In 2025, the Boys Town Research Vehicle (BTRV) traveled across the country for data collection and presentations. Below is a map of the places Boys Town Researchers traveled with a few key locations and partners highlighted.
2025 Boys Town Research Vehicle Sites
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Omaha, NE
- Grand Island, NE
- Norfolk, NE
- Boca Raton, FL
- Orlando, FL
- Tallahassee, FL
- West Palm, FL
- Dallas, TX
- Providence, RI
- Sioux Falls, SD
Featured Boys Town Research Partners
- BC Early Hearing Program (Victoria, BC, Canada)
- Canadian Hearing Services (Toronto, ON, Canada)
- The House Institute Hearing Health Centers (Los Angeles, CA)
- M.I.N.D. Mentorship Program at the Emory School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA)
- Shriners Hospital (Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MC)
Clinical and Research Collaborations with Heather Porter, Au.D., Ph.D.
Heather Porter, Au.D., Ph.D., first came to Boys Town National Research Hospital in 2007 to complete a one-year audiology externship. Ten years later, Dr. Porter returned to Omaha as a clinician scientist. Splitting her time between the audiology clinic and research lab provides Dr. Porter with an opportunity to see first-hand the challenges patients face and conduct research to improve clinical outcomes.
Dr. Porter’s passion for hearing research started at a young age. Her sister was born with a rare disorder, Goldenhar Syndrome. Goldenhar Syndrome affects the development of the face and skull, which often results in hearing loss. Today, her passion is to improve hearing healthcare for people with Down syndrome, who also tend to have anatomical features that often result in hearing loss.
Dr. Porter is the co-director of the Human Audiology Development Laboratory, working closely with her collaborators Lori Leibold, Ph.D., and Emily Buss, Ph.D., at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Porter’s research is focused on improving audiometric assessments for individuals with Down syndrome across the lifespan and understanding how the ability to hear and understand sounds in the presence of competing background sounds develops.
Their team utilizes the BTRV to take research on the road in communities across the Great Plains and the United States. The BTRV includes a sound booth, a wheelchair lift, and the full complement of equipment used in the audiology clinic and the laboratory.
“With the BTRV we are able to see far more families than we would if they had to come to us,” Dr. Porter said. “We can go to the National Down Syndrome of Congress with hundreds of people that wouldn’t be able to travel to Omaha. This not only provides us with a broader sample for research but provides us with the opportunity to help families across the country.”
Being part-time in the clinic provides the opportunity for Heather to see what patients need in real-time. Clinicians have to be able to provide services quickly, and while we want research to affect change rapidly, research can take time to study the outcomes. When researchers and clinicians work so closely together, translational research is developed by blending real time needs for patients with questions researchers are seeking answers for. Clinicians can also advocate for patients to enroll in research studies.
“By taking the BTRV, people are excited for us to be there. They often ask, is this the same Boys Town as the one in Omaha?” said Dr. Porter. “This is a great way for us to teach them about the research component at Boys Town.”
Between being in the clinic, researching, and utilizing the BTRV, Dr. Porter has noticed one common theme; people want to help other people. People in the clinic learn about research, and those that participate in research learn about how they are not only progressing science but helping others. The public is appreciative when the BTRV arrives to provide resources and support services that they may not have had.
Collaborating with Boys Town Central Nebraska at the Harvest of Harmony Parade
Boys Town Researchers also took the BTRV to Grand Island, NE to conduct research, provide hearing screenings, and participate in the 83rd Harvest of Harmony Parade. Dr. Leibold and Natalie Mason, M.S., conducted research for the INCLUDE Project.
Project INCLUDE is an ongoing research project focused on understanding how speech, language, and hearing develop across the lifespan for individuals with Down syndrome.
The parade is an annual event that brings thousands of visitors from across Nebraska for the pageant, parade, and field competition. Over the years, Harvest of Harmony has grown into one of Nebraska's largest events. In 2025 there were over 80 marching bands from across the country.
Researchers and the BTRV joined the Boys Town Jr. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) to walk in this year’s parade. The research group was so excited to be walking with kids from Boys Town’s home campus. They had the honor of walking with the Village of Boys Town’s own mayor, Evan.
“Having the opportunity to go to Grand Island with the BTRV was a highlight because of the opportunity to connect with Grand Island and nearby community members in different ways: research visits, hearing screenings, a local Boys Town event, and even getting to participate in the Harvest of Harmony parade with Boys Town JROTC,” Natalie said. “Going to Grand Island with our amazing team allowed me to experience first-hand the wide variety of services and programs that Boys Town offers in contexts that are personally meaningful to me: rural health and language access for those who speak English as a second language.”
After the parade, the research team went back to the Boys Town Central Nebraska foster care office where we hosted an open house. Dr. Leibold and Natalie provided free hearing screenings in the BTRV. The UNL 4-H Extension Office brought rabbits for attendees to pet while they learned about 4-H opportunities. The office in Grand Island was previously a shelter for local community members. Today, it is used as a behavioral health office.
This project was a first for Boys Town Hospital, Boys Town Jr. ROTC, and Boys Town Central Nebraska to come together and collaborate on such a special weekend. Everyone was able to combine their various skill sets and resources with one goal in mind: the mission of Boys Town.
