The AAO supports orthodontic education in a variety of ways, including providing the Full-Time Faculty Fellowship program for orthodontic educators. Eligible candidates include junior faculty and residents attending U.S. and Canadian CODA-accredited orthodontic graduate programs, who are entering or recently entered orthodontic education. Each award provides $30,000 per year for two years and may be used for personal expenses.

The AAO Council on Education has announced the 2025 AAO Full-Time Faculty Fellows:

  • Dr. Yi Lin:  A Health Science assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry, Dr. Lin earned her orthodontic certificate and master’s degree from the University of California at San Francisco, after completing a joint PhD from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China and McGill University in Montreal. Her clinical and research interests include 3D imaging, facial analysis, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), facial esthetics and wire bending.
  • Dr. William R. Bates: Dr. Batesrecently joined the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as a full-time faculty member and clinic director in the Department of Orthodontics. Certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, he completed the orthodontic residency program and received his master’s degree at the University of Michigan. He has practiced orthodontics in Birmingham and Jasper, Alabama and previously taught at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. He serves as an assistant course director for the Tweed Study Course, is an ABO Ambassador, and is president-elect of the Alabama Association of Orthodontists.
  • Dr. Ginny Hsu: An assistant professor in the Department of Orthodontics at Oregon Health & Science University, Dr. Hsu earned her dental degree at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and a master’s degree in oral biology from UCLA. She subsequently completed the orthodontic residency program at New York University and postdoctoral training in stem cell biology and bone regeneration at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on craniofacial biology, osteoprogenitor cells, and tissue-specific properties of perivascular progenitors. Dr. Hsu’s work is currently funded by a five-year National Institutes of Health K08 career development award.

Recipients of AAO Full-Time Faculty Fellowships must commit to remaining in full-time teaching for one year for each fellowship year after their second award year concludes. This means recipients commit to at least four years of full-time teaching. Historically, many recipients of AAO Full-Time Faculty Fellowships have continued working as orthodontic educators for many years after receiving their awards.