Audiologist Tapped for Honor; University Earns Sustainability Award

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

Callier Leader Will Receive International Audiology Award

Dr. Ross Roeser, the Howard B. and Lois C. Wolf Professor for Pediatric Hearing in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, will receive the prestigious Aram Glorig Award from the International Society of Audiology (ISA) next April at the organization’s 2020 Congress in Warsaw, Poland.

Given every two years, the award honors a person who has had a distinguished career in audiology. Roeser has been a leader in audiology for decades. In addition to his work in the application of hearing devices to improve communication skills, he has been instrumental in defining and expanding the scope of practice of audiologists in the U.S.

Roeser was previously head of UT Dallas’ audiology doctoral program, which is ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Roeser is also executive director emeritus of UT Dallas’ Callier Center for Communication Disorders. He was the founding editor-in-chief of the American Auditory Society’s journal Ear and Hearing and is editor-in-chief emeritus of the International Journal of Audiology.

“Ross was chosen for the award because of his many outstanding contributions to the development of audiology — in clinical practice, research and education around the globe,” said Dr. Lena Wong, ISA president and professor of speech and hearing sciences at the University of Hong Kong. “His contributions as editor of these prestigious audiology journals have definitely furthered scientific knowledge in the field.”

The award was created in 1982 in honor of Glorig, who was the founding director of the Callier Hearing and Speech Center in 1964. The center was renamed the Callier Center for Communication Disorders in 1972 and became part of UT Dallas in 1975.

“Aram was my boss at the Callier Center,” Roeser said. “He was a powerhouse. He had a broad vision about what Callier should be, in terms of providing services to those with communication disorders, particularly to children who are deaf, having outstanding educational programs for the clinicians of the future and fostering cutting-edge research.

“Receiving an award named after somebody who was so influential in my life as well as at the UT Dallas Callier Center is a special honor.”

University Honored for Sustainability Innovation

UT Dallas has received APPA’s 2019 Sustainability Innovation Award for its initiatives to reduce 66% of the food waste from campus dining facilities and student apartments.

The award from the organization, formerly known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, recognizes unique and innovative sustainable practices in educational facilities and campus environments.

The food-waste reduction effort on campus was coordinated by the Sustainability Office, Facilities Management, Dining Services, Student Affairs, Student Government and the Sustainability Club. UT Dallas reduced the volume of surplus food generated, diverted leftover food to the Food Recovery Network to help feed the needy and partnered with an outside composting company to convert food waste into animal feed and biofertilizer.

The University now exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency and United Nations goals to reduce food waste 50% by 2030.

“I am very proud of this award because it recognizes our culture of sustainability that has taken years to develop,” said Gary Cocke, associate director for energy conservation and sustainability. “Many stakeholders, including student leaders, have contributed to addressing food waste on campus, and this award shows that we can make a great impact through cumulative action. Sustainability is part of the fabric of UTD.”

Representatives from UT Dallas were recognized July 15 during the 2019 APPA annual conference in Denver. Other recipients include University of California, Davis; Virginia Tech; Stanford University; and College of Lake County. 

APPA has a membership of more than 18,000 facilities professionals from 1,300 educational institutions in North America and around the world. Since 2012, its award has encouraged the creation and maintenance of sustainable campus environments.