A national organization has honored two University of Memphis professors. Dr. Kim Oller and Clinical Associate Professor Marion Hammet will soon be Fellows of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
?I am very pleased to see both faculty members get recognition,? said Dr. Maurice Mendall, the Dean of the College of Audiology and Speech.
Mendall said the honors are top ranked recognition for Speech Pathologists.
?A fair amount of visibility will be given to The University which may help in the recruiting of new students,? Mendall said.
Being a fellow of ASHA is an honor, according to Mendall. It requires no responsibilities or duties on behalf of the honoree. The award requires a formal nomination, and a secondary nomination from another ASHA member in six different categories. Not everyone nominated is selected.
?It is an honor. It is a huge honor,? Hammett said. ?It is a tremendous thing to be honored by your peers.?
It is especially an honor for Hammett, because it is rare when people without their doctorates are selected as fellows of the ASHA.
?The important thing is that half of the doctorate faculty is known as fellows,? Mendall said
The two professors belong to the same group, but they contribute in two different areas. Oller is a professor of audiology while Hammett is a clinical associate professor. Oller teaches in the area of speech pathology, and Hammet is a clinical supervisor for students working toward their speech pathology certifications.
Hammett?s concentration is in pediatrics, working with children from 18 months to 5 years old. She is also a supervisor in the Shelby County Head Start program.
The ceremony will take place in November in Philadelphia at the ASHA national convention.
?I am looking forward to the ceremony. I am very excited,? Hammett said.
Oller was unavailable for comment.
On Oct. 5, the College of Speech and Audiology will offer a free hearing screening 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the UC main concourse.
