Dr. Klaas Bakker Receives Deso Weiss Award

Dr. Klaas Bakker, professor emeritus from Missouri State University, was presented with the Deso Weiss Award for his outstanding contributions to cluttering. Dr. Bakker was nominated by several leaders in the field of cluttering.

Below is an outline of Dr. Bakker’s accomplishments that led his colleagues to nominate him for this award:

Research:
· 71 referred journal articles, book chapters, proceedings and paper or poster presentations at national and international professional conferences
· Assisted in the development of the 1996 special edition on cluttering in the Journal of Fluency Disorders

Support/Service:
· Editor for the Proceedings of the First World Conference on Cluttering
· Founding webmaster for the International Cluttering Association (ICA)
· Over 12 years, serving with the ICA in multiple roles, including Coordinator of the ICA Website and Communications Committee, member of the Research and Academic Committees, and member of the ICA Executive Board
· Served as consultant to the First Online Cluttering Conference

Clinically Related Developments:
· Cluttering Assessment Program (CLASP), freeware program for measuring aspects of cluttering
· Cluttering Severity Instrument (CSI), freeware program
· Co-chaired the Ad-hoc Committee that was formed for the development of an ICA sponsored definition of cluttering

Through the International Cluttering Association, much work was done to spread education and awareness about cluttering, to form research partnerships, to make clinical recommendations, and to assemble a body of representatives from around the world interested in the topic of cluttering. But none of that work would have been possible if it were not for the website that Klaas began and continued to develop as the ICA grew and its needs continued to change and develop. Congratulations Dr. Bakker, your contributions are appreciated!

From the Fall 2022 Magazine

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin, the basketball sensation who was named to the NBA’s All Star Team in 2004, joins other famous people who stutter in a new brochure. The brochure - which unfolds into a small poster - is available free of charge from The Stuttering Foundation.

The poster is intended to give children and adults who stutter inspiration as they grapple with their speech disorder.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.