Larry Royster's influence on my life and on noise and hearing conservation, as told by one of his students

Abstract

I first met Larry Royster as a master's degree student in search of a thesis project and research funding, having heard that he was looking for a student to work on a potential grant concerning occupational hearing loss. The day I entered his office at NC State was one of the most impactful of my life, dramatically influencing the trajectory of my university work and professional career. Working with Larry gave me the opportunity to manage and conduct a research project in the textile industry, gain insights into the hearings at the Department of Labor that were to shape the Hearing Conservation Amendment, and to see first-hand how Larry influenced and guided the North Carolina DOL approach to noise and hearing conservation. He was there when I had my first post‑graduate school job offer from E-A-R Division of Cabot Corporation, later Aearo Technologies and 3M, and then became an important friend and collaborator for much of my subsequent research. He chaired ANSI and NHCA working groups and received the ASA Silver Medal and other important society awards. Larry was a friend, mentor, and dedicated scientist whose impact on noise and hearing conservation will be the topic of my talk.