Page 60 - Spring 2006

International News
Walter G. Mayer
Georgetown University Washington, DC 20057
Founded in 1962, the CAA is the professional, interdisciplinary organi- zation that: fosters communication among people working in all areas of acoustics in Canada; promotes the growth and practical application of knowledge in acoustics; encourages education, research, protection of the environment, and employment in acoustics; is an umbrella organization through which general issues in educa- tion, employment and research can be addressed at a national and multidisci- plinary level.
Belgian Acoustical Society cele- brates its 40th anniversary in 2006
The Belgian Acoustical Society (De Belgische Akoestische Vereniging [ABAV]) will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in September 2006 with a one-day symposium on applied acoustics. This symposium will consist of four invited keynote lectures, given by eminent foreign specialists in their field of acoustics and poster presenta- tions by ABAV members. The celebra- tion will include a technical exhibition and anniversary dinner.
Keynote speakers are: Prof. Dr. Michael Vorländer, ITA, RWTH Aachen, Germany, President of the European Acoustics Association; Prof. ir. Eddy Gerretsen, TNO Delft and Eindhoven University, The Netherlands; Prof. Keith Attenborough, The University of Hull, United Kingdom; Prof. Jean-Dominique Polack, Lab. Acoustique Musicale, Paris, France and Vice President of the European Acoustics Association.
The Belgian Acoustical Society (ABAV) was founded in 1966. The Society, which has approximately 125 members includes persons working in the field of acoustics from academia, industry, government and consulting firms.
Further information may be found at http://www.abav.be/
Australian bionic ear pioneer awarded science medal
University of Melbourne Laureate Professorial Fellow and bionic ear pio- neer Professor Graeme Clark has been awarded the 2006 Ian Wark Medal from the Australian Academy of Science.
Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne for 34 years, Professor Clark was one of the earliest inventors, investigators and imple- menters of cochlear implantation and the bionic ear. The University of Melbourne appointed Graeme Clark one of its inaugural Laureate Professors in 1999, an honor reserved for the very best and most distinguished of its aca- demic staff. Professor Clark is also Founder and for 20 years has been the Director of the Bionic Ear Institute. He remains a Laureate Professorial Fellow at the University.
Professor Clark has received many accolades during his career including the Prime Minister's Science Prize in 2004, Fellowship of the Royal Society, honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the University of Melbourne's Sir William Upjohn Medal for medical research, and honorary doctorates from univer- sities in Australia, Taiwan and Germany.
The Ian Wark Medal and Lecture is a senior award of the Australian Academy of Science and recognizes research which contributes to the pros- perity of Australia where that prosperi- ty is attained through the advance of scientific knowledge or its application, or both. The Medal and Lecture honor the late Sir Ian Wark, CMG, CBE, FAA, FTSE, a chemist who was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Industrial Chemistry. The award is made every two years.
The Australian Academy of Science is an independent, non-profit organiza- tion of Australia's leading research sci- entists, elected for their personal contri-
Graeme Clark (photo © The Bionic Ear Institute)
butions to science, Fellows occupy sen- ior positions in universities, CSIRO and industry. The Academy recognizes research excellence, advises govern- ment, organizes scientific conferences, publishes scientific books and journals, administers international exchange pro- grams, fosters science education and promotes public awareness of science and technology.
ASA member receives award from Canadian Acoustical Association
The Canadian Acoustical Association (CAA) presented its 2005 Alexander Graham Bell Student Prize in Speech Communication and Behavioural Acoustics to ASA member Geoffrey Stewart Morrison, University of Alberta, for his research proposal "Modeling L2 Perception of English and Spanish vowels"
The Bell Prize is named for Alexander Graham Bell and recognizes Bell's lifelong interest in hearing and hearing loss and his strong ties to Canada, both in Ontario during his early career, and in Nova Scotia, later in life. The award consists of a cash prize of $800.
58 Acoustics Today, April 2006