TERESA BLANKMEYER BURKE is a doctoral candidate in Philosophy at the University of New Mexico. Her dissertation focuses on hearing loss, identity, and health care ethics. She received her M.A. in Philosophy from the University of New Mexico, and her B.A. from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Ms. Blankmeyer Burke teaches applied ethics at the University of New Mexico in the Philosophy Department and in the University of New Mexico Health Sciences program, where she also lectures on hearing loss issues. As owner of the consulting firm, Ethics, etc., she advises national and local clients on health care ethics and hearing loss. She is a member of the SHHH Board of Trustees.
Ms. Blankmeyer Burke has lived with hearing loss since age five.
CLAIRE MARCUS BERNSTEIN, Ph.D. received her doctorate in Audiology from Columbia University, with a specialization in geriatric and rehabilitation audiology. She is currently involved in clinical research with the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement (RERC-HE). The RERC-HE is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the US Department of Education, and comprised of a team of researchers dedicated to finding technological solutions for people with hearing loss. Dr. Bernstein serves as an adjunct faculty member at Gallaudet University teaching the Hearing Loss and Aging course to graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology and has also served as faculty with their Elderhostel Program for several years.
Dr. Bernstein’s current clinical research projects involve development and evaluation of rehabilitation approaches to help improve communication skills of adult cochlear implant users. She is also a collaborator on a project to create a new computerized communication needs assessment tool for the selection and fitting of hearing assistive technologies. This assessment tool will help audiologists identify and provide a more comprehensive rehabilitation plan, combining amplification with other hearing assistive technologies, to better respond to their client’s unique listening needs.
Over the last 20 years, Dr. Bernstein has worked in private practice, hospital, and university settings with combined clinical, research, teaching, and supervisory experience. At the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Dr. Bernstein provided consultation to both professionals and consumers, and developed ASHA’s first audiology e-publication, Access Audiology. She is the author of many issues, providing key reference and resource information, on a range of clinical topics including genetics and hearing loss, tinnitus, auditory neuropathy, hearing assistive technologies, and otoprotection. Dr. Bernstein is honored to accept a position with the Academy Advisory Board and is looking forward to working with other board members on this innovative educational program.
PAUL E. HAMMERSCHLAG, M.D., F.A.C.S. is an otologist/neurotologist in New York City with particular interest in cochlear implants and sensorineural hearing loss. He is an associate clinical professor in the New York University School of Medicine where he has been involved with research in sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner-ear disease (AIED), Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, and facial nerve problems. Recently Dr. Hammerschlag has been the Principal Investigator, Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease Multicenter Clinical Trial (AIED), National Institution for Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD/NIH). He received his M.D. and post-doctoral training at Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Hammerschlag has held faculty positions at NYU School of Medicine (1981 to the present), Mount Sinai Medical School, New York (1980-1984), University of Washington, Seattle, Department of Otolaryngology (1978-1980), and Harvard Medical School, Boston (1977-1978). He has also taught dozens of post-graduate courses as a guest faculty member at medical schools across the United States.
Concurrent to his faculty positions, Dr Hammerschlag has held over 16 hospital positions, at institutions including Beth Israel Hospital Medical Center (NY), Tisch Hospital - NYU Medical Center (NY), Bellevue Hospital – NYU Medical Center (NY), St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center (NY), The New York Infirmary-Beekman Downtown Hospital (NY), Veterans Administration Medical Center – NYU Medical Center (NY), Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (NY), Veterans Administration Hospital (WA), U.S. Public Health Services Hospital (WA), Children’s Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center (WA), Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (NY), and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (MA).
Dr. Hammerschlag has won major awards, including the Reynolds Society Achievement Award, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has been a member of numerous committees and boards, including the Facial Nerve Disorders Committee (American Neurotology Association), the Subcommittee on Implantable Hearing Devices as well as the Committee on National and International Standards (AAO-HNS), Board of Directors (League for the Hard of Hearing), and is a current member of the SHHH Board of Trustees.
He holds membership in the major medical associations in his field(s), including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the American Academy of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, American Nerotology Society, Society of University Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, North American Skull Base Society, the American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society (Triological Society) and the American Society of Potential Monitoring, along with several state level associations.
Dr. Hammerschlag has authored or co-authored over 36 articles published in leading medical journals, and has written nine chapters in medical texts. He has also authored or co-authored over 25 medical abstracts.
Dr. Hammerschlag himself has a severe-profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss.
MICHAEL HARVEY, Ph.D. provides training and consultation on deafness/hearing loss, vicarious trauma and mental health issues. In addition to a private practice in Framingham, Mass., Dr. Harvey is an adjunct faculty at Boston University and a consultant faculty at Pennsylvania College of Optometry, School of Audiology, where he teaches on-line courses relating to the psychosocial aspects of hearing loss. Dr. Harvey writes a regular column, “What’s On Your Mind,” in Hearing Loss, the magazine produced by Self Help for Hard of Hearing People.
In addition to over 40 articles, Dr. Harvey’s publications include The Odyssey of Hearing Loss: Tales of Triumph; Psychotherapy with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons: A Systemic Model (second addition), and a co-edited book, Culturally Affirmative Psychotherapy with Deaf Persons. His most recent book is Listen with the Heart: Relationships and Hearing Loss.
PATRICIA KRICOS, Ph.D. is a Professor of Audiology and Director of the Center for Gerontological Studies at the University of Florida. She received her Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 1973. Dr. Kricos has taught in the audiology program at the University of Florida since 1981. Her major clinical and research interests are in audiologic habilitation/rehabilitation. Dr. Kricos has published a number of articles and chapters on audiologic rehabilitation of children and older adults. She is excited by the challenges of instilling in audiology students a healthy balance between the technical aspects of the field and the more humanistic concerns such as the psychosocial aspects of hearing impairment.
ROSE AIRD MINETTE, M.A. holds a Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin and a Teacher's certificate in Deaf Education. She has also attended post-graduate training at San Diego State University. In her current position with the State of Texas, Ms. Minette is the only Hard of Hearing Program Specialist for the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. For the past eight years, she has been responsible for creating and implementing statewide projects and services for persons who are hard of hearing or late-deafened. She has worked closely with long-time local service providers who have historically served only deaf persons, to find creative ways to expand services to include those who are hard of hearing. She assists Texans with hearing loss in finding resources and understanding and accessing technology. She creates and disseminates information on a wide variety of topics and provides presentations and training throughout the state. She works closely with service providers in the state, such as audiologists, hearing aid dispensers, rehabilitation entities and caseworkers for elderly persons, to disseminate information and resources to consumers and to offer training to these important professional groups.
Ms. Minette has been a member and officer of the local SHHH group for more than 15 years and is a strong believer in the self-help philosophy. She is severely hard of hearing and wears one hearing aid. Prior to her current position, she taught multiply disabled deaf children at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.
SAM TRYCHIN, Ph.D. (1968, George Washington University) is a lecturer at Penn-State, Erie, The Behrend College. Prior to that he was Director of Training at the Mental Health Research and Training Center for the Hard of Hearing and Late-Deafened Adults, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego, California (1995-1997). Before that, he was Professor of Psychology and Director of the Living with Hearing Loss Program, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC (1981-1995).
Dr. Trychin currently conducts training programs, classes, and workshops for people who are hard of hearing, their families, and professionals who provide services to them. His specialty is the application of psychological concepts, principals, and procedures to problems and issues related to hearing loss. Dr. Trychin has also written 15 books, authored numerous professional book chapters and journal articles, and produced a variety of videotapes related to coping with hearing loss. He has conducted hundreds of workshops and training programs across the United States and Canada. He and his wife Janet, an audiologist, frequently conduct workshops together.
Dr. Trychin is a member of the American Psychological Association, is listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, and is a licensed psychologist in PA and DC. He is also the Mental Health and Rehabilitation Advisor to SHHH and is a member of the State of Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Committee for Persons Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Dr. Trychin is hard of hearing himself and has been wearing hearing aids since 1953.
