UH Manoa Marine Biologist named President-Elect of the Acoustical Society of America

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Tara Hicks Johnson, (808) 956-3151
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
Posted: Nov 5, 2008


Melville, NY. — Whitlow W. L. Au, Chief Scientist in the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, has been elected President-Elect of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) which is headquartered in Melville, NY. He began his one-year term in July 2008, after which he will succeed the current President.

"The Acoustical Society of America is a splendid professional organization. Nearly all the world‘s top acousticians are members. We count physiologists, psychologists, physicists, engineers, biologists, health care specialists, sound engineers, and others among our members," Au said. "It is an honor and a pleasure to belong to this society and an even a greater and humbling honor to be elected to serve as its president."

Dr. Au studies the biosonar systems of dolphins, specifically how dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals use sonar to communicate and the signals they use in echolocation foraging. Au received his bachelor‘s degree from the University of Hawaii, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Washington State University.

He has served on the Executive Council of the ASA (2001-2004), as chair of ASA's Animal Bioacoustics Technical Committee (1997-2000), and as Associate Editor for Animal Bioacoustics for the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America since 1998.

A fellow of the ASA and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Dr. Au has been awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award (3rd highest national award for Navy civilian employee), for contributions in dolphin bioacoustics and is also the recipient of the ASA's Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics (1998).

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America—the world‘s leading journal on acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The Society also holds two major scientific meetings per year. For more information about the Society visit our website, http://asa.aip.org

Press Release written by Elaine Moran, Acoustical Society of America, 516-576-2360, elaine@aip.org.

For Interviews contact:

Whitlow Au, Chief Scientist, Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, (808) 247-5026, wau@hawaii.edu

SOEST Media Contact: Tara Hicks Johnson, (808) 956-3151, hickst@hawaii.edu.