Dr. Harvey Dillon, recipient of the biennial Callier Prize in Communication Disorders

Dr. Harvey Dillon is research director at Sydney's National Acoustic Laboratories.

Dr. Harvey Dillon, an Australian whose research has contributed greatly to improving the effectiveness of hearing aids, will receive the biennial Callier Prize in Communication Disorders at an April 27 conference.

Presented by UT Dallas’ Callier Center for Communication Disorders, the prize recognizes individuals who foster scientific advances and significant developments in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders. The honor rotates between the fields of audiology and speech and language pathology, and it includes a $10,000 award.

“I feel very, very honored to be chosen to receive the Callier Prize,” Dillon said. “I've always felt lucky to have a job where I enjoy arriving at work each day. Having an international recognition like this just makes me feel luckier.”

Dillon also gave credit to his colleagues.

“I'm always aware of how many people contribute to the research in which I participate,” he said. “Usually several other people have much bigger roles than I do, so I can only regard this as a shared prize.”

Dillon is research director at Sydney’s National Acoustic Laboratories. He has researched many aspects of hearing aids and has helped design devices. His current research focuses on signal processing for hearing aids, procedures for fitting hearing aids, auditory processing disorders and methods for evaluating the success of hearing rehabilitation.

After receiving an undergraduate degree in electronic engineering, Dillon earned a PhD in psychoacoustics. The methods for adjusting hearing aids devised by Dillon and his colleagues at the National Acoustic Laboratories are now the most commonly used clinical procedures for fitting hearing aids.

“Dr. Dillon’s research has played a major role in improving the lives of so many people with hearing disorders. I am especially pleased that this important award is going to a person who continues to make major advances in hearing treatments and technology.”

Dr. Thomas Campbell,
Callier Center Executive Director

The Callier Center will host leading researchers from around the world at the April 27 conference, “Listening in the Soundscapes of the Real World.” Dillon will receive the prize and offer the keynote address.

The free, all-day conference  will also feature presentations from three other esteemed audiology researchers: Dr. Judy Dubno, Medical University of South Carolina; Dr. Quentin Summerfield, University of York; and Dr. James Jerger of UT Dallas.

The committee that selected Dillon consisted of faculty members in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS). The committee reached out to colleagues around the world to seek nominations for the prize. The committee then evaluated the long list of names and selected Dillon as this year’s winner based on his extensive research accomplishments.

Dr. Susan Jerger, Ashbel Smith professor in BBS, led the committee. She acknowledged the outstanding pool of nominees and noted that “an exciting contemporary research scene exists in the auditory research sciences.” Presentations at the meeting will highlight the clinical relevance of this research in terms of helping individuals with hearing loss.

Dr. Thomas Campbell, holder of the Ludwig A. Michael, MD, Callier Center Executive Directorship and the Sara T. Martineau Endowed Professorship, said he looks forward to welcoming Dillon to UT Dallas and discussing the work under way at the Callier Center.

“Dr. Dillon’s research has played a major role in improving the lives of so many people with hearing disorders,” Campbell said. “I am especially pleased that this important award is going to a person who continues to make major advances in hearing treatments and technology.”

The conference will take place at Callier Dallas. Seating is limited. Please register at: https://alumni.utdallas.edu/callierprize.