|
 Dr. Sam Trychin, psychologist, educator, and author,
is one of the most widely acclaimed speakers on the topic of hearing loss in the world.
Plenary Session on Friday: "Helping People Prevent/Reduce Communication Hassles"
Focus of Additional Presentation with Dr. Janet Trychin: "Hearing in Marriage".
Visit Dr. Sam Trychin's web page.
 Dr. Terry Portis has served as Executive Director of Hearing Loss Association of America since December, 2002.
Focus of Presentation: "So All May Worship".
Focus of Additional Presentation with Denise Portis: "How to Avoid Unhealthy Responses to the Challenge of Hearing Loss".
Dr. Portis will also speak at the celebration luncheon.
Learn more about Dr. Portis.
|
Craig Buchman, M.D., F.A.C.S.
|
 Dr. Craig Buchman is Professor, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Chief, Otology/Neurotology/Skull Base Surgery University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Focus of Presentation: "Meniere's Disease, Balance Disorders, other Medical Conditions".
|
Cynthia Compton-Conley, Ph.D.
|
 Dr. Cynthia Compton-Conley is a Professor and Director of the Assistive Device Center at Gallaudet University. She is recognized internationally as a lecturer, consultant and author on the top of assistive technology. In 1991 she received the Special Friend of the Hearing Impaired Award from HLAA for her efforts in promoting the use of assistive technology.
Focus of Presentation 1: “Auditory Technology for Face-to-Face Communication – Which Technology is Best?"
Focus of Presentation 2: “Bluetooth Technology for Telephone, Music, and Face-to-Face Communication : What it is; how it Works; is it Right for You?"
Learn more about Dr. Compton-Conley and Gallaudet's Department of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences.
 Denise Portis is, of course, Terry's Wife, and the initial reason for Terry's interest in hearing loss, but she's gained a reputation of her own as an advocate for people with hearing loss. If you've followed any of the hearing loss web groups, you know how welcome her posts and stories are.
Focus of Presentation (presented with Dr. Terry Portis): "How to Avoid Unhealthy Responses to the Challenge of Hearing Loss".
Denise will share her own story and the inputs from the many other young women she's contacted about avoiding unhealthy responses to hearing loss. Dr. Terry Portis will address the psychological reasons behind some unhealthy responses to hearing loss
Go to Denise's great blog.
|
Denise A. Tucker, Au.d., CCC-A
|
 Dr. Denise Tucker is an Associate Professor of Audiology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the School of Health and Human Performance at UNCG.
Focus of Presentation: "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, Hyperacusis & Ototoxic Drugs".
Learn more about Dr. Denise A. Tucker.
 In his role as Hard of Hearing Program Coordinator
for the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing, Jeff coordinates the efforts of the Hard of Hearing Specialists at the Regional Centers across the state.
Jeff has helped North Carolina retain its leadership in providing services to Hard of Hearing People. He's also coordinated efforts among agencies from other states through sharing sessions at HLAA conventions.
Focus of Presentation: "Older Adults & Hearing Loss: A Road Map to State Services".
Learn more about NC DSDHH.
|
Barbara Winslow, Au.D, CCC-A
|
 In addition to providing on-going clinical services with UNC Hearing and Communication Center, Dr. Winslow teaches the Industrial Audiology and Hearing Conservation Course and co-teaches Hearing Aid Fitting and Dispensing course.
Focus of Presentation: "Modern Hearing Aids: Become an Informed Consumer".
Learn more about Dr. Winslow.
 Dr. Rachael Ragin has served in several positions supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing People, including positions in consulting, and DSDHH. She has also been active in Hearing Loss Association of North Carolina.
She is currently an Educational Consultant for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Exceptional Children Division of NC Dept. of Public Instruction.
Focus of Presentation: "Program considerations for children with mild to moderate hearing loss"
 Pamela Holmes is Director of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and CapTel Customer Service for Ultratec, Inc. where she has worked the last 20 years. In her job, Pam had frequent contact with consumers participating in the 13 CapTel state trials of which she helped set up and now with consumers of the 44 state CapTel programs. Holmes has served on the TDI Board of Directors and has served twice as co-chair of the TDI Conference Program (1999-Seattle; 2001 – Sioux Falls). President Clinton appointed Holmes to the U.S. Access Board in 1994. She was re-appointed to a second term in 1997. Holmes was elected Chair of the U.S. Access Board in March 2001. During her tenure on the Board, Holmes played a lead role in the Board’s development of accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment (Section 255) and Federal Electronic and Information Technology (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as Amended). She also chaired the Board’s Technical Programs Committee for three years. Holmes currently serves as chair of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees, and serves on the WI Universal Service Fund Council. Holmes has a BA in English from Gallaudet University and MS in Deaf Education from the University of Tennessee.
 Kim is Account Manager - NC CapTel for Sprint. Kim was a Hard of Hearing Specialist for the state of NC for 9 years before she transferred to Sprint to help people with a hearing loss understand and use the CapTel, captioned phone.
Focus of Presentation: "Captioned Telephone: Achieving Independence through the use of CapTel ".
|
Deborah Culbertson, Ph.D.
|
 Dr. Culbertson is a Clinical Associate Professor at East Carolina University. She has dispensed hearing aids and designed and implemented individual and group aural rehabilitation programs for over 15 years.
Focus of Presentation: “Aural rehabilitation: What is it and what’s new?
Learn more about Dr. Deborah Culbertson.
 Cynthia Harmon is a Hard of Hearing Services Specialist with the NC Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing.
Cynthia has a severe to profound hearing loss and communicates using hearing aids, speechreading, and ALDs. She majored in Psychology at Wake Forest University. While educating about hearing loss as a professional and volunteer, she has had contact with hundreds of hard of hearing people online and in person.
Learn more about North Carolina's DSDHH Regional Centers .
Focus of Presentation: “Appearances Can Be Deceiving: Misperceptions of a Hard of Hearing Person’s Character"
 Cindy Camp holds a masters degree in English as well as an NAD level IV with fifteen years of interpreting experience. She is currently the Disability Specialist in Deafness at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. She is an adjunct instructor of English, freelance interpreter, C-Print captionist, and web designer in addition to her other duties.
Learn more about Disability Support Services at Jacksonville State University.
Focus of Presentation: “Hard of Hearing Students in a Post-Secondary Setting"
|
Jennifer Campagna, Consumer Advisor Team, MEDEL Corp.
|
 Jennifer Campagna has been a teacher of the deaf / hard of hearing and a parent educator for families whose children have hearing loss. She currently contracts with several agencies that provide support to the deaf/hard of hearing community. She is active with HLA- Charlotte and is married to Jeff, who received a CI in 2001.
Focus of Presentation: "CI Journey: A Spousal Perspective".
Learn more about MED-EL Corporation.
 Joe Duarte is the President of Duartek, Inc., a company providing engineered accessible systems to State and Federal Agencies to help their facilities to be more accessible to all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Duartek also provides consultation services to private industry. In addition, Joe’s company develops custom engineered systems to make residences fully accessible for home homeowners with special needs. Before founding Duartek, Joe worked for ten years as an engineer at IBM. He holds a degree in Biomedical Electronics Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. Joe has a profound hearing loss and moved to America from Portugal when he was 14 years old. He now lives with his wife Meg and four children in Centreville, Virginia.
Learn more about Duartek.
Focus of Presentation: "Assistive Technology in the Workplace for Persons who are Hard of
Hearing"
|
Kristin Avitabile, MS, CCC-A
|
 Kristin Avitabile is a Senior Clinical Specialist for MED-EL Corporation for the Southeastern US. She earned her MS in Audiology at UNC Chapel Hill. Prior to joining MED-EL Corporation she worked as a clinical audiologist at Carolina ENT in Durham and at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill.
Learn more about MED-EL Corporation.
Focus of Presentation: "The Vibrant Soundbridge Implantable Middle Ear Prosthesis System"
 Dr. Rob Dowling is Chief Audiologist at Carolina Hearing Group in Raleigh. He has had a long standing hearing loss for which he wears a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing instrument in the other ear. Prior to working at Carolina Hearing Group, Dr. Dowling worked with a major hearing instrument manufacturer as a trainer and field representative. Dr. Dowling was also senior audiologist for one of the largest private practice audiology clinics in the Northeast. Dr. Dowling's expertise is in fitting hearing instruments and auditory rehabilitation.
Learn more about Dr. Dowling at the Carolina Hearing Group web page.
Focus of Presentation: "Wearing Cochlear Implants and Hearing Instruments Together??? Considerations and Implications"
 Winnie Hargis is a graduate of Florida State University’s education program and has used her degree as a teacher, customer service representative, researcher and financial business manager. Her passion is to write articles about and to provide programs and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and hearing loss issues. Since 1997 she has been a general/civil neutral mediator on contract cases for the Atlanta District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Postal Service, and Key Bridge Foundation’s Mediation Program for the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as for several Georgia county Juvenile and Magistrate court systems. She brings experience in advocacy, public speaking, board policy and long range planning to the board of trustees.
Ms. Hargis has been a member of the Hearing Loss Association of America since 1988. She served 2 terms as president of the Atlanta Hears Chapter and 11 years as the Georgia State Chapter Coordinator. She co-chaired the 2003 national convention held in Atlanta, Georgia, and currently is the 2007 Greater Atlanta Walk4Hearing Sponsorship coordinator.
Focus of Presentation: "Resolving Your ADA Barriers"
|
Dave Catlett, M.S., CCC-A, FAAA
|
 Dave Catlett is the Clinical Applications Specialist for Cochlear Americas in the Carolinas, providing support for both cochlear implant and Baha clinicians, surgeons, and recipients.
Dave received his Master Degree in Audiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently working toward a clinical doctorate in audiology through the University of Florida. Prior to joining Cochlear in 2005, he worked at UNC's pediatric cochlear implant program (CCCDP).
Focus of Presentation: "The BAHA System; Technology Update, Candidacy, and Insurance Coverage"
Visit the Cochlear America web site.
 Joan is one of the founders of HLA-NC, which was the first state association approved by HLAA, way back when we were all SHHH. She served as President of NCSHHH during 1997 and holds an "at-large" trustee position. Joan and her Husband, John, own and operate Triangle Audio Communications Systems, Inc. (TACSI). Joan was a member of the landmark North Carolina Hard of Hearing Task Force, and is currently Co-President of HLA-NC.
Focus of Presentation: "Phone Zone - From Amplication to Relay Services"
|
| Michael Harvey, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
|
 Dr. Harvey is a Clinical Psychologist, with a strong focus on hearing loss. You may have read his books or his regular regular column, "What's On Your Mind?", in Hearing Loss, the Magazine of Hearing Loss Association of America.
Plenary Session on Saturday: "Hearing Loss in Families"
Focus of additional presentation: "Psychosocial Aspects of Hearing Loss"
Focus of additional presentation: "Parents: What's on Your Mind?", an open question/answer session for parents of hard of hearing children
Visit Dr. Michael Harvey's web page.
 Dr. Carol Flexer is recognized internationally as a lecturer, consultant and author in her special areas of expertise including pediatric and educational audiology.
Keynote Saturday, Focus: "The Listening Brain: Research to Practice"
Visit Dr. Carol Flexer's web page.
Jackson Roush, Ph.D.
Stephanie Sjoblad, Au.D.
|
 Dr. Jackson Roush, Ph.D., is Professor and Director of the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC. He is also Section Head for Audiology at the UNC Center for Development and Learning.
 Dr. Sjoblad is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinic Coordinator of the UNC Hearing & Communication Centers clinical audiology programs. Dr. Sjoblad received her M.S. in Audiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Florida-Gainesville. She is one of three siblings in her family with congenital hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since the age of six.
Learn more about Dr. Roush.
Learn more about Dr. Stephanie Sjoblad.
Focus of Presentation: "The Audiological Evaluation: From Infants to Older Adults".
Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S.
Craig Buchman, M.D., F.A.C.S.
|
 Dr. Debara L. Tucci is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. She is Director of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery, and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program.
Dr. Craig Buchman is Professor, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Chief, Otology/Neurotology/Skull Base Surgery University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Focus of Presentation: "Cochlear Implants: Medical and Surgical Issues in Adults and Children".
|
Carolyn Brown, M.S., CCC-SLP/A
|
 Carolyn J. Brown is an internationally recognized authority on cochlear implants and on the auditory-based approach associated with rapidly advancing technologies.
Focus of Presentation: "A Program Model of Pediatric Implantation"
Learn more about Carolyn Brown.
Florence Soltys, MSW, ACSW, CCSW
Dr. Helen Martikeanin
|
 Florence Soltys is clinical associate professor in the University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, School of Social Work, chair of the Services to the Older Adult and Family Program, adjunct associate professor in the School of Nursing and clinical associate professor in the School of Medicine
Focus of Presentation: "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder".
See Faculty Information Sheet for Florence Soltys.
Dr. Martikeanin (not pictured) is Retired Head of Health Education for the World Health Organization.
See Florence Soltys receiving an award.
 Dr Janet Trychin is an educational audiologist whose professional interest and experience is in accommodating adolescent students who are hard of hearing in mainstream classroom situations.
She has co-authored with her husband, Dr. Sam Trychin, “Living With Hearing Loss: at School”; a workbook intended to help teachers, parents, and students better understand the difficulties the student with hearing loss experiences.
Dr. Sam Trychin also served as a consulting audiologist for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Mental Health for People who are Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. While living in Maryland, Dr. Sam Trychin was a faculty member of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Focus of Presentation: "Early Intervention: Getting Parents Through the Early Years".
Focus of Additional Presentation with Dr. Sam Trychin: "Hearing in Marriage".
 Steve Barber is currently co-President of Hearing Loss Association of North Carolina. He has been a Trustee of that organization for 10 years and served as President for three years. He served on the North Carolina Council for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing for 8 years and was chair of that council for 2 years.
Focus of Presentation: "More Sophisticated Consumers: How to Be One and How to Serve One".
 Tom Ditt is the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the N.C. Division of Services for the Deaf & the Hard of Hearing.
He is a nationally recognized speaker in the areas of public information, crisis communications and disaster preparedness and is an adjunct at FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center.
Focus of Presentation: "Prepare for Emergencies Now, Because It’s Only a Matter of Time".
Learn more about Tom Ditt
|
Laura Barber, Au.D, CCC-A
|
 Dr. Laura Barber is an audiologist with Carolina Otolaryngology Institute, in Aiken South Carolina. Prior to that she was an audiologist at Emory Clinic in Atlanta, Ga and at Advanced Otolaryngology Services in Jacksonville, Fl.
Focus of Presentation: "Weird and Wonderful Things About Ears".
Learn more about Laura Barber
Diana Lee, M.Ed.
Roxanne Dearman, M.S.
Elizabeth Hopkins
|
 Diana Lee, M.Ed. Boston University, Deaf Education, developed and implemented the Parent-Infant Program in public schools. She is an Infant, Toddler & Family Specialist with Early Intervention Program for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides direct services to families of children with hearing loss.
 Roxanne Dearman M.S. Deaf Education. Mrs. Dearman, Infant Toddler & Family Specialist, Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, provides direct services to families and children with hearing loss. She has written articles for “Preschool Mailbox” and other publications.
 Elizabeth Hopkins, B.S. U.N.C. Greensboro, Deaf Education. Mrs. Hopkins is a Parent-Infant Educator for Early Intervention Program for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She provides direct services to families and children with hearing loss.
Focus of Presentation: "H.E.A.R. Chart (Hierarchy of Early Auditory Responses)".
Learn More About the NC DHHS, OES, Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
 Sheila Adams is a late-deafened adult who was a hearing aid user for 20 years before getting a cochlear implant. She has 26 years of experience in education as a teacher of learning disabled students in both the public and private sector. She also served as director of a learning disabilities program in two private school systems and taught graduate level courses for teachers in the summer months.
Go to Sheila's great blog.
 Gerry Adams is a retired electronics technician for the US Navy. He also has experience as a naval instructor and as a technical writer. A high degree of interest in computers and in state-of-the-art technologies has proved useful in researching assistive listening devices for his wife Sheila.
Focus of Presentation: "“CI-to-Eye”: We’re in this Together (A Couple’s Perspective on Hearing Loss and Recovery)".
 Melissa Wagner is the mother to three children, two of which have hearing loss. Her daughter Anna was diagnosed by the UNHS and daughter Julia was adopted from China with atresia and microtia.
Melissa contributed to Michigan’s Guidelines for Newborn Hearing Services with EHDI. She also has presented as a plenary speaker for the National EHDI conference. Melissa is a Parent Guide for the Michigan Guide-By-Your-Side program and well as the President of the Parent Advisory Committee with her Intermediate School District.
Focus of Presentation: "Taking the Road Less Traveled: The Wagner Family’s Journey with Hearing Loss"
 Pam Dickens is the women's health coordinator of the N.C. Office on Disability and Health (NCODH). She has a Masters degree in Public Health and coordinates state-wide activities at NCODH to improve the health of women with disabilities.
 Ruth Miller has a Masters degree in Special Education and serves as Special Services Coordinator at Frank Porter Graham Child Care Program, which is an inclusive program for children birth to five. Her role involves managing the early intervention component for children with special needs and their families. Ruth has had a life long profound hearing loss. In addition she advocates for people with hearing loss.
Focus of Presentation: "Managing Your Healthcare".
 Patty recently retired as the Manager of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Branch with the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in Frankfort. Patty held this position for over eighteen (18) years and was responsible for development and oversight of all services to individuals with hearing loss including specialized services to deaf, deaf-blind, deaf at risk, hard of hearing or late deafened consumers. At the same time, Patty also served as the State Coordinator of Deaf Services (SCD) and directly supervised the Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf (RCDs). During her tenure, Kentucky VR used a national model to enhance services to individuals who are hard of hearing and late deafened. Other recent initiatives included development of specific services to consumers who may be considered deaf at risk (deaf and low functioning -LFD).
Patty is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, completed the Post Employment Training in Deafness Rehabilitation Administration from San Diego State University and has been employed in the field for twenty seven (27) years. Some projects she has been involved with include the Institute on Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) on Deaf and Low Functioning (LFD), the National Task Force on Students who are Hard of Hearing or Late Deafened, the Council of State Administrators in Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) Committee on Services to Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened and DeafBlind, and the committee to update the VR Model State Plan of Services to Persons with Hearing Loss (5th Edition).
Focus of Presentation: "Employment Needs and Services for Workers Who Are Hard of Hearing".
 Dr. Marcia Clark was a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with her master's degree in Audiology. She recently obtained her doctorate degree in Audiology from the University of Florida. Ms. Clark is employed at UNC Healthcare as the Coordinator of the Adult Cochlear Implant Prgram. She spends her time treating and evaluating patients as potential candidates for cochlear implantation.
Focus of Presentation: "Are you a Cochlear Impant Candidate?: The Evaluation Process from Start to Finish".
 Dr. Steven Boone is a Research Professor and Director of Research at the Center. He has over 20 years of applied research experience conducting projects on behavior management, independent living, job-seeking skills training, and social problem-solving skills for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. He has conducted multiple national projects with hard of hearing workers and the rehabilitation providers who serve this population.
Dr. Boone has received awards related to his work from the Arkansas Association for the Deaf, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Deaf Access Program and Special Friend of Hard of Hearing Persons award from the national Hearing Loss Association of America.
Focus of Presentation: "Encouraging Workplace Success of Workers with Hearing Loss".
Learn more about the University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
 Toni Barrient is Director of Member Services & Chapter Development for Hearing Loss Association of America. She also is known by many people in Hearing Loss Association of America as the moderator of the Chapter Leaders List Yahoo group.
Focus of Presentation: "Hearing Loss Association of America: Chapter Development".
Learn more about the Hearing Loss Association of America.
 Allison Roark has worked for MED-EL Corporation for over five years. She provides patient support for the company, and shares information regarding cochlear implants with CI candidates and families, teachers and therapists. She received her cochlear implant in March of 2001.
Focus of Presentation: "After the Big Day: Learning to Listen with a Cochlear Implant".
Learn more about MED-EL Corporation.
|