid technology, vestibular and electrophysiology testing, auditory processing disorder evaluation and tinnitus management. He is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech Language Hearing Association. When not working at the Michigan Ear Institute he enjoys reading, line dancing, tennis and kayaking
Paulette Patrick, M.S., CCC-A
Paulette joined the Michigan Ear Institute in 2003 as a Senior Audiologist. With more than 25 years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing and vestibular challenges, Paulette specializes in balance disorders, the evaluation of, hook-up and programming for cochlear implants and hearing evaluation and hearing aid dispensing. Prior to joining Michigan Ear Institute, Paulette spent eighteen years working with private practice Otolaryngologists in Nevada gaining experience in the effective treatment of a wide range of conditions. Paulette says her most rewarding experiences are when patients come back after treatment, marveling at the benefits of better hearing. Paulette earned both her undergraduate and Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, studying under leading audiology educators. She holds her license in Audiology from the State of Michigan and her Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association.
Sandra L. Porps, Au.D.
Sandra L Porps, Au.D. CCC-A graduated cum laude from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2001 with a bachelors degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. Dr. Porps received her Doctorate of Audiology (Au.D.) in 2005 from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. In 2004, Dr. Porps joined the Michigan Ear Institute team and became a full staff member in 2005. Dr. Porps performs hearing tests, balance testing, central auditory processing tests, and advanced electrophysiology tests. Dr. Porps also enjoys working with hearing aids and Baha and is proud to serve as a member of the cochlear implant team. Dr. Porps is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Michigan. In 2009, Dr. Porps and her husband welcomed twin boys. Today, Dr. Porps works at the Novi office on Thursdays only and spends the remainder of her week chasing after two very active two year olds.
Stacey E. Cohen, Au.D.
Born and raised in the Metro Detroit area, Stacey attended Western Michigan University, where she graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. Following that, she attended Ohio University in Athens, OH, where she received her AuD in 2009. Stacey joined the staff of MEI in 2008, as an intern, and in 2009, she was proud to become a permanent member of the MEI staff as a Clinical Audiologist. Stacey performs hearing tests, balance tests, electrophysiological testing, and central auditory processing testing and is proud to be a member of the cochlear implant team. Stacey is licensed through the state of Michigan and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology. She appreciates all that this wonderful experience has afforded her and looks forward to continuing to work closely with patients, enhancing their lives with improved communication abilities. In her spare time, Stacey likes to travel, read and work out.
Vanessa Miller, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Vanessa Miller received her Doctor of Audiology degree from Central Michigan University in 2008. She joined the staff of the Michigan Ear Institute in 2009. Dr. Miller's primary interests include electrophysiology and vestibular assessment, as well as bone anchored hearing systems. In her free time, Dr. Miller is an avid scuba diver and world traveler. Dr. Miller is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Associated and is licensed by the state of Michigan.
Elaine Zade, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Zade graduated with honors in Biological Science from the University of Windsor in 2006. In 2011, she completed her doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree from Wayne State University. Dr. Zade currently holds her license in the state of Michigan and her Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) through the American Speech – Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She began her journey as a student Intern and then as a clinical Extern at Michigan Ear Institute (MEI) before hiring on as a full-time member of the MEI team. Her interest in technology keeps her actively learning about the latest in amplification options on the market. It is through her knowledge and skills that she hopes to make a difference in the lives of hearing impaired patients and their families.