Frederick S. Berg Award
The concept of educational audiology as a discipline began in 1966 when Frederick S. Berg generated the first known grant for educational audiology to train professionals to work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing in the public-school system. During this time, Fred Berg and Samuel Fletcher published their book, The Hard of Hearing Child (1970), which helped foster the concept of educational audiology on a national basis. On November 18, 1983, during the annual America Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention, the Educational Audiology Association (EAA) was formed. Fred Berg was elected the first president and served from November 1984 through December of the following year. In June 1991, the Educational Audiology Association joined the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology at their Summer Institute at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. A high point of the first Summer Institute was the presentation of the first Frederick S. Berg Educational Audiology Award to Fred Berg for his contributions to the field of educational audiology. Thus, this prestigious award is given annually in recognition of an audiologist who has made notable contributions at the national level in the field of Educational and/or Pediatric Audiology.
The Nominations and Awards Committee reviews submissions for the award and makes recommendations to the EAA Executive Committee for approval. The award is presented at the EAA Summer Conference or at an EAA sponsored event in the off years that have no summer conference.
Completed applications are due by May 1.
Criteria for the Frederick S. Berg Award:
- Nominee has made significant contributions at the national level through research, service, and/or advocacy in educational and/or pediatric audiology.
- Nominee cannot be a current member of the Educational Audiology Association Board of Directors.
Nominations for the Frederick S. Berg Award should include:
- A letter of nomination from a sponsor stating the nominee’s specific qualifications for the award.
- Two additional letters of support from co-sponsors for the nominee.
- The nominee’s vitae.
Frederick S. Berg Award Previous Recipients:
- Ryan McCreery (2023)
- Tina Childress (2022)
- Carrie Spangler (2021)
- Donna Fisher-Smiley (2019)
- Mary Pat Moeller (2017)
- Christine Yoshinaga-Itano (2016)
- Linda Thibodeau (2015)
- Susan Prendergast (2013)
- Joseph Smaldino (2012)
- Jack Katz (2011)
- Gail Gegg Rosenberg (2010 – awarded posthumously)
- Michael Nixon (2007 – awarded posthumously)
- Carl Crandell (2006 – awarded posthumously)
- Laurie Allen (2005)
- Evelyn Cherow (2004)
- Karen Anderson (2003)
- Kris English (2002)
- Cheryl DeConde Johnson (2001)
- Fred Bess (2000)
- Marion Downs (1999)
- Mark Ross (1998)
- Noel Matkin (1997)
- James Blair (1995)
- Carol Flexer (1992)
- Frederick S. Berg (1991)