The College of Nursing and Health Sciences honored retiring faculty Burt Wilcke, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of medical laboratory science and Dinah Smith, M.A., CCC-A, clinical associate professor emerita of audiology, for their contributions to the University of Vermont, and to their respective disciplines, on May 10.

Burton Wilcke, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus of Medical Laboratory Science, Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences

Burton W. Wilcke, who joined the UVM Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences faculty in 2002, received an M.S. degree in bacteriology and public health from Wagner College and a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Temple University School of Medicine. Prior to joining the UVM faculty, Wilcke's career spanned 25 years in public health at the state and local levels in California, Michigan and Vermont, where he served as Director of Health Surveillance for the Vermont Department of Health. Wilcke served as department chair for 11 of his 15 years of service to the University.

“Burt is a colleague with great integrity, a gentle heart, and a strong intellect, and I always appreciated his thoughtful and collaborative approach to problem solving and strategic thinking,” said College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Patricia Prelock as she thanked him for his friendship, wisdom and service.

A notable leader in public health, Wilcke has served as member and chair on committees and boards of state and national public health organizations including the Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Vermont Public Health Association, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the American Public Health Association and the American Society for Microbiology. Since 2012, he has chaired Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee and in 2015 he received the American Public Health Association’s Executive Director’s Citation.

He served on the Editorial Board of the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal and as co-editor for the Public Health Reports Supplement on Public Health Laboratory Systems. He is a current member of the Editorial Board of the 20th edition of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual published by the American Public Health Association.

Wilcke also participated on the Institute of Medicine Committee that evaluated the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. He currently chairs the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee for the United States Department of Health and Human Services and serves on the accreditation committee for the Public Health Accreditation Board.

Dinah Smith, M.A., CCC-A, Clinical Associate Professor Emerita of Audiology, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Dinah Smith, who joined the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1980, received her M.A. degree from Indiana University.

As an audiologist, Smith contributed significantly to students’ clinical experiences while providing nearly four decades of comprehensive hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings and follow-up services to hundreds of patients through the Eleanor M. Luse Center.

“Dinah has been a skilled clinician in her practice area and a skilled mentor for our students,” said College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Patricia Prelock. “I appreciate her gentle spirit, her genuine care and support of her patients, and her commitment to ensuring high quality learning experiences for our students.”

Smith taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, including assessment of hearing, audiological habilitation for the hearing impaired child, and selected topics in biomedical engineering. She served as the audiology intern and clinic coordinator at the Eleanor M. Luse Center, and supervised graduate student practica in audiology.

Smith’s clinical expertise and contributions were recognized in 1992 with the Vermont State Clinical Achievement Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation. She received her M.A. degree from Indiana University. She is active in professional organizations related to the problems of the hearing impaired.

Donations in honor of Wilcke and Smith have been made to the Rene Lachapelle Fund and Hunger Free Vermont, respectively.