Dr. Pavel Zahorik is a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). His research focuses on the perceptual and neural mechanisms underlying human spatial hearing, with particular emphasis on sound localization, auditory distance perception, reverberation, hearing in complex acoustic environments, and the development of virtual acoustic technologies for research and clinical applications.
Dr. Zahorik earned his B.S. in Psychology and Philosophy and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following postdoctoral training in auditory and visual space perception, he joined the University of Louisville, where he served on the faculty for more than two decades, including as the Heuser Hearing Research Endowed Professor from 2013 to 2024. Dr. Zahorik joined UCF in 2024.
Dr. Zahorik has authored numerous highly cited publications in auditory perception, spatial hearing, and psychoacoustics, and his work has been supported through collaborations with academic, clinical, and industry partners. He is an active member of the acoustics and hearing science research communities and regularly contributes to the peer review and dissemination of scientific research in these fields. He is also the director of the CSD Ph.D. program at UCF.
Credentials
- Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Zahorik’s research combines psychoacoustic experimentation, computational modeling, and virtual reality-based auditory simulation to investigate how listeners perceive and navigate acoustic environments. Current areas of interest include spatial hearing in normal and impaired listeners, the acoustical cues that support localization and distance perception, auditory adaptation and learning, speech understanding in realistic listening conditions, and the evaluation and optimization of hearing-aid and audio technologies. Funding sources for Dr. Zahorik’s work have included the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and Sonova.
Areas of Specialty
- Psychoacoustics
- Auditory Psychophysics
- Hearing Science
- Spatial Hearing
- Multisensory
- Virtual Reality
- Hearing Devices and Technologies
Research Lab Affiliations
SPA 6805: Research in Communicative Disorders
Introduction to empirical research in communicative disorders, with emphasis on hypothesis testing, research design, data analysis, and interpretation of results.
- Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
- Named to Stanford/Elsevier’s “Top of 2% Scientists” list, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Oculus distinguished faculty award
Dr. Zahorik has an extensive record of professional leadership and service to the hearing science and acoustics communities. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America and Chair of the Acoustical Society of America Meetings Committee, and has contributed extensively as a reviewer for scientific journals, funding agencies, and National Institutes of Health study sections. At the University of Central Florida, Dr. Zahorik serves as Director of the Ph.D. Program and Chair of the Ph.D. Program Committee in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and contributes to the university through service on promotion and tenure, faculty senate IT, and faculty search committees.
The Quietest Place on UCF’s Campus
A unique anechoic chamber devoted to research on human health — specifically hearing — is now open on UCF’s main campus. Imagine standing in a room where the only sounds...
