Industry News
Susan Scollie promoted to Distinguished Professor at Western University
Bernafon celebrates 80 years of hearing care
This year, Bernafon is celebrating their 80th anniversary with a tribute to sound experiences, because sound is not only captivating, it’s essential to the memories and moments that shape our lives.
For eight decades, Bernafon has joined forces with hearing care professionals to help people reconnect with the sounds of their lives.
The belief that great hearing care starts with the hearing care professional lies at the heart of Bernafon, with everything they do designed to empower the work of hearing care professionals, focusing on supporting and simplifying their work so they can provide the best solutions and the best experiences for each client.
People love Bernafon’s clear and natural sound
Bernafon’s latest hearing aid is Bernafon Encanta, which has been shown to deliver exceptional speech clarity in the presence of noise. This comes from AI-driven smart noise reduction technology that is active all the time, in all technology levels. It increases speech clarity and listening comfort by attenuating disruptive background noise, such as the many sounds on a busy city street or in a noisy café.
Encanta hearing aids have quickly garnered an enthusiastic user base since their launch, leading to glowing user reviews in recent surveys. Users reported a very high level of product satisfaction across many aspects of their experience with Encanta, with overall satisfaction at 95% and sound quality rated at 93%.
From eight decades of partnership with hearing care professionals to the success of Encanta today, Bernafon continues to focus on what matters most: delivering clear, natural sound experiences that help people feel more connected every day.
70 years of innovation. One unwavering ambition.
Since its inception, Widex has been driven by a single goal: to create a sound experience so natural that wearers forget about their hearing loss. Seven decades later, that promise is stronger than ever.
This milestone year brought two landmark achievements: Widex Allure™ featuring our new W1 chip with Precision Hearing Technology to deliver a new level of speech clarity without compromising environmental awareness, and Widex Compass™ Cloud, making Widex the first manufacturer to bring fitting software to the cloud. Together, data-driven insights and advanced fitting tools are brought into a seamless workflow to help hearing care professionals deliver personalized care with ease.
The best hearing care has always been worth pursuing. Here's to 70 years of proof — and everything still to come.
Learn more about Widex Allure:
https://www.widexpro.com/en-ca/products/allure/
Discover Widex Compass Cloud 2.0:
https://www.widexpro.com/en-ca/business-support/compass-cloud/
Press Release — April 23, 2026 at 12:40 PM EDT
Otarmeni™ (lunsotogene parvec-cwha) Approved by FDA as First and Only Gene Therapy for Genetic Hearing Loss; Regeneron to Provide Otarmeni for Free in the U.S.
Approval in severe-to-profound and profound OTOF-related hearing loss is based on pivotal results of the CHORD trial demonstrating 80% of participants achieved or surpassed a hearing level meeting the primary endpoint, and with longer follow-up, 42% achieved normal hearing that included whispers
First FDA-approved example of a gene therapy to restore a neurosensory function to normal levels
Otarmeni is Regeneron’s first approved genetic medicine, showcasing its ability to advance new therapeutic approaches to address conditions with great unmet medical need
MAY 29, 2026 CAMPUS LIFE
Announcing MacEwan University’s 2026 Teaching Award recipients
MacEwan University’s Teaching Awards celebrate faculty members who provide exceptional learning environments for their students. This year, three faculty members will receive the Distinguished Teaching Award, one will receive the Teaching Leadership Award, two will receive the Early Career Teaching
Excellence Award and three instructors will be recognized with the Sessional Teaching Excellence Award.
“Each of this year’s recipients has demonstrated the adaptability and innovation we value in our colleagues,” says Dr. Craig Monk, provost and vice-president, Academic. “From creative grading approaches and assignments to imaginative uses of technology, these recipients have shown a strong commitment to exceptional undergraduate teaching, preparing MacEwan graduates who are versatile and future-ready.”
Meet the recipients
Sessional Teaching Excellence Awards
Dr. Michael J. Vekasi
Department of Health and Human Services, Faculty of Health and Community Studies
Dr. Michael J. Vekasi, a doctor of audiology, has been with MacEwan University since 2017. Dr. Vekasi is a sessional instructor in the Department of Health and Human Services, teaching hearing testing, hearing disorders, bioacoustics of human hearing among other courses.
His teaching philosophy focuses on creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment that allows students to thrive and grow throughout their academic journey. After his first year at MacEwan, Dr. Vekasi significantly revised course assessments to better evaluate student competence by placing less emphasis on written papers and more weight on hands- on and practical assignments. He incorporates student feedback and adapts courses to ensure students develop the required clinical skills. Simulation software was introduced into one of Dr. Vekasi’s courses, allowing lab activities to continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when health restrictions prevented in-person testing. Continued use of simulation now provides students with additional opportunities to build their skills.
Dr. Vekasi is committed to professional development, regularly taking courses and attending conferences to expand his pedagogical knowledge.