Remembering One of Our Very Best
Dr. Judith S. Gravel
December 1948 – December 2008
By Richard Seewald and Jackson Roush
Dr. Judith S. Gravel passed away on December 31, 2008, following a courageous two and one-half year battle with cancer. The field of pediatric audiology will forever be strengthened by her wisdom, passion, and personal integrity. Those who knew her loved and respected her, and were inspired by her.
Judy was involved in the field of audiology for nearly 40 years. Her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders in 1970 was followed by a master’s in Audiology in 1971, both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She completed her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt in 1985 and went on to a distinguished academic career that has included faculty appointments at Columbia University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the City University of New York, and the University of Pennsylvania. At the time of her passing, Judy was the director of the Center for Childhood Communication at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where she also held the William P. Potsic Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology and Childhood Communication.
This past year has been one of recognition for Judy’s many contributions to our field. Early in 2008, Judy received the inaugural Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Excellence at the National EHDI Conference and in April, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Academy of Audiology and the 2008 Leadership Award at the 98th Annual Meeting of the League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City.
In November, Judy was awarded the Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She was given recognition for a lifetime of innovative clinical practice, insightful and rigorous research, creative administration, effective legislative activity, outstanding teaching and other distinguished professional contributions. Most recently, in early December, Judy was honored with the Sylvan Stool Award from The Society of Ear Nose and Throat Advances in Children (SENTAC) for her innovative research in the area of otitis media in children.
Judy was beautifully unique. She was a scholar, a scientist, a teacher, and a master clinician whose career exemplified the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct. Above all she was a warm and caring person with a remarkable way of bringing out the best in everyone whose life she touched.
To continue the work to which Judy devoted so much of her time and talent, Vanderbilt University is establishing the
Judy Gravel Pediatric Audiology Fund at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center. In lieu of flowers, Judy’s family requests that donations be made to:
Judy Gravel Pediatric Audiology Fund
c/o The Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center
1215 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37240