The second annual OAA Awards were announced on February 20, 2008 following the Legislative Breakfast.  The awards recognize three deserving individuals who have made significant contributions to our profession and the Academy.

Erin L. Miller, Au.D. was awarded Honors of the Academy for her advocacy, teaching, mentoring, and clinical practice.  Dr. Miller is the Coordinator of the Hearing Aid Dispensary at the University of Akron and is a clinical preceptor for students in the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium. She serves as the NAFDA faculty advisor, is a   Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), member of the AAA Ethical Practices Committee, and chair of the Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental Affairs Coalition (GAC).

Gail Whitelaw, Ph.D. was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award for her significant contributions to clinical practice.  Dr. Whitelaw is the Director of Clinical Instruction and Research at The Ohio State University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.  She is an Audiology Faculty member on the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program.  Dr. Whitelaw has become a well respected expert in the field of auditory processing disorders in Ohio and across the country. “Gail is well-loved by her patients and their families and she is a true advocate for their needs both educationally and socially.”

Sharon Sandridge, Ph.D. was awarded the Research Award.  Dr. Sandridge is the Director of Clinical Services, Co-Director of the Audiology Research Lab and Co-Director of the Tinnitus Management Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute.  Dr. Sandridge recently completed a research project which evaluated the longitudinal benefits from satisfaction with the Baha® Hearing System for patients with acquired unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and will be published this spring in Otology and Neurotology.  In 2007, Dr. Sandridge co-authored two chapters in Clinical Otology as well as an article in Progress in Brain Research.