Washington, D.C. March 17, 2008 The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) today announced the recipients of its 2008 Cochlear Implant Fellowship Awards. Each year, cochlear implant centers from across the country vie for consideration. This year, 12 centers will receive $15,000 to train professionals in the field of cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation. The fellowships, made possible by grants from Advanced Bionics Corporation and Cochlear Americas, will fund mentoring and educational development for professionals in the fields of clinical and research audiology, speech-language pathology, auditory (re)habilitation and the education of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

AG Bell recognizes the following institutions as recipients of the 2008 Cochlear Implant Fellowship Awards:

• Arkansas Childrens Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas
  
• Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  
• Indiana University Cochlear Implant Program in Indianapolis, Indiana
  
• The Listening Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland
  
• Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
  
• Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon
  
• Rocky Mountain Cochlear Implant Center in Englewood, Colorado
  
• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa
  
• University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan
  
• University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi
  
• University of North Carolina Carolina Childrens Communicative Disorders Program in Durham, North Carolina
  
• University of Texas Dallas, Cochlear Implant Program, Callier Advanced Hearing Research
• Center in Dallas, Texas

Fellowships are awarded to cochlear implant centers in the United States to provide professionals up to 12 months of mentored work experience with a seasoned cochlear implant professional. Fellows will work in the areas of candidate evaluation, device fitting, auditory rehabilitation, counseling and research.

AG Bell helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education, research and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to learn to listen and talk. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking!