Dr. David Myers of the Hope College psychology faculty has received national recognition from the American Academy of Audiology for his efforts to transform the way that America provides listening assistance to people with hearing loss.

Myers received the academy's President's Award for 2011 on Saturday, April 9, for launching the effort to "loop America," spearheading new hearing-loop technology which broadcasts public-address systems, television and telephone sounds directly to hearing aids, doubling their functionality.

The award was presented during the association's national AudiologyNOW! Annual convention, held in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday-Saturday, April 6-9.  Myers also co-presented a session on the benefits of the technology, which enables hearing instruments to serve as customized, wireless loudspeakers.  The technology is now in hundreds of West Michigan locations, including most worship places, the Grand RapidsAirport and home TV rooms.

Myers has been an advocate for the hearing loop technology for more than a decade.  He has created the website www.hearingloop.org to share information about the technology, and has also written some 30 articles on the topic that have appeared in publications ranging from "Audiology Today," to the "Saturday Evening Post," to "Technologies for Worship."  His numerous publications also include the 2000 book "A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss," which tells of his journey of hearing loss, along with information about hearing technology and the psychology of hearing.

In June, he will be a featured speaker during the second International Hearing Loop Conference, being held in Washington, D.C.  The conference is an initiative of the Hearing Loss Association of America, which is collaborating with the American Academy of Audiology on a "Get in the Hearing Loop" educational campaign to educate consumers and hearing professionals about the benefits of telecoils and hearing loops, thereby improving accessibility for the 36 million Americans with hearing loss.

Previously in recognition of his efforts, he received an award from the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America on Monday, June 15, 2009, during the group's Fifth Anniversary Celebration.

The April 9 recognition by the American Academy of Audiology is the third major award that Myers has received during the current school year.  In October, he was honored for his career contributions by the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Foundation.  In January, he received the 2011 "Award for Distinguished Service on Behalf of Social-Personality Psychology" presented by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology during the organization's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Myers, who has been at Hope since 1967, is a social psychologist and communicator of psychological science to college students and the general public.  A professor of psychology, he held an endowed professorship at the college, as the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology, from 1982 to 2007.

His scientific writings, supported by National Science Foundation grants and fellowships and recognized by the Gordon Allport Prize, have appeared in three dozen academic periodicals, including "Science," the "American Scientist," the "American Psychologist" and "Psychological Science."  He has digested psychological research for the public through articles in four dozen magazines, from "Scientific American" to "Christian Century."  His 17 books include best-selling psychology texts----some in their eighth, ninth or 10th edition--and general-audience books on happiness, intuition, spirituality and his experience with hearing loss.

Myers completed his bachelor's degree at Whitworth College, and his master's and doctorate at the University of Iowa.  He holds honorary degrees from Northwestern College, Whitworth College and Central College.

The American Academy of Audiology is the world's largest professional organization of, by and for audiologists.  The active membership of more than 10,000 is dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research and increased public awareness of hearing and balance disorders.