Carrie Davenport, Ph.D., is a leading expert in early childhood education and in the development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her work in the field is grounded in extensive, hands-on experience with families, service providers, and children themselves. She brings strong expertise in understanding how early development is shaped not only by family dynamics but also by how effectively families navigate and leverage surrounding support systems.

Dr. Davenport has held influential roles on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the Ohio Department of Health Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Subcommittee and the American Society for Deaf Children. She co-founded Ohio Hands & Voices, a statewide, family-driven organization supporting parents of children who are DHH, as well as the Children’s Hearing and Language Development Resource Network (CHLDRN) of Ohio, a major collaborative initiative.

She recently directed a PCORI-funded stakeholder engagement project, Building the Capacity of Families to Engage in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Research, demonstrating strong leadership in bridging research and community needs. Her publication record spans high-impact journals such as American Annals of the Deaf, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, Ear and Hearing, The Hearing Journal, and TEACHING Exceptional Children.

Her current research centers on how the quality of early parent-child interactions influences language outcomes. Dr. Davenport also founded Building Bridges Consulting, LLC, a firm dedicated to strengthening connections across fields, disciplines, and professionals who support children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.