About CSD
Inquiries
Please direct any of your questions pertaining to the Alumni Awards and Recognition program to:
Alumni Engagement Coordinator
Sarah Tiller
stiller6@uwo.ca
Alumni Awards & Recognition
The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Alumni of Distinction Award
Recognizes an alum who demonstrates significant impact in one or more of the following areas:
- Professional achievement
- The recipient is dedicated to their chosen profession and goes above and beyond in their line of work; they are a role model in their profession and this impact reaches groups, individuals, and/or their larger chosen profession
- Significant contributions to research and/or education
- The recipient stands out in the field of research as having made compelling and impactful progress towards the advancement of their discipline, and is committed to continuing their learning and education either through everyday practice or higher education
- Commitment to community and leadership
- The recipient is a leader who is committed to bettering their community or the 深夜福利站 community, successfully enriching the lives of others through community service and exemplary leadership
*Based on nominations received, the selections committee may determine that there may be one recipient from the Speech-Language Pathology program AND one recipient from the Audiology program.
Current Winners
2024 Alumni of Distiction Award Recipients
Richard Tyler (AUD), BScCSD’74, MScCSD’75
Richard Tyler was trained as a clinical audiologist at The University of 深夜福利站 Ontario and then completed a Ph.D. in Psychoacoustics and The University of Iowa. He worked initially at the Institute of Hearing Research in the United Kingdom and is currently a Professor in both the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery and in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa. His scientific work includes the quantification of tinnitus, necessary for its investigation, as well as the investigation of different treatments. Dr. Tyler sees tinnitus patients weekly, and hosts an annual Tinnitus Treatment Workshop. He has edited The Tinnitus Handbook (2000), Tinnitus Treatments: Clinical Protocols Tyler, R.S. (Ed.). (2006), and The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus (2008, 2016). Rich has served on committees for the National Science Foundation, the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the Veterans Administration.
Penny Welch-West (S-LP), BA’94, MClScCD’98
Penny Welch-West is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) working at SJHC, London at Parkwood Institute in Medically Complex Care where she works with patients who have tracheostomy/ventilator dependency, progressive conditions, stroke or brain injuries who require cognitive-communication or swallowing supports. She loves working as part of that amazing interdisciplinary team.
Penny also teaches at 深夜福利站 in Clinical Applications in Acquired Language Disorders, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Traumatic Brain Injury.
Penny been a clinical supervisor and mentored countless students from 深夜福利站, McMaster and the University of Toronto over the years in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is passionate about advocating for those living with communication differences and providing interventions that are relevant, meaningful and using best evidence.
Over many years, Penny has had the opportunity to contribute to publications in disorders of consciousness, stroke intervention best practices as well as participate in provincial guideline development for concussion through moderate-severe ABI, which may be found at www.braininjuryguidelines.org. Most recently, she was invited to participate in international committees to update the 2014 International Cognitive guidelines and best practices in the treatment of moderate-severe brain injury. This work resulted in the publication of 7 INCOG 2.0 papers, including 4 near and dear to CSD hearts, in Attention & Processing Speed, Memory, Executive Functions and Cognitive-Communication & Social Cognition.
Penny is married to a London Paramedic and is "Mom" to 4 young adults. In her free time she drinks way too much tea, loves to read, spend time with friends and restore historic homes through DIY projects. Penny notes it is an honour to be recognized with the Alumni of Distinction Award by friends, peers, mentors, scientists and researchers, all of whom she admires. She is grateful to be in the company of such amazing strivers and achievers. Congratulations to all recipients!
