UH Manoa researcher elected Vice President of the Acoustical Society of America

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Jim Manke, (808) 956-6099
UH Manoa Chancellor's Office
Posted: Oct 30, 2006

Whitlow W. L. Au, chief scientist of the UH Manoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology‘s Marine Mammal Research Program, has been elected the next vice president of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).

"The Acoustical Society of America is the world‘s leading acoustics society and has many distinguished members and a history of continual contribution to science and to our general society," Au said. "To be elected as an officer of such a prestigious organization is indeed a great honor and also a very humbling experience to be entrusted with the responsibility of continuing the successful functioning of such an organization."

Au works in the area of marine biological and ecological acoustics. His research interests include dolphin "echolocation," the use of ultrasound to navigate and locate objects in the environment. He also studies marine mammal foraging behavior, prey detection and discrimination, and humpback whale acoustics.

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, 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). He has also been a member of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council since 2004.

Au‘s term as vice president began in June and extends until June 2007.

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, visit: http://asa.aip.org