2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL

HONOREES OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EHDI CONFERENCE

View 25th Anniversary Honorees

THE ANTONIA BRANCIA MAXON AWARD FOR EHDI EXCELLENCE

The 2026 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence will be presented at the 2026 National EHDI Conference in Jacksonville, FL. This award honors the life and work of Dr. Antonia Brancia Maxon to promote effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for all newborns, infants, and young children. Dr. Maxon was a pioneer in EHDI programs, beginning with her leadership in the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Project in the late 1980's. She was one of the first to recognize the feasibility and value of universal newborn hearing screening and was a tireless advocate for connecting screening programs with timely and appropriate diagnosis and early intervention.

Her extensive contributions to creating excellent EHDI programs were abruptly ended by a tragic automobile accident in May of 2007. In memory of her contributions, an Award for EHDI Excellence is presented each year at the National EHDI Conference to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to achieving excellence in EHDI programs nationally or in a particular state or region.

Presentation of the 2026 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence will be made on Monday, March 16, 2026 at the National EHDI Conference in Jacksonvill, FL. More about the National EHDI Conference, including past nominees and recipients can be found below.

2026 Recipient of the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence
Karen Hopkins

2026 Nominees for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence

Previous Awards



EHDI Family Leadership Award


2017 was the inaugural year for the EHDI Family Leadership Award. During the last several decades it has become increasingly clear that EHDI only exists to improve the well-being of babies and families. Symbiotically, engaged families are central to the success of EHDI programs and more specifically to the success of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

This award honors a parent or family member of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing for providing exemplary leadership in their state EHDI system and whose leadership has led to improved outcomes. The recipient was selected by NCHAM's Family Advisory Committee.

2026 Recipient of the Family Leadership Award for EHDI Excellence
Stacy Luther

2026 Nominees

  • Anne Barlow
  • Marti Bleidt
  • Anne Gaspich
  • Heidi Klomhaus
  • Stacy Luther

Previous Awards

2026 Website of the Year

2026 Recipient of the EHDI Website Award
Mississippi

2026 Recipient of the Champion of Previous Winners of the EHDI Website Award
North Carolina

2026 EHDI Conference Poster Winners

Overall Poster Winners:
First Place - Measuring Audiologists' Experience, Knowledge and Self-Confidence in Audiological Assessment of DeafBlind Patients: Utility of Acute Training
By: Talia Mango, Emily Jones, Amanda Griffin

Second Place - Assessing Spoken Language in Infants and Toddlers who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing using the LENA Developmental Snapshot
By: Monika-Maria Oster, Kimberly Peters

Student Poster Winners:
First Place - Strengthening Pediatric Audiology Graduate Training Programs: Peer Teaching in Preschool Community Hearing Screenings
By: Christine Hine, Katie Vellody, Melissa Ruscetta

Second Place - Inclusive Hearing Care: Language Accessibility in Audiological Evaluations
By: Hayley Krush, Amelia Saccomandi, Kia Simms, Mia Van Deurzen, Hannah McLean, Nancy Quick, Hannah Siburt

People's Choice Winner
Diagnostic Delays in Children with Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Hearing Loss (HL): Exploring Contributing Factors that Affect Age of Diagnosis
By: Casey Martin, Chrisanda Sanchez

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