Cochlear Americas Announces 2008 Graeme Clark Scholarship Winners

Denver January 24, 2008 - Cochlear Americas, the world leader in advanced hearing solutions, today announced the winners of the 2008 Graeme Clark Scholarship awards. Five students have been selected to receive up to $38,000 of financial assistance toward an accredited university. The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation was launched in 2002 to recognize the remarkable achievements of individuals who also happen to have a Nucleus cochlear implant a small electronic device that can restore a sense of hearing to someone who is deaf.

This years scholarship winners were selected from an inspirational pool of applicants who have benefited through use of their cochlear implants, said Chris Smith, President, Cochlear Americas. We believe that education empowers people to be more independent and to more fully participate in the economic and social benefits of our society and are happy to be able to provide assistance to such intelligent and successful young adults as they move into the next chapter of their lives.

The five scholarship winners include:

• Shoshana Cohn (West Hartford, CT), a freshman at Bowdoin College. Cohn was diagnosed with hearing loss at 8 months and received a Nucleus cochlear implant in her right ear at age 7 and in her left ear at age 15.
  
  
• Francisco Raymond Lara (Phoenix, AZ), a sophomore at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Lara has suffered from hearing loss since age 3 and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 14.
  
  
• Michael Noble (Dallas, TX), a freshman at Southern Methodist University. Noble was born deaf and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 2.
  
  
• Jentry Taylor (Oklahoma City, OK), a freshman at William Jewell College. Taylor was born with profound hearing loss and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 15.
  
  
• Matthew Wetmore (Macomb, IL), a freshman at Illinois State University. Wetmore was born deaf and received a Nucleus cochlear implant at age 8.

For 2008, Cochlear Americas received 95 scholarship applications from students in 24 states across the U.S. and three provinces in Canada. Eligible students must have a Nucleus cochlear implant and must be entering their first year of college or enrolled in an accredited university. Selection criteria include academic performance, letters of recommendation, awards and activities, and a short personal essay describing academic inspiration and other interests. Brief biographies of the scholarship winners may be found by visiting Cochlear Americas, www.cochlearamericas.com.

About the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation

The Foundation was established in 2002 in honor of Professor Graeme Clark, Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne, for his lifelong commitment to finding a solution for the hearing impaired and his pioneering work in the field of cochlear implant technology. Professor Clark invented the worlds first multichannel cochlear implant over 20 years ago. Awarded by Cochlear, this scholarship consists of financial assistance towards a college degree at an accredited university. The award is paid in yearly installments upon the completion of each year of study. Each award is in the amount of $2,000 per year for up to a total of four years. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to the Cochlear ideals of leadership and humanity. For more information about the Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation, call 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY), or visit the Web site at www.cochlear.com.

About Cochlear Americas

Since launching the worlds first cochlear implant system more than 25 years ago, Cochlear Limited and its US headquarters, Cochlear Americas, have brought the miracle of sound to more than 130,000 hearing-impaired individuals across the globe. Cochlears state-of-the-art technologies, based on extensive research and development at preeminent academic institutions, restore the ability to hear sound and understand speechenhancing both learning capabilities and quality of life for those with severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear has remained the market leader in its field thanks to an unwavering commitment to innovation, reliability and customer support. Numerous awards, as well as published scientific data, attest to Cochlears outstanding product line and unsurpassed performance. Cochlears promise Hear now. And Always reflects their philosophy of a lifetime commitment to those individuals who choose their product. For more information about Cochlear's products, call the Cochlear Nucleus Hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the website at www.cochlear.com