Angela Shoup BS’89, MS’92, PhD’94, the Ludwig A. Michael, MD Callier Center for Communication Disorders Executive Director at The University of Texas at Dallas, has been selected to receive the Honors of the Academy Award from the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). Shoup will be recognized at the AAA Annual Conference on April 18 in Atlanta.

Shoup, who became Callier Center director in 2020, has an extensive catalog of research, which includes studies of newborn hearing screening, the impact of congenital cytomegalovirus on hearing, implantable devices and vestibular disorders. She has combined her research pursuits with a career in clinical care and a commitment to teaching, mentoring and advocacy in audiology.

“I am grateful and humbled by this honor — especially as it is bestowed by those whom I hold in the greatest esteem,” said Shoup, who is also a professor of speech, language, and hearing in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “Teddy Roosevelt said: ‘Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’ I am incredibly fortunate to work in a profession that truly makes a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families, as well as our communities and broader society.”

Shoup is a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice and is past president of the AAA and the Texas Academy of Audiology. She has chaired various committees charged with advancing the field.

In selecting her for its award, the AAA described Shoup as “an exceptionally accomplished audiologist and respected professional, described by her peers as levelheaded, gracious, reliable and humble.”

Laser Medicine Society Young Investigator Award

University of Texas at Dallas professor Dr. Zhenpeng Qin has been selected to receive the Dr. Horace Furumoto Innovations Professional Development Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery (ASLMS) Inc.

The award, which recognizes and encourages the development of future technology innovators and leaders, will be presented April 13 at the 2024 ASLMS Annual Conference in Baltimore. The ASLMS is dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications.

Qin, associate professor of mechanical engineering and Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, develops nanotechnology-based approaches to understand the brain better, to deliver and release medicine in the brain, and to diagnose infectious diseases.

Most recently, Qin and researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center developed a technique to deliver medication through the blood-brain barrier that has shown promise in preclinical studies for treating glioblastoma, the most common human brain cancer.

Qin has received numerous honors for his research, including the 2022 Y.C. Fung Early Career Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“It is a great honor to receive the Dr. Horace Furumoto Innovations Professional Development Young Investigator Award,” Qin said. “Dr. Furumoto was a pioneer in laser technologies that have saved and improved countless lives, and his work is an inspiration.”

Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty, students and staff. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communications manager.