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Since 2006, Dr. Wambacq has held a faculty position in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, where she is responsible for instructing doctoral students in Audiology on topics related to speech perception and cognition.
Her research focuses on investigating the roles of cognition and affect in speech perception under challenging listening environments. Her publications have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Ear and Hearing, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, International Journal of Bilingualism, Cognitive Brain Research and Journal of Neurolinguistics.
Furthermore, she serves as the co-director of the Challenge Based Impact Lab, an initiative aimed at assisting faculty members in integrating Challenge Based teaching methodologies into their curricula and fostering a collaborative community of faculty and students engaged in addressing complex challenges with tangible impact. In this capacity, she provides guidance and mentorship to students as they develop innovative solutions and approaches to tackle these demanding challenges. Together with her colleague, Koen DePryck, she has published several concept papers exploring the connection between Challenge Based Learning (CBL) and cognitive processes, such as executive functioning (EF), which are crucial for the development of 21st century skills often overlooked in higher education (HE) teaching. Evidence suggests that CBL provides an outstanding context to develop and train EF, as it incorporates key features such as real-world challenges, interdisciplinary collaboration, competence development, flexible learning, and stakeholder involvement, making it essential for HE teachers to address EF skills in their teaching to bridge the gap between education and the workplace.