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The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) honored nearly 40 award recipients for their accomplishments in education, research, advocacy and humanitarian work at the association's 106th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.

ROSEMONT, Ill., Oct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) honored nearly 40 award recipients for their accomplishments in education, research, advocacy and humanitarian work at the association's 106th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.

The Opening Ceremony, Awards Presentation and Meeting Dedication on Sept. 11 marked the official start of the AAOMS Annual Meeting – the largest national gathering of oral and maxillofacial surgeons each year.

AAOMS dedicated its 2024 Annual Meeting to James Q. Swift, DDS, FACS, of Minneapolis, Minn., in recognition of his commitment to education, research and the business of oral and maxillofacial surgery. He is a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, where he served as director of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for 25 years. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, articles and book chapters. He sits on the board of the Gorlin Syndrome Alliance and held leadership roles as president and director of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS), president of the American Dental Educational Association, a director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation and chair of the Board of Directors of OMSNIC.

John (Jack) N. Kent II, DDS, of New Orleans, La., received the Robert V. Walker Distinguished Service Award recognizing significant contributions to the oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty. He served as head of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Louisiana State University and chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Charity Hospital in New Orleans for over 30 years. In addition to authoring 25 books and over 250 peer-reviewed articles, he was president of ABOMS and the Louisiana Society and Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Other AAOMS award winners are:

• Clinical Research Award – John R. Zuniga, DMD, PhD, MS, of Dallas, Texas
• Committee Persons of the Year – Lionel M. Candelaria, DDS, FACS, of Albuquerque, N.M.; and James M. Startzell, DMD, MS, of Boerne, Texas
• Daniel M. Laskin Award for an Outstanding Predoctoral Educator – Pamela L. Alberto, DMD, of Sparta, N.J.
• Distinguished Service Award for Non-OMSs – Jennifer D. Brady, MHA, of Bend, Ore.; and Dawn W. Jackson, DrPH, RHIA, CCS-P, of Boydton, Va.
• Donald B. Osbon Award for an Outstanding Educator – Alan S. Herford, DDS, MD, of Loma Linda, Calif.
• Faculty Educator Development Award – Marcus A. Couey, DDS, MD, of Boston, Mass.; Paul A. Covello, DDS, MD, FACS, of Dallas, Pa.; Pooja Gangwani, DDS, of Philadelphia, Pa.; and James C. Gates, DMD, MD, FACS, of Philadelphia, Pa.
• Honorary Fellowship – Mark Adams, AAOMS General Counsel; and Kimberly Molley, AAOMS Chief Financial Officer and Associate Executive Director of Operations and Business
• Humanitarian Award for Fellows and Members – Mark C. Paxton, DDS, of Spokane Valley, Wash. (posthumously)
• Humanitarian Award for Residents – Shelby Curtis, DMD, of Chelmsford, Mass.; Danny Hadaya, DDS, MD, PhD, of Los Angeles, Calif.; and Emily L. Jones, DMD, MS, of Lexington, Ky.
• John F. Freihaut Political Activist Award – Thomas F. Burk, DMD, MD, of Winchester, Mass.
• Outstanding Legislator of the Year Award – U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
• Presidential Achievement Award – Stuart E. Lieblich, DMD, of New York, N.Y. (posthumously)
• Resident Scientific Award – Kyu Choi, DMD, of San Diego, Calif.; and Timothy Neal, DDS, of Dallas, Texas.
• Special Honorary Fellowship – Daisy Chemaly, DMD, president of the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons; Kathleen Fan, PhD, BDS, MBBS, FDSRCS, FRCSEd, FRCS (OMFS), president of British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons; and Sanjiv C. Nair, BDS, MDS, FFDRCS, president of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• William J. Gies Foundation Award – Shelly Abramowicz, DMD, MPH, FACS, of Atlanta, Ga.

The OMS Foundation awards also were announced. In alliance with AAOMS, the Foundation strives to enhance patient care quality and safety through advancing innovation in OMS research and education:

• Torch Award – Louis K. Rafetto, DMD, of Wilmington, Del.
• Research Recognition Award – Tara L. Aghaloo, DDS, MD, PhD, of Sherman Oaks, Calif.
• Gerald E. Hanson Outstanding Service Award – W. Mark Tucker, DDS, of Tampa, Fla.
• Daniel M. Laskin Award – "Is Recreational Marijuana Use Associated With Changes in the Vital Signs or Anesthetic Requirements During Intravenous Sedation?" Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, by Joshua Dobbins, DMD, of Rochester, N.Y.; Changyong Feng, PhD, of Rochester, N.Y.; Pooja Gangwani, DDS, of Philadelphia, Pa.; Antonia Kolokythas, DDS, FACS, Northbrook, Ill.; David Lillian, DDS, of American Fork, Utah; and John Vorrasi, DDS, of Rochester, N.Y.
• Dr. David Stanton Resident Research Award – "Comparative Efficacy of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Undergoing Multilevel Surgery Followed by Upper Airway Stimulation Versus Isolated Upper Airway Stimulation" Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, by Corissa P. Chang, DDS, of Philadelphia, Pa.

Media Contact

Jolene Kremer, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 847-233-4336, [email protected], AAOMS.org

SOURCE American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons