Denver, April 20th, 2007 -- Beltone Electronics awarded the Larry Mauldin Award for Excellence in Education to Carole E. Johnson, Ph.D, Au.D., at AudiologyNOW!, the annual convention and exposition of the American Academy of Audiology, which was held in Denver, Co., April 19-21, 2007.
The Mauldin Award was created to honor the accomplishments of the late Larry Mauldin, especially for his work and commitment to education in the field of audiology. Presented since 1999, the award is given to an industry leader committed to continuing education and unselfishly giving back to the profession, the community and the hearing impaired. The recipient of this special honor is nominated and selected by industry peers, and Beltone sponsors the award.
"I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award than Dr. Johnson," said Todd Murray, President, Beltone USA. "Her extraordinary contributions to audiology education in the hearing care industry are profound. We are grateful for her ongoing efforts to improve our industry through continuing education and by mentoring our future hearing care practitioners. "
Dr. Johnson, Ph.D., Au.D., is a professor and Au.D. Program Coordinator and Chief Advisor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Auburn University. She especially enjoys teaching, advising, and involving undergraduate and Au.D. students in the research process. She is Director of the Auditory Rehabilitation Laboratory at Auburn University and in the past has received funding from the NIDCD-NIH supporting her work investigating developmental speech perception in reverberation and noise. She has published 45 articles; two textbooks, including Guidebook for Support Programs in Aural Rehabilitation and Handbook of Outcomes Measurement in Audiology; and has made over 75 presentations at national and international professional meetings. Her area of expertise is auditory rehabilitation particularly focusing on hearing support programs. She has supervised students in developing these programs for elderly residents of East Central Alabama. Moreover, she has designed innovative continuing education (CE) activities for physicians and allied-health professionals that facilitate successful team-building for reaching underserved populations in challenging service-delivery sites.
Dr. Johnson is also an active member of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and has served on numerous committees and task forces. She currently serves on the AAA Public Relations Committee and the AAA Education Committee. As chairwoman of the AAA CE sub-committee, she developed the AAA's CE Algorithm, incorporating rigorous professional standards into a transparent course review process for the hearing healthcare industry. The sub-committee was instrumental in developing e-Audiology, AAA's on-line CE program for busy professionals. In addition, Dr. Johnson was guest editor for a special issue of Seminars in Hearing, dedicated to contemporary Audiology CE. The monograph underscores the importance of CE in achieving professional autonomy and continuous quality improvement in patient care.
Above all, Dr. Johnson believes that she continually learns from her students and values compassion, a sense of humor, and an easy-going approach in guiding others in reaching their potential.
About Beltone
Founded in 1940, Chicago-based Beltone Electronics is part of the GN Hearing Care Group, utilizing advanced technology to produce hearing instruments sold in the United States, Canada and over 40 countries worldwide. In addition to providing outstanding service and support for its U.S. hearing care network operating in over 1,300 offices in North America, Beltone remains the most trusted brand for quality products and care among its patients and adults aged 50 and older.
Visit www.beltone.com for more information or the Beltone Web Channel on Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/beltone.asp