Sharon and Ross Roeser
My wife and I grew up in a suburb south of Chicago, Illinois; we met at a very early age; she was 14 years old, and I was 16 years old. It was love at first sight, and we “went steady” all through high school. From Chicago, we moved all over Illinois, from north to west, back to north and then to the southern tip of the state, each of us pursuing university degrees at Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University. After completing these degrees, we moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where we both attended Florida State University (FSU). We later moved to Texas in 1971, where I joined the Callier Center staff to complete my dissertation research. We have three children: Wendy, Elizabeth and Jennifer. Sharon taught elementary school in Dallas Independent School District (DISD) for 36 years; she died from breast cancer on September 15, 2022.
How did you and Sharon learn about the Callier Center for Communication Disorders and get involved?
In 1972, I was asked to become the Head of the Callier Audiology program, a position I held for 18 years. In 1975, when the Callier Center joined the University of Texas at Dallas, I became an assistant professor and joined UT Dallas’ faculty. As a faculty member, I rose through the ranks and became an associate professor, full professor and later an endowed professor receiving the Lois and Howard Wolf Professorship in Pediatric Audiology. I am currently on the faculty of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences as Professor Emeritus.
In 1988, I became the Executive Director of the UT Dallas’ Callier Center for Communication Disorders, for 14 years. In addition, I was asked to be the Head the Doctor of Audiology program in 2002; I held this position until 2022, when I retired.
Did the Callier Center benefit or impact you and Sharon’s family?
As a retired faculty member and past director being surrounded by an environment and people who fostered educational advancement, leading-edge research and community service reinforced the value of each of the three missions of the Callier Center. The best example of this was the way we raised our children. We emphasized the important impact of education and how it benefited their development. We encouraged our children to have an intellectual curiosity and to give back to the community. In hindsight, we considered the Callier family as our family. Without question the people at the Callier Center not only talk the missions of Callier, they walk it as well.
What motivated you and Sharon to create the Sharon and Ross Roeser Fellowship for Audiology?
When Sharon and I first started our university programs our goal was simply to finish a degree and enter the workforce. However, as we experienced the challenges, satisfaction and rewards of education we wanted more. Amazingly, we both attained graduate educational degrees which lead to our professions. Looking back at our education journeys, the financial support given to each of us provided not only the resources but added the important motivation to keep moving forward in our quest for knowledge and professional advancement.
Why is education of future clinicians/researchers important to you and Sharon?
The key to the advancement of knowledge is through research, and research translates into the advancement of vital treatments and development of educational programs. We saw first-hand how this process works. We simply want to do our part in promoting this process.
How do you and Sharon hope the fellowship will impact Callier students and their futures?
Our hope is that funding a fellowship will lead to a breakthrough in treatment, or lead to a development of a new educational program or support the findings of a research project. Such funding had a major impact on our education, lives and professions, and we want to pay back that impact.
Interested in supporting the Sharon and Ross Roeser Fellowship for Audiology?
Make a gift at: https://giving.utdallas.edu/CallierCenter and designate your gift to the “Sharon and Ross Roeser Fellowship for Audiology.”
