Washington, DC: Dr. Teresa Zwolan will retire from the University of Michigan on July 30 after 31 years as a cochlear implant audiologist at the university. Terry contributed importantly to the improvement of clinical practice for children and adults with hearing loss through her research, training activities, and her own clinical practice. She was a leader in the CI community’s efforts to expand candidacy criteria when it became clear that children and adults with more residual hearing, including those with single-sided deafness, would benefit from cochlear implantation.
The University of Michigan programs involving families, clinicians, early intervention professionals, and educators have been a model for how we should support children (and their families) in their hearing loss journey—including the importance of establishing self-advocacy skills at an early age. Terry leaves behind a highly capable interdisciplinary team that will carry on the work that she began three decades ago.
In addition to her contributions at the University of Michigan, Dr. Zwolan was the founding co-chair of American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance). Her work with fellow founding co-chair Dr. John Niparko was instrumental in setting ACI Alliance up for success and in promoting advocacy, research and awareness of cochlear implants over the following decade of the organization’s first years. Terry’s work with ACI Alliance continued through her significant advocacy work, participation in the annual conferences as a presenter and thought leader, and service on the Board of Directors. She was a co-investigator of the CMS sponsored study to examine the expansion of candidacy criteria under Medicare for adults age 65 and older to explore whether that population’s outcomes are equivalent to the under 65 population.
ACI Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with Terry in her new appointment as Director of Audiology at Hearing First, where she will focus on helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing reach their full potential through listening and spoken language. ACI Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization created with the purpose of eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation by sponsoring research, driving heightened awareness and advocating for improved access to cochlear implants for patients of all ages across the US.
For more details on Terry Zwolan’s long career, visit www.acialliance.org/news/572397/Teresa-Zwolan-PhDRenowned-CI-Audiologist-to-Retire-from-University-of-Michigan-Medicine.htm.
