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Honors Awards

Honors of the Association 

The Honors of the Association award recognizes professional or scientific achievement in the field of speech, language, and hearing. The award may be presented to individuals upon recommendation by the Committee and approval of the GSHA Executive Council. 

A nominee for Honors of the Association must have been an active participant in the profession and GSHA for no less than five years. The nominee, except in unusual cases, must show outstanding contribution to the profession in at least three of the following areas:

  1. Clinical service in the area of communication disorders.
  2. Academic teaching in communication science and disorders.
  3. Research and publications contributing to the knowledge needed by the profession.
  4. Administrative services in the area of communication science and disorders.
  5. Service to GSHA including service to committees, task forces, Executive Council, or in other significant capacities.
  6. Services similar to those mentioned in #5 for related speech, language, hearing associations, or local, regional, or national professional organizations.

Care should be taken that each category on the nomination sheets is filled out completely. Only those activities described as outstanding should be described under separate categories on the nomination form. The final judgment of outstanding service in three areas is made by the recommendation of the Honors and Award board to the GSHA Executive Council. The nominee receiving a 2/3 majority is selected to received Honors of the Association.

These procedures should be followed for nomination:

  1. Sponsor: Nomination of a member for consideration of Honors should be initiated by any GSHA member.
  2. Co-Sponsor: The nomination shall be seconded by two members designated as co-sponsors.
  3. No individual may participate as a sponsor or co-sponsor for more than one nominee in any calendar year.
  4. Efforts should be made to secure co-sponsors who know the individual by his/her professional merits.

Nominations requirements include:

  1. One of the co-sponsors for the nominee may not have related to the nominee as a student, co-worker, employer, or teacher during the past 12 months of the nomination submission.
  2. One co-sponsor may not have, within the past 10 years, related to the nominee as fellow student, co-worker, student, or teacher.

The nominee may be made aware of his/her nomination before it is submitted and may be asked to provide background information to develop a complete nomination. After this has been done, the nomination, including recommendations, shall remain confidential between the sponsor(s), the Committee, and the Executive Council. Questions for preparing the nomination should be secured form the Nominations Chair or from the GSHA Office.

Click Here to Complete the Honors of Association Nomination Form 

Dr. Robert A. Hull Leadership Award

This award recognizes leadership within the field of communication sciences and disorders. A nominee must have been an active member of GSHA for no less than five years. The nominee must show outstanding leadership to his/her profession in both of the following areas:

  1. Service to GSHA, including service on Executive Council, or in other significant capacities (ex. lobbying efforts).
  2. Service to related regional or national professional organizations.

 

Professional Achievement Award (formerly Clinical Achievement and Clinician of the Year)

This award recognizes outstanding professional achievement by a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Individuals nominated must have three or more years of experience in his/her profession and have demonstrated outstanding contribution in at least one of the following:

  1. Assessment and management of speech, language, and/or hearing disorders
  2. Professional contributions in the areas of speech, language, and/or hearing disorders
  3. Service to local, state, or national professional organizations
  4. Innovative program design or therapeutic methods for individuals with speech, language, and/or hearing disorders 

Jack Bess Memorial Award

This award is established in memory of Jack Bess for his many years of support of and contributions to the speech-language pathology and audiology professions. This award recognizes outstanding contribution to the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association by a member who has been a member of GSHA for five (5) years or less. A nominee must have made a significant contribution to GSHA by demonstrating enthusiasm for the organization and a willingness to accept responsibility and serve the organization in an effective manner. 

Volunteer Appreciation Award

This award gives visible recognition to members of the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association (GSHA) who, as volunteers, exhibit exceptional involvement. Exceptional involvement may be defined as including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Active participation in group discussions
  2. Attendance at a majority of group meetings
  3. Willingness to accept responsibility for specific aspects of a group’s charge(s)
  4. Timely submission of reports
  5. A genuine eagerness to support the goals and mission of the GSHA while serving as a volunteer
  6. Devotion of unusual amounts of time as a volunteer

GSHA Student Success Undergraduate Scholarship

This award recognizes a student who has displayed exceptional scholastic achievement, leadership skills, and professional involvement in research or service at the local or national level. Individuals must be a part-time or full-time student enrolled in a Georgia college or university in a graduate program and member of GSHA.

A letter of application from the student should include:

  1. A personal statement relating to the reasons the student is pursuing a degree in communication sciences and disorders.
  2. Future goals focusing on what the student hopes to contribute to his/her profession.
  3. Statement regarding how this award will help the student reach these goals.
  4. Any additional information the student thinks is pertinent, such as financial need.
  5. Two letters of recommendation from faculty members regarding the student’s scholastic achievement, leadership skills, and related professional involvement in research or service at the local or national levels.

GSHA Student Success Graduate Scholarship

This award recognizes a student who has displayed exceptional scholastic achievement, leadership skills, and professional involvement in research or service at the local or national level. Individuals must be a part-time or full-time student enrolled in a Georgia college or university in a graduate program and member of GSHA.

A letter of application from the student should include:

  1. A personal statement relating to the reasons the student is pursuing a degree in communication sciences and disorders.
  2. Future goals focusing on what the student hopes to contribute to his/her profession.
  3. Statement regarding how this award will help the student reach these goals.
  4. Any additional information the student thinks is pertinent, such as financial need.
  5. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member regarding the student’s scholastic achievement, leadership skills, and related professional involvement in research or service at the local or national levels.
  6. One letter of recommendation from a clinical supervisor (on-campus or off-campus) regarding the student’s clinical potential, leadership skills, and related professional involvement.

 Legislator Appreciation Award

This award gives visible recognition to legislators who exhibit exceptional involvement as an advocate for individuals with speech, language, or hearing impairments. Exceptional involvement may be defined as including, but not limited to the following:

  1. Sponsorship of legislation directly related to our professions.
  2. Sponsorship of legislation indirectly related to our professions, e.g., legislation that would improve the quality of healthcare for all Georgians as a whole or a specific populations (allied health issues).
  3. Opposition of legislation that would be detrimental to the goals and objectives of our professions.
  4. Education of other legislators concerning the goals and objectives of our professions. 

 

State Clinical Achievement Award: ASHA Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Recent Achievement

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) invites State Speech-Language-Hearing Associations to participate in the Clinical Achievement Awards program. Each state association is asked to select one individual from within the state to receive an award for demonstrated contributions to the advancement of knowledge in clinical practices in speech-language pathology and audiology within the last 6 years. That individual named by the state association will receive a certificate from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation and will be named the year’s State Clinical Achievement Award Winner.

From among all the annual State Clinical Achievement Award Winners, one individual will be chosen as the recipient of the year’s Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Recent Clinical Achievement. That person will receive a recognition plaque and a grant of $1,500 to further the work upon which the award is based. The recipient of the DiCarlo Award will be announced and recognized at the annual ASHA Convention.

Nominees are not limited to any one type of clinical achievement or activity and past nominees are eligible. However, the achievement must be specific, well defined, and clearly within the time limit of the last six years. Eligible activities or accomplishments for which an individual might receive the DiCarlo Award include, but are not restricted to, the following examples.

  • A single achievement with a client or group of clients
  • A specific clinical service or training program
  • A specific achievement in a state or local organization or government agency activity
  • A specific accomplishment in clinical teaching, research, or administration

Procedures for Nomination:State associations are asked to establish the mechanisms by which their nominees are determined, but are advised to recognize recent achievement based on criteria for selection of the DiCarlo Award recipient. Forms and procedures for submitting a state nomination to ASHFoundation are located on the ASHA website at http://www.ashfoundation.org under Grants and Awards. 

Note: The DiCarlo Award is not a general lifetime award, nor is it for general accomplishment over a six-year period. Nominations must be framed on a single, specific, well-defined achievement in order to meet award eligibility.