Collette Ramsey Baker Leadership Award
Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) celebrates the legacy of our founder, Collette Ramsey Baker, by funding groundbreaking research that will improve the lives of people afflicted by hearing and balance conditions. Each year, our Board of Directors presents the Collette Ramsey Baker Leadership Award to one individual for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to the life-changing scientific work of HHF.
2020
Paul Orlin
Paul Orlin has enthusiastically served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2000 and has been the board vice chair since 2015. Orlin was integral to the groundbreaking Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) consortium’s creation. Under his tenure, HHF also significantly strengthened and expanded the Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program including award size and project length. As a member of the audit, finance, and development Committees, Orlin has been critical to HHF’s establishment of financial stability and effective controls. HHF has been recognized by all charity watchdogs largely thanks to Orlin’s effective leadership and stewardship.
2019
Elizabeth Keithley, Ph.D.
Board of Directors Chair Emerita Elizabeth Keithley, Ph.D., began her involvement with HHF in the 1990s reviewing grant proposals for the Emerging Research Grants program. As a researcher, she has investigated mechanisms of inflammation and aging on the inner ear. Her interest in the auditory system stemmed from growing up with a mother who had a hearing loss and seeing firsthand the impact that hearing loss can have on a person’s life. Keithley is a professor emerita in the department of surgery and otolaryngology at the University of California at San Diego.