SOMERSET, NJ February 20 – This year, the Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology celebrates ten years of bringing outstanding education to audiologists and others interested in ensuring quality hearing healthcare for infants and children around the world. The annual lecture series has been presented since 2005 by the American Academy of Audiology Foundation (AAAF) and is made possible by a grant from the Oticon Foundation. In 2009, the Oticon Foundation expanded its support with a grant of more than $82,000 that enabled AAAF to expand international access to the lecture via a live Webcast of the presentation from the convention city, and on demand viewing of the lecture through eAudiology.
Nina Kraus, PhD, Hugh Knowles Professor at Northwestern University, will present the 10th anniversary lecture, Using Biological Assessment in Audiology: Spotlight on Auditory Processing and Hearing in Noise, at AudiologyNOW! in Orlando on March 28.
The lecture series is named in honor of Dr. Marion Downs who pioneered the first national infant hearing screening program in 1963 and has relentlessly pursued making the identification and management of hearing loss in infants and children an important medical and educational consideration and public health issue. Today, newborn hearing screening is a functioning preventative program in 50 states and in numerous foreign countries.
“We can think of no more fitting tribute to Dr. Downs’s wonderful legacy than promoting educational excellence for the next generation of pediatric audiologists through the Marion Downs Lecture,” said Oticon President Peer Lauritsen. “The Oticon Foundation is honored to help to continue Dr. Downs’ work by educating and inspiring audiologists and others interested in ensuring quality hearing healthcare for infants and children all over the world.”
Celebrating the First Lady of Audiology: Oticon professional partners and staff joined more than 600 other well-wishers at the gala 100th birthday celebration for Marion Downs, often called the First Lady of Audiology for her pioneering work in infant hearing screening. Pictured (l-r front) Laura Tyberg, Lisa Cannon, Maureen Doty-Tomasula, Christine Russell; (l-r back) Dan Ostergren, Shana Weinreich Martinez, Natalie Phillips, David Cantera and Laura Shiplett.
“As Dr. Downs celebrates her centennial year, the American Academy of Audiology Foundation is pleased to present the 10th annual Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology,” said Angela Shoup, PhD, Chair of the Foundation Board. “This presentation has been made possible by the generous support of our longtime philanthropic partner, the Oticon Foundation that early on saw the value of providing professionals worldwide with access to first-rate presentations by leaders in the field of pediatric audiology. We applaud the Oticon Foundation’s visionary thinking that continues to ensure widespread dissemination of the cutting-edge information offered at the Lecture each year.”
The annual Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology is available at no charge in both live and on-demand formats through the Academy’s professional education program at www.eaudiology.org. For more information, visit www.audiologyfoundation.org.
About the Oticon Foundation
When Hans Demant founded Oticon in 1904, it was for a good reason: his wife was hearing impaired, and he was determined to help her and others like her. Inspired by Demant’s humanistic philosophy, his son William and his wife created the William Demant & Ida Emilie Foundation in 1957. The foundation is later also known as the Oticon Foundation. The foundation’s statutes mandate that income be used to support the needs of hearing-impaired individuals as well as organizations. Income is derived through the Foundation’s ownership of the majority of shares in the Oticon company. As one of the world’s oldest foundations, the Oticon Foundation sponsors social and educational programs, publications, conferences, cultural activities and campaigns - for researchers, hearing care professionals and the general public. To learn more about Oticon, visit the Oticon Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
The American Academy of Audiology Foundation’s (AAAF) mission is to promote philanthropy in support of education, research and public awareness in audiology and the hearing sciences. The AAAF works closely with the American Academy of Audiology to fund promising research grants, to sponsor educational opportunities for audiologists and other hearing professionals, and to increase public understanding of the causes, treatments and prevention of hearing loss. The AAAF is exempt under 501(c)3 of the IRS code, and all gifts to the AAAF are tax deductible as allowed by law. For more information, please visit the AAAF website at www.audiologyfoundation.org.
