Surgeons, researchers, educators and humanitarians recognized for advancing oral and maxillofacial surgery
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) celebrated the achievements of more than 30 individuals at the association’s 108th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition in Seattle, Wash.
The honored recipients – including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, researchers, educators, residents, business leaders and groups – were recognized during the Opening Ceremony, Awards Presentation and Meeting Dedication Sept. 30 for their exceptional contributions to the oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty in education, research, advocacy and humanitarian outreach.
AAOMS dedicated its 2026 Annual Meeting in memory of Caroline P. Lee – of Chicago, formerly of Ballisodare, County Sligo, Ireland – for her 32 years of dedicated service to the Association until she passed away in 2025. She joined AAOMS in 1993 as a receptionist and switchboard operator, advancing to Secretary and then Administrative Assistant in the Communications and Publications Department. In 1996, Lee transferred to the Administrative Division as Support Coordinator for the Executive Director, a position she built into Senior Executive Assistant by 2004. Over the following two decades, she provided continuity and institutional knowledge to 29 AAOMS presidents.
George M. Kushner, DMD, MD, FACS, of Louisville, Ky., received the Robert V. Walker Distinguished Service Award for his decades of leadership in oral and maxillofacial surgery education. He currently serves as Professor and Dr. James B. and Ann D. Edwards Endowed Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, where he spent 28 years training generations of surgeons as the OMS Program Director. His research has advanced treatment techniques for facial and jaw fractures, including care for patients without teeth and bone-grafting methods that use a patient’s own tissue. He continues to treat pediatric trauma patients at Norton Children’s Hospital, Louisville’s Level I trauma center for children.
Other 2026 AAOMS award winners are (in alphabetical order by award):
Board of Trustees Special Citation Award – American Dental Association Liaison Steering Committee
Clinical Research Award – Michael Miloro, DMD, MD, FACS, of Chicago, Ill.
Committee Person of the Year Award – Mary A. Delsol Dobon, DDS, of San Clemente, Calif.
Daniel M. Laskin Award for an Outstanding Predoctoral Educator – M. Edmund Braly, DDS, of Norman, Okla.
Donald B. Osbon Award for an Outstanding Educator – Robert J. Diecidue, DMD, MD, PhD, MBA, MSPH, of Villanova, Pa.
Faculty Educator Development Award – Evan M. Busby, DMD, of Jacksonville, Fla.; Cameron C. Lee, DMD, of Baltimore, Md.; and Rachel M. Uppgaard, DDS, FACS, of Minneapolis, Minn.
Honorary Fellowship – D. Scott Fehrs, ChFC, of New Castle, Pa., and Ken Thomalla, of Orland Park, Ill.
Humanitarian Award for Fellows and Members – John M. Sands, DDS, MD, of Sayre, Pa.
Humanitarian Award for Residents – Lauren A. Lill, DDS, of Tempe, Ariz.
John F. Freihaut Political Activist Award – Nevada Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Presidential Achievement Award – A. Thomas Indresano, DMD, FACS, of Waverly, Iowa
Resident Scientific Award – Angela Jing, DDS, of Belmont, Calif., and Karen He, DMD, MD, of Los Angeles, Calif.
Special Honorary Fellowships – Turkish Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Association President Figen Cizmeci Senel, DDS, PhD, of Ankara, Türkiye; International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons President Rui P. Fernandes, DMD, MD, FRCS, FACS, of Jacksonville, Fla. (Certificate of Appreciation); Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons President Mathieu Lenis, DMD, FRCD, of Baie-d’Urfe, Canada; and British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons President Bhavin G. Visavadia, FRCS(OMFS), FRCS, FDSRCS, MBBS, of London, England
The OMS Foundation awards also were presented. In alliance with AAOMS, the Foundation strives to enhance patient care quality and safety through advancing innovation in OMS research and education. Award winners include:
Gerald E. Hanson Outstanding Service Award – B.D. Tiner, DDS, MD, FACS, of San Antonio, Texas
Dr. David Stanton Resident Research Award – Simon Youn, DDS, MD, at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of University of Southern California, for his research leadership on the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery article “Does Liposomal Bupivacaine Reduce Postoperative Pain Following Third Molar Extractions? A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial”
Daniel M. Laskin Award – “Depth of Invasion Threshold for Recommending Elective Neck Dissection in T1 or T2 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, by Hans Shih, DDS, MDCM, of Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; and Michel El-Hakim, DMD, MD, MSc; Mehak Khanna, BDS, MSc; Nicholas Maroun Makhoul, DMD, MD; and Jacob Thomas, DDS, all of McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Stephen B. Milam Award – Sayali Tungare, PhD, MPH, BDS; and Simon Young, DDS, MD, PhD, FACS, both of UTHealth Houston
Torch Award – Colin S. Bell, DDS, MSD, of Dallas, Texas
About AAOMS
The experts in face, mouth and jaw surgery – The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is the professional organization representing more than 11,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, OMS residents and OMS professional staff in the United States. AAOMS supports its fellows’ and members’ ability to practice their specialty through education, research and advocacy. AAOMS fellows and members comply with rigorous continuing education requirements and submit to periodic office anesthesia evaluations. Learn more at AAOMS.org and MyOMS.org.
Contact: Jolene Kremer, AAOMS Associate Executive Director, Communications and Publications
[email protected]
847-233-4336
