2005 Graeme Clark Scholarship winners

 

Graeme Clark Scholarship winners

DENVER – March 19, 2005 – Three talented students were honored today by Cochlear Americas for their outstanding accomplishments. Timothy J. Brandau, Taylor McClelland and Lori Mette were awarded the third annual Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship, a unique grant open to Cochlear Nucleus® implant recipients.  The Graeme Clark Scholarship Foundation’s fund is intended to provide college age students with tuition assistance.

Former Miss America Heather Whitestone McCallum, a Cochlear Nucleus® 24 Contour™ recipient and current chair of the Foundation, presented the award winners with their scholarships today at the Cochlear Implant Convention in Dallas, TX.  The winners were selected by a panel of judges including Peter Roland, MD, from the University of Texas Southwest; Susan Waltzman, Ph.D., from New York University; Margaret Winter, M.S., CCC-A, for House Institute Care Center; Claire Jacobson, AuD., from James Madison University; and Heather Whitestone McCallum.

Cochlear Nucleus® 24 recipient, Timothy Brandau of Rudd, IA, was the first child in Iowa to receive a multi-channel implant.  His implantation in 1987 triggered Timothy’s life-long fascination with the process of hearing.  A third year student at the University of Iowa, Timothy hopes to one day use his degree in Biomedical Engineering to advance the field of cochlear implant technology. Since receiving his cochlear implant, Timothy has learned to play the saxophone and loves studying music. He is also a proud member of the Hawkeye Marching Band.

 
Cochlear Nucleus® 24 recipient, Taylor McClelland of Calhan, CO, was implanted as a sophomore in high school. Today, he is a second year student at Bethany Lutheran College in Kansas with a passion for athletics.  This passion started in high school where Taylor received varsity letters in baseball, basketball and football. He is now active on the college basketball team and plans a career in Sports Management. Taylor also volunteers his time as a coach to youngsters in baseball and basketball.

Lori Mette’s hearing began to deteriorate after she graduated from college, established a career, and had her first child. A resident of Teutopolis, IL, Lori had been working with those with developmental disabilities prior to her hearing loss.  Although she had always been dedicated to serving those less fortunate than herself, she began to feel socially isolated due to her hearing loss. Since receiving her Nucleus® 24 Contour™ implant in 2003, her confidence has returned full force, inspiring her return to school. Lori is determined to become a certified Special Education Teacher.  Today, she continues to work full time, raise a family and is enrolled at Eastern Illinois University to pursue this dream.

 
About the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation
Established in 2002, the Foundation honors Professor Graeme Clark of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne for his pioneering work in the field of cochlear implant technology.  Professor Clark’s lifelong determination to find solutions for the hearing impaired led to his inventing the world’s first multichannel cochlear implant over 20 years ago. 

 
The scholarship, which is awarded to three students annually, helps fund college tuition at an accredited institution.  Judges consider both academic achievement and a clear dedication to the Cochlear ideals of leadership and humanity. Each award is in the amount of $3,000 per year for a total of four years, paid upon the completion of each year of study.

About Cochlear Americas
For more than 20 years, Cochlear™ Americas has been focused on bringing the miracle of sound to those individuals who live in silence.  To date, more than 60,000 profoundly deaf individuals have benefited from the Nucleus® line of cochlear implants.  The Company’s promise of Hear now. And Always exemplifies its commitment to advancing hearing technology, which has resulted in numerous awards including the 2001 Medical Design Excellence Award for its design of the Nucleus® 24 Contour™ cochlear implant and the FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation for the development and commercialization of the Nucleus® 24 Multichannel Auditory Brainstem Implant.  For more information about Cochlear™’s products, call the Cochlear hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the Web site at www.cochlear.com.

CONTACT: Amanda Taylor                 
Kovak·Likly Communications
(203) 762.8833, ATaylor@KLCpr.com