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communication. His research is cen- tered in experimental phonology and phonetics and ethological aspects of communication, including speech per- ception, sound change, phonetic and phonological universals, psychological aspects of phonology, and sound sym- bolism.
Professor Hiroya Fujisaki (University of Tokyo), who introduced Ohala at the opening plenary session of ISCA’s annual meeting, “Interspeech 2006,” noted that Ohala’s “works inte- grate physical phonetics and psycholin- guistics into phonology, and also inte- grates [a] more empirically-based phonology into applied domains such as man-machine communication. What makes [Ohala] an extraordinary scholar is the uniqueness of his ideas and approaches which go far beyond the conventional limits of linguistics and phonology.”
Following the award presentation, Professor Ohala presented a lecture entitled “What a Study of Sound Can Tell Us About Human Speech Perception (and Suggest About Machine Recognition).”
Previous recipients of the ISCA Medal have included Gunnar Fant (1989), Jim Flanagan (1991), Adrian Fourcin (1991), Ken Stevens (1995), Mario Rossi (1997), Fred Jelinek (1999), Louis Pols (2001), Ilse Lehiste (2002), Jens Blauert (2003), Manfred Schroeder (2004), and Graeme Clark (2005).
Carolyn Richie awarded an ASHA Research Grant for New Investigators
Carolyn Richie, Assistant Professor in Communication Disorders program at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, was awarded a Research Grant for New Investigators by the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association for “The Contribution of Visual Cues of Vowels and Consonants to Speech Recognition by Listeners with Hearing Loss.”
Carolyn Richie obtained a B.A. in Linguistics and Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, M.Sc. in Speech and Language Processing from the University of Edinburgh, and
Carolyn Richie Tomlinson Holman
Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Indiana University— Bloomington. Her research interests include audio-visual speech percep- tion, and the development of comput- er-based training programs to facilitate speech recognition for adults with hearing loss. She has recently become a member of the Acoustical Society of America Women in Acoustics Committee.
Tomlinson Holman awarded the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award
The IEEE has named Tomlinson Holman the recipient of its 2007 Masaru Ibuka Award, recognizing his significant contribution to the develop- ment of advanced audio and cinema multichannel playback systems, the current gold standard in television and cinema broadcasting. His work played an integral part in establishing the home theater product category in con- sumer electronics, enabling consumers to experience theater-like sound in the comfort of their own homes. Sponsored by the Masaru Ibuka Fund, the award recognizes outstanding con- tributions in the field of consumer electronics technology. It was present- ed at the IEEE's International Conference on Consumer Electronics at the Las Vegas Convention Center on 13 January 2007.
During his 15-year tenure as chief engineer of post-production and later corporate technical director for Lucasfilm Ltd., Holman developed the THX (Tomlinson Holman
eXperiment) Sound System in 1983 to ensure that the soundtrack for the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, would be accurately reproduced in the best venues. He also developed the Home THX and the THX Digital Mastering program leading to several widely cited U.S. patents. THX is a baseline set of standards designed to dramatically improve an audience's cinema experience by eliminating background noise, enhancing image quality and projection, improving room acoustics and utilizing THX- approved equipment for optimal sound reproduction. To date, over 4,000 audi- toriums have undergone the rigorous approval process necessary for certifi- cation by the Lucasfilm THX division. In 2001, Holman was awarded a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work on THX. The author of three books, 27 referred journal papers and over 140 magazine articles, he currently serves as presi- dent and co-founder of the entertain- ment technology company TMH Corp., where he oversees development and design of new products in addition to consulting and writing. Holman continues to develop systems and inventions with TMH Corporation for professional and home audio, including MicroTheater®, and with Audyssey Laboratories in auto-equalization sys- tems. He holds seven U.S. and 23 for- eign patents.
In addition to his continued con- tribution to his professional field, Holman is currently a professor at the
46 Acoustics Today, January 2007