Abbie Kressner, a Ph.D. student in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has received a Chih Foundation Research Award. This award recognizes research and publications that reflect invention and innovation that make society better.

A member of the Center for Signal and Information Processing, Kressner conducts research in the areas of signal processing and biomedical engineering applied to the human auditory system. She is advised by ECE Assistant Professor Christopher J. Rozell.

Currently, nearly all signal processing algorithms in modern hearing aids and cochlear implants fail to improve speech intelligibility, particularly in the presence of background noise when improvements are most needed. By exploiting the underlying structure in speech as well as some of the latest results in the signal processing community, Kressner aims to improve these algorithms and point the way to new approaches for improving speech understanding in challenging listening situations. Ultimately, she hopes this work will aid the growing population of hearing-impaired listeners to preserve their quality of life by helping them to maintain communication with their loved ones. 

The Chih Foundation was founded by Samuel C.M. Chih and his wife, Amy. He is the president and CEO of Sunrich Technology, an international company which supplies professional computer interface cards. Chih earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the State University of New York College at Buffalo and both his master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech. He is currently a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.