Callier Center Audiologists Win Top Honors

Expert Picks Callier Researchers’ Article as ‘All-Around Favorite’

Drs. Jeffrey Martin and James Jerger, along with doctoral candidate Jyutika Mehta, received a “best of 2007” recognition from The Hearing Journal for their latest research article focusing on auditory processing disorders in school-aged children. All three are researchers in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and Martin’s laboratory is located at the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders.

Their article, titled “Divided-attention and directed-attention listening modes in children with dichotic deficits: An event-related potential study,” originally appeared in the Journal of American Academy of Audiology.

Each year, experts in the field of audiology identify their favorite audiology literature from professional and trade journals. Linda Hood, Ph.D, a professor in audiology at Vanderbilt University and an expert in hearing science, picked Martin’s article as the all-around favorite for hearing science.

“I was pleasantly surprised to receive this recognition,” said Martin. “We felt that our research and resulting article were strong, but being recognized as one of the best of 2007 by our peers is a great honor.”

Texas Governor Appoints Audiologist to Serve on Board

Dr. Phillip L. (Lee) Wilson, head of audiology at the Callier Center, was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

The nine-member board is responsible for protecting consumers in Texas by ensuring that speech-language pathology and audiology services are delivered to the highest professional and legal standards.

Wilson’s involvement on the board is beneficial to the Callier Center since the actions of the board affect the rules which are used to define the scope of service that audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can provide patients. The board is also responsible for reprimanding or suspending SLPs and audiologists for violations, as well as interacting with the state legislature to provide future updates to the state’s licensing law.

“Being appointed to the board is a wonderful honor,” said Wilson. “My involvement will allow me to have a direct impact on how the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology operate in the state of Texas and to work toward making the professions even stronger.”

Wilson will serve a six-year term. He will attend quarterly board meetings in Austin and separate committee meetings on an as-needed basis.

Callier Audiologist Elected President of International Society

Dr. Briseida DeLeon Northrup

Dr. Briseida DeLeon Northrup, clinical audiologist and faculty associate at the Callier Center, was elected president of the Pan-American Society of Audiology (PASA). PASA has over 280 members representing 35 member nations.

Northrup has been a member of PASA for six years, and she spent the past three years serving as the organization’s vice president. As president, Northrup will provide professional information to the audiologists involved in the organization, and she will help plan the 2009 PASA Congress which will be held in Cordoba, Argentina.

“I am very honored and thrilled to work with such a distinguished group of professionals,” said Northrup. “All of the members have a strong desire to help each other so we can all better serve the people with auditory and vestibular problems,”

Northrup has been at the Callier Center for 29 years. She supervises and teaches doctoral students, and she conducts hearing assessments and hearing aid fittings for both pediatric and adult patients. Since she is bilingual, Northrup also sees many of the Spanish-speaking patients who come to the center for audiological evaluations.

The Callier Center, with locations in Dallas and on the UT Dallas campus in Richardson, is one of the nation’s preeminent educational, research and treatment centers focusing on communication and communication disorders.  The center is part of the University’s School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.