Apply by February 1, 2024 for Next Year’s Award Program
To help address the specialty’s need to ensure future excellence in orthodontic education, AAO Faculty Fellowships provide funding to help cover educational and living expenses for individuals who are preparing for or beginning careers as orthodontic educators in the United States or Canada.
Each AAO Faculty Fellowship provides the recipient with $30,000 a year for two years. The 2024 application portal is open and applications will be accepted through the deadline, February 1, 2024.
Learn More and Apply
Recipients of 2023 AAO Faculty Fellowships include:
● Dr. Mohammed H. Elnagar, assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry and director of the UIC Orthodontics 3D Digital Research Lab. Dr. Elnagar completed his orthodontic residency program and a joint Ph.D. program in oral health sciences at UIC. In addition, he completed an executive program on artificial intelligence in health care at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Elnagar has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on research projects that received funding from the AAO Foundation. He was elected as secretary of the American Association for Dental Research Chicago section in 2020, and became the editor for the AAO Society of Educators in 2021.
● Dr. Alice Fitzgerald Goodwin, who has been serving as an assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Goodwin is transitioning to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Orthodontics effective September 1. She completed the orthodontic residency program at UCSF and provided craniofacial care at the UCSF Medical Center and the UCSF Orthodontic Faculty Practice, including nasoalveolar molding (NAM) treatment for babies with wide unilateral and bilateral clefts. Her primary research interest is the cellular and molecular biology underlying craniofacial anomalies.
● Dr. Heeyeon Suh, recently appointed as an assistant professor with the Department of Orthodontics Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco. Dr. Suh completed dental and orthodontic education and a PhD degree at Seoul National University in Korea. In addition, she was a research scientist in the university’s Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Lab, Dental Research Institute, before entering the orthodontic residency program at the Dugoni school in 2020.
Dr. Suh is an editorial board member of the Angle Orthodontist and a reviewer for the Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists (JWFO). She is a primary investigator for a study that received an Align Technology research award for 2023, “Skeletal and Arch Dimensional Changes Following Clear Aligner Therapy during Mixed Dentition: Treatment Outcomes and Long-Term Stability.”
Recipients Share Hopes for Their Careers in Education
“I have chosen a career in orthodontic education because it merges my passion for orthodontics with my desire to inspire and educate the next generation of professionals,” said Dr. Elnagar. “Guiding students through their orthodontic journey and witnessing their growth is immensely rewarding. Receiving the Faculty Fellowship Award fills me with immense joy and gratitude, reaffirming my commitment to orthodontic education. This recognition underscores the value of fostering future orthodontists through effective teaching and mentorship. The award empowers me to make substantial contributions to orthodontic education, research, and patient care.”
“As an orthodontist and scientist, I pursued a career in academic orthodontics to perform research in order to deepen our understanding of craniofacial biology while treating patients and educating residents,” said Dr. Goodwin. “I am so pleased to receive the Faculty Fellowship Award. This fellowship will provide the opportunity to hone my teaching skills with the support of mentors and ultimately contribute more effectively to orthodontic education.”
“Receiving the AAO Full-Time Faculty Fellowship is a great honor,” said Dr. Suh. “This award’s support and training will enhance my development as an educator in orthodontics. I hope to inspire my students with the same curiosity and passion for lifelong learning that my mentors instilled in me during my own journey.”
* Applications for the 2024 AAO Foundation Awards Program, which supports faculty development and research, are also being accepted and may be submitted through October 13, 2023.
