CHICAGO—(November 14, 2011)—The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) awarded excellence in the field of periodontology amongst its members at the 97th Annual Meeting, held November 12-15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida.
“I am greatly honored to recognize the achievements of my colleagues who have contributed so much to the field of periodontics as well as to the American Academy of Periodontology,” said AAP President Dr. Pamela McClain. “The efforts of the 2011 award winners show that great innovations continue to come from the field of periodontics. I hope that their hard work and achievements will help to inspire all who work in our profession.”
Individual Awards
Gold Medal Award:
The Gold Medal Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Academy and is sponsored by Sunstar Americas, Inc. This year, the Academy recognizes Dr. Donald F. Adams for his outstanding contributions to the field of periodontics. Over the past 40 years, Dr. Adams has served as chairman of the American Board of Periodontology, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, and on over 30 Academy committees, 11 of which he chaired. Dr. Adams is known for his legacy of mentoring and leadership that continues to help advance the field of periodontics today.
Master Clinician Award:
The Master Clinician Award, sponsored by Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., recognizes Dr. Edwin S. Rosenberg for the consistent clinical excellence he has demonstrated and practiced in the field of periodontics. Dr. Rosenberg is known as an innovator and early adopter of techniques and technologies such as periodontal prosthesis, guided tissue regeneration, and osseointegrated dental implants. His famously rigorous approach to research and applied science has made him an inspirational role model for the hundreds of periodontists he has taught. Dr. Rosenberg has also been very active within the AAP, serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Periodontology, serving as co-chair of the American Board of Periodontology, and participating in scientific consensus conferences.
The Master Clinician Award also posthumously recognizes Dr. Roland M. Meffert, Col. U.S.A.F., who was a pioneer in dental implant research. During his 30 year career, he authored more than 50 articles and 11 textbook chapters, and served as editor for several academic publications. Dr. Meffert lectured extensively both nationally and internationally, and his work overseas was honored through the creation of the Meffert-Mutlu Implant Institute in Ankara, Turkey. His tireless service and leadership in the field of periodontics will be missed.
Distinguished Service Award:
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes Dr. Stephen K. Harrel for his commitment to the AAP over the past four decades. Dr. Harrel is a frequent speaker at Annual Meetings, received a Fellowship award from the Academy, and earlier in his career won First Honorable Mention in the Balint Orban Memorial Competition. His leadership skills led to participation in and chairmanship of many AAP committees, including the Nominating Committee, Committee to Determine Educational Standards, Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and the Task Force on Educational Initiatives. Dr. Harrel has also served on the AAP Board of Trustees. Presently he serves on the Chasens Teaching Award Committee of the AAP Foundation.
Distinguished Scientist Award:
The Distinguished Scientist Award, sponsored by Procter & Gamble Professional Oral Health, honors Dr. Roy C. Page for his contribution to the science and discipline of periodontology. He has authored and coauthored several texts as well as more than 300 scholarly articles. He has also served as president of the American and International Associations of Dental Research. In 1983, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from Loyola University of Chicago for research which led to advances in understanding and treating periodontal disease. Dr. Page has also served on several editorial boards, including the Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Periodontal Research (serving as editor-in-chief from 1986-1999), Journal of Dental Research, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and Infection and Immunity.
Outstanding Periodontal Educator Award:
The Outstanding Periodontal Educator Award recognizes Dr. Everett Brady Hancock for his distinguished contributions as a teacher and mentor in periodontology. For the past 40 years Dr. Hancock has been educating and mentoring dental students and periodontal residents, rising from a clinical instructor in periodontics at the University of Oregon in 1974 to his present position of professor emeritus of periodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry. At Indiana University, he increased involvement in interdisciplinary seminars and expanded the predoctoral clinic and didactic education in periodontics. He has published nearly 70 scholarly articles and was a reviewer for the Journal of Periodontology for almost 30 years.
Special Citation:
This year’s Special Citation, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, honors Drs. Kenneth S. Kornman and Michael S. Reddy for contributing to the Academy in a noteworthy manner. Drs. Kornman and Reddy are being awarded for their efforts in developing and launching Clinical Advances in Periodontics: An Online Journal of the American Academy of Periodontology. The co-editors realized there was a need for this publication when a readership study for the Journal of Periodontology showed that readers wanted practical clinical applications in a format that was easy to use and convenient for clinicians. Developing this publication also presented the opportunity to expand the existing information on multidisciplinary aspects of advanced periodontal care.
Research and Literature Awards
Clinical Research Award:
The Clinical Research Award is sponsored by Quintessence Publishing Company and honors an outstanding published scientific manuscript having direct clinical relevance and application to the practice of periodontics. Authors Toyoko Morita, Yoji Yamazaki, Ayae Mita, Koji Takada, Misae Seto, Norihide Nishinoue, Yoshiyuki Sasaki, Masafumi Motohashi, and Masao Maeno are honored for their paper “A cohort study on the association between periodontal disease and the development of metabolic syndrome” which was published in the Journal of Periodontology.
R. Earl Robinson Regeneration Award:
The R. Earl Robinson Regeneration Award is sponsored by the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation and honors the most outstanding published scientific article on periodontal regeneration in the basic or clinical sciences. Authors Per Nygaard-Østby, Vibeke Bakke, Oddny Nesdal, Cristiano Susin, and Ulf M. Wikesjö are honored for their paper, “Periodontal healing following reconstructive surgery: effect of guided tissue regeneration using a bioresorbable barrier device when combined with autogenous bone grafting. A randomized-controlled trial 10-year follow-up,” which was published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
William J. Gies Award:
The William J. Gies Award is sponsored by American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and presented annually for outstanding contributions to literature and education in the field of periodontology. The award is provided by the William J. Gies Foundation for the Advancement of Dentistry. This year’s recipient, Dr. Ubele Van der Velden, was one of the founding members of the European Federation of Periodontology in which he is presently the chairman of the Education Committee. He is an honorary member of the Dutch and British Society of Periodontology, and in 2010 the queen of the Netherlands bestowed on him the title Officer of the Order of Oranje Nassau for his achievements to improve periodontal health in the Netherlands and Europe. He has been a reviewer for the Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and many other journals in the field of periodontics. Dr. Van der Velden’s research interests include clinical periodontology, the progression and risk factors of periodontal disease, periodontal microbiology, genetics, and nutrition.
About the AAP
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is an 8,400-member professional organization for periodontists – specialists in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth, and in the placement of dental implants. Periodontists are also dentistry’s experts in the treatment of oral inflammation and receive three additional years of specialized training following dental school. Periodontics is one of the nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
