The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine honored the achievements of alumni at its 2005 Distinguished Alumni Awards presentation June 10 in Iowa City.

Bruce Gantz, MD, professor and head of the UI Department of Otolaryngology wasrecognized for his significant accomplishments in science and medicine.

Gantz received his bachelor's (1968), master's (1980) and medical (1974) degrees at the UI. He also completed his medical residency in otolaryngology at The University of Iowa in 1980.

Today he serves as professor and head of the UI Department Otolaryngology, and is known for his expertise in the area of cochlear implants. He has taken major leadership roles in the establishment of the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and in encouraging federal support for biomedical research.

Gantz defines his most significant accomplishment thus far as development of the short electrode cochlear implant, which is currently in an expanded FDA clinical trial. In addition to his extensive work in cochlear implantation, Gantz has made clinical contributions in cholesteatoma, facial nerve disorders and skull base surgery. His current priorities include developing the Iowa Center for Auditory Regeneration.