Menu
Log in

Alaska Speech Language Hearing Association

All About the New 2024 AKSHA Awards! Nominations are Needed!

Each year at our AKSHA Conference, AKSHA loves to recognize outstanding people in our Association. We do this through your nominations. This is a great opportunity to celebrate success and to recognize the achievements of AKSHA members around the state. Please take a moment to peruse the awards mentioned below. Nomination procedures are outlined below. Thanks for your help and participation! This year, we will cycle in some new awards. We’re talking about either cycling different awards every other year or retiring some of the old awards. Nominations due Sept. 15.

           AKSHA Awards

New! AKSHA Aurora Borealis: Outstanding School Clinician

The Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights, is the spectacular light display seen around the North Pole. This award recognizes an outstanding speech-language pathologist, speech-language pathology assistant, audiologist, or educator of the deaf/HOH who consistently demonstrates outstanding clinical, advocacy, or leadership skills in the public school system. This award may recognize general clinical work or a specific, recent clinical achievement.

New! AKSHA Alpenglow: Outstanding Clinician in Clinics, Hospitals, or Private Practice

The Alpenglow is that stunning orange-purple glow that paints snowy mountaintops at sunrise and sunset, which seems especially profound and inspiring on the mountains of Alaska. This award recognizes an outstanding speech-language pathologist, speech-language pathology assistant, audiologist, or educator of the deaf/HOH in a clinic, hospital, or private practice who consistently demonstrates outstanding clinical, advocacy, and/or leadership skills. This award may recognize general clinical work or a specific, recent clinical achievement.

New! AKSHA Chinook: Professional Advocate for Speech, Language, and Hearing in Alaska

The Chinook Salmon, otherwise known as the King Salmon, is the largest and most valuable species of salmon in Alaska. This award honors our personal “chinook” who has contributed to the advancement of the visibility, viability, or vitality of our professions. Potential nominees include legislators, philanthropists, or any public figure who has shown outstanding advocacy for our professions.

Denali Award: Recent Clinical Achievement by an Audiologist and/or SLP

Denali rises head-and-shoulders above the rest as North America’s highest mountain. The Denali Award is for demonstrated contributions to the advancement of knowledge in clinical practice in audiology or speech-language pathology within the last six years. That individual will be named for the 2016 State Clinical Achievement Award Winner for ASHA. For example, projects may include a new treatment technique, innovative urban service delivery program, new clinical research, a training video addressing an unmet need, a multicultural parent training program, a unique hospital program, or a successful state legislative initiative.

Previous award winners: Ellen Brigham and Mary Dooher.

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

Friend of the Association

This award recognizes a non-SLP/Aud who helps advocate for speech, language, and hearing issues.

Previous winners include: Vonne Mason, Clayton Holland, Jennifer Schroeder, Renee Estelle, Don Enoch, Kelli Creglow, and Kris Kempf. 

Procedure for nomination of AKSHA awards

Any member of AKSHA may submit a nomination for AKSHA awards. All nominees for AKSHA awards must be members of AKSHA. Nominations should not be made known to the nominee prior to election

All submissions will be reviewed and determined by a majority vote of the executive board. The nominations for AKSHA recognition may also be submitted next year for ASHA awards.

Download and submit completed award nomination forms today! Send directly to AKSHA Awards subcommittee, P.O. Box 111993, Anchorage, AK 99511 or email to aksha907@gmail.com by September 15th, 2024! Electronic submission is encouraged. 

Link: 2024 AKSHA Award Nomination Form.docx


See SCHOLARSHIP tab at top left of page for Dr. Helen Dittman Beirne Scholarship information. 

                              ASHA Awards

Honors of the Association
  • The Honors of the Association recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of speech, language and hearing, and is the highest honor the Association can give.

ASHA Fellows
  • The ASHA Fellows recognizes professional or scientific achievement and is given to members who have made outstanding contributions to the professions. The award is one of the highest honors that ASHA can bestow and is retained for life.
  • Previously awarded Alaskan ASHA Fellows include: Suzanne Guinn, Patty Olmstead, Molly Thompson and Laura Young-Campbell

Frank R. Kleffner Clinical Career Award
  • This award is presented in recognition of exemplary contributions to clinical science and practice in communication science and disorders over a period of no less than twenty-years. The award is an object of art with a recognition plaque. Nominations are due to ASHA by April. Contact ASHA for selection criteria and nominations procedures.

Rolland Van Hattum Award for Contributions in the Schools
  • This award is presented in recognition of exemplary commitment and contribution to service delivery in the school setting. The award is a plaque and $1000 to the recipient and $500 to the school system. Nominations are due to ASHA by May. Contact ASHA for selection criteria and nomination procedures.

Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement
  • Only a state association can nominate an individual to represent that state. This award is for advancement of knowledge in clinical practice as evidenced by significant recent accomplishment within the past six years in speech-language pathology and/or audiology. This award is a plaque and $1500 to further their work. Nominations are due in April to ASHA.

ACE Awards
  • The ACE is a formal recognition of professionals who have demonstrated their commitment to lifelong learning by earning 7.0 CEUs (70 contact hours) within a 36-month period. For those individuals who have received more than one ACE, the number of awards is indicated in parentheses. 
© Alaska Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software