F. Joseph Kemker, Ph.D., professor of communicative disorders, College of Health Professions retires

During his 26-year tenure as UF’s chief audiologist, Kemker has played a significant role in the advancement of new therapies for people with hearing impairments.

In the mid-1980s, Kemker was a part of a three-member UF team that participated in a multicenter clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of cochlear implants, surgically implanted devices that convert sound to electrical impulses and send them to the brain, providing sound information for people with profound hearing loss. UF has since implanted more than 350 patients with cochlear implants.

Kemker also led the department’s efforts in a pilot study on hearing screening for at-risk infants and was an outspoken advocate for state legislation to fund the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program, which became Florida law in 2000.

In retirement, Kemker looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, sons and wife Vivian, whose support and encouragement has had a great influence on his career. He also expressed gratitude and appreciation for the contributions made by the UF audiologists he has worked with on a daily basis.