AAA Foundation Activities at AAA 2021 Virtual

By Ashley Hughes and Lori Zitelli

AAA 2021 Virtual, the annual conference of the American Academy of Audiology (“the Academy”), was the first virtual conference from the Academy. Between April 14–16, 2021, the Academy offered two and a half days of top-notch educational content, engaging networking activities, gamification, and expo hall connections. Although the event was not held in person this year, the excitement was still there.

During AAA 2021 Virtual, the AAA Foundation hosted Trivia Night, a Foundation FUN-raiser, as an opportunity for conference attendees to socialize and have some fun! Trivia Night, which was generously sponsored by Signia and held on April 14, was kicked off by the hosts of the Academy’s historic Trivia Bowl, Drs. Gus Mueller and Jerry Northern.

During this event, audiologists and students participated on teams comprised of their friends and colleagues. The teams answered general and audiology-themed questions to compete for the Trivia Night championship.

Congratulations to the first-place team, the Beyonce Know-Alls, which scored a total of 52 points. The team’s players were Ashley Hughes, AuD; David Jedlicka, AuD; Aaron Roman, AuD; Tricia Scaglione, AuD; and Lori Zitelli, AuD. And, hats off to the second-place team, Covid Your Ears, which came in with a total of 48 points. This team’s players were Beatriz Alvarado, AuD; Denise Byrd, AuD; Jackie Clark, PhD; Carol Cokely, PhD; and Meagan Lewis, AuD.

Also during AAA 2021 Virtual, the AAA Foundation once again partnered with the Oticon Foundation to host the 16th annual Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology, held on April 15. This year, invited speaker Ryan McCreery, PhD, presented “Enhancing the Auditory Experience for Children Who Wear Hearing Aids.” Dr. McCreery took us through a review of the last decade of scientific progress in the area of pediatric amplification, focusing on hearing aid candidacy, quantifying the auditory experience, and documenting developmental outcomes of children with hearing loss.

Finally, in the AAA 2021 Virtual exhibit hall, the AAA Foundation had representation in its own virtual booth. Conference attendees could chat with members of the Board of Trustees; learn more about the AAA Foundation’s many programs; scholarships, and grants; and see the long list of donors who support the organization. While this year’s conference was held virtually, it was nice to “see” many familiar faces in the booth.

Furthermore, during the conference, the AAA Foundation raised more than $4,300, bringing the total amount raised for the Find an Audiologist/Search Engine Optimization (SEO) initiative to more than $100,000. The AAA Foundation is striving to meet its goal of raising $125,000 by June 2021. Funds donated to this initiative will be used to improve SEO for the Academy’s Find an Audiologist web feature, which will help the public find the quality hearing health care they need. It will help those patients find YOU!

Donate today!

Every dollar counts.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Trivia Night, attended the Marion Downs Lecture, stopped by the AAA Foundation booth, and made a donation. The Foundation Board of Trustees looks forward to seeing you—in person—in St. Louis for AAA 2022!

Ashley Hughes, AuD, and Lori Zitelli, AuD are trustees with the American Academy of Audiology Foundation Board.