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Underwater Sound Lab where his work focused on development of an acoustic homing torpedo for the Navy. After World War II the torpedo research was moved to Penn State University, where Laymon advanced from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and finally to full Professor of Engineering Research. After 10 years at Penn State, Mr. Miller joined the acoustical consult- ing firm of Bolt Beranek & Newman Inc. where he remained until retirement in 1982. In addition to his membership in NCAC, Laymon is also an Emeritus member of the Acoustical Society of America and a member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering.
NCAC is an international organiza- tion committed to supporting the acoustical profession through 1) recog- nizing expert acoustical consultants and engineers; 2) promoting opportunities for peer interaction; and 3) providing a reference tool for the public to learn more about the profession and to find a consultant matched to their needs.
Caitlin O’Connell noted for discovery in work on elephants
Caitlin O’Connell, who earned her doctorate in ecology from UC Davis and who is known for her discovery over a decade ago that elephants “lis- ten” to vibrations in the ground, was honored on October 12, 2007, with an Award of Distinction from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The award is presented annually to a small number of recipients whose con- tributions and achievements enrich the
image and reputation of the college and enhance its ability to provide public service. The awards were presented dur- ing the annual “College Celebration” and include seven individuals in 2007. O’Connell received recognition as “out- standing young alumna.”
“Caitlin is truly exceptional in the range of abilities she brings to every new situation, quickly sorting through the challenges involved in dealing with new technology, cultures, and con- cepts,” said one of O’Connell’s former faculty mentors, Lynette Hart, UC Davis professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health and Reproduction.
O’Connell helped Namibian subsis- tence farmers develop effective methods to scare off elephants from raiding fields and destroying crops. She also founded a nonprofit organization (Utopia Scientific) to fund elephant research and created a documentary film company (Triple Helix Productions). She is cur- rently an assistant professor and research associate with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology.
O’Connell’s discovery of how ele- phants perceive part of their world through vibrations in the ground has extraordinary potential for application in many fields, including behavioral biology and ecology, seismic monitor- ing, and auditory science. She has more than 20 refereed journal articles in her brief career. O’Connell’s work has been featured in a wide range of public media, including National Public Radio, The New York Times, the Economist, Science News and the Discovery Channel.
Valeiry Shafiro receives ASHA Research Grant
Valeiry Shafiro, Principal Investigator in the Auditory Research Laboratory at Rush University Medical Center, was named recipient of the 2007 Research Grant for New Investigators by the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association for his project titled “Perception of Environmental Sounds and Speech in Patients with Cochlear Implants.”
Dr. Shafiro received a Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the Graduate Center, The City University
Valeiry Shafiro
of New York in 2004. He is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association, American Academy of Audiology, and American Auditory Society.
William Hodgkiss, receives Teaching Excellence Award
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography Teaching Excellence Awards Committee announced October 2, 2007 that Marine Physical Laboratory Deputy Director and Professor William Hodgkiss won the 2007 award for Teaching Excellence in Graduate Instruction. This award is based on stu- dent evaluations, and the nominees and subsequent winners are selected by a student vote and a student committee consisting of representatives from all Scripps curricular groups.
Bill Hodgkiss received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University in 1975 and joined the Univercity of California–San Diego faculty in 1977. He is a Professor in the Graduate Department of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and on the staff of the Marine Physical Laboratory at SIO. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and serves as a member of the Technical Committee on Signal Processing in Acoustics. His work has appeared in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, and other journals.
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