- INDIANAPOLIS, IN--The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) has named respected acoustics expert Dr. Floyd E. Toole the recipient of its 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. Toole, a pioneer in acoustics research with more than 40 years' experience in the industry, was honored at CEDIA's annual Electronic Lifestyles Awards Banquet.
- CEDIA's Lifetime Achievement Award annually honors an individual whose visionary leadership has contributed to the growth and advancement of the electronic systems industry. Past winners have ranged from technology trailblazers to iconic business leaders to influential CEDIA leaders and volunteers. Nominations are submitted by industry professionals and evaluated on the basis of achievement and service within the industry.
- Dr. Toole launched his career when the industry was in its infancy and moved on to become a renowned authority on the measurement and understanding of sound quality. After earning his Ph.D. in electrical engineering, Toole joined the National Research Council of Canada in 1965, ultimately reaching the position of Senior Research Officer in the Acoustics and Signal Processing Group. In 1991, Toole moved on to Harman Research Industries, as Corporate Vice President – Acoustical Engineering, where he led the Harman Research and Development Group.
- Dr. Toole's research has focused on small-room acoustics and evaluating the relationship between technical measurements of audio equipment and listeners' perceptions. His findings have been applied to loudspeaker design and manufacturing and have influenced his work as a CEDIA University subject matter expert and course developer.
- Dr. Toole's work has been published in the journals of the Audio Engineering Society and the Acoustical Society of America, audio engineering books and consumer publications, and he recently completed a book titled Sound Reproduction. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Audio Engineering Society and a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and was named one of CEDIA University's Top Ten Instructors in 2007. Now retired, he is an acoustical consultant and continues to contribute to CEDIA University course development and instruction.
