On April 30, 2026, just before the start of the 2026 Annual Session, the AAO, the American Board of Orthodontics and the AAO Foundation will present their highest-level awards. Recipients to be recognized include:
Dr. Larry Tadlock,James E. Brophy AAO Distinguished Service Award
Department Head and a clinical professor at the Texas A&M School of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics, Dr. Tadlock is a past president of the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists. He served as General Chair of the 2022 AAO Annual Session. In addition, Dr. Tadlock was a director of the American Board of Orthodontics for nine years and was ABO president from 2018-19, helping lead the change to scenario-based ABO exams.
Dr. Rolf Behrents, AAO Lifetime Achievement Award in Orthodontic Research
World-renowned educator Dr. Behrents serves as editor-in-chief of the AJO-DO from 2014 – 2025. After holding faculty appointments at the University of Tennessee and Baylor College of Dentistry, he was the Orthodontic Program Director at Saint Louis University from 2003 until 2018. He was a Case Western Bolton-Brush Growth Study Center research associate for 40 years. With over 100 published scientific articles, Dr. Behrents presented at 300-plus conferences annually, served research funding groups and received numerous awards.
Dr. Thomas Cangialosi, AAO Foundation Louise Ada Jarabak Memorial International Teaching and Research Award
Dr. Cangialosi’s education career has included Columbia University, where he led the Department of Orthodontics, and continues at the Rutgers Health School of Dental Medicine, where he is a professor and past orthodontic program chair. He is a past president of the American Board of Orthodontics and a past member and chair of the AAO Council on Education. Dr. Cangialosi is the author of 55 publications in peer-reviewed journals, five book chapters and six teaching manuals. He is a co-editor of the textbook Essentials for Orthodontic Practice and has lectured internationally.
Dr. Judah Garfinkle, AAO Humanitarian Award
Director of Craniofacial Orthodontics at Oregon Health and Science University and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Garfinkle is in orthodontic practice near Portland. He has been a tireless state-level political advocate for patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions, and the founder of an Oregon non-profit that serves impacted children and families.
Dr. Sunil Kapila, AAO Inclusion & Engagement Award
As Chair of the Section of Orthodontics at the UCLA School of Dentistry and in previous leadership positions at the University of Michigan and University of California – San Francisco, Dr. Kapila has led orthodontic department transitions to more diverse and inclusive units. In 2020, Dr. Kapila became the inaugural Chair of the AAO task force that became the Special Committee on Inclusion and Engagement, or SCIE, which has launched numerous social events, forums and resources that have helped make the AAO stronger by promoting inclusion and engagement.
Dr. Richard Kulbersh, American Board of Orthodontics Albert H. Ketcham Memorial Award
Dr. Kulbersh became the Detroit-Mercy orthodontic chairman and program director in 1985. As an educator, he encouraged his faculty to pursue ABO certification, required all residents to take the ABO written exam and initiated resident grading based on ABO standards for objective case outcome evaluation. Dr. Kulbersh was an examiner for the ABO, served on the AAO Council on Scientific Affairs, and was a site examiner for CODA, the Council on Dental Accreditation.
Ms. Lynne Thomas Gordon, AAO Outstanding Contribution Award*:
As AAO CEO from 2018 until her retirement in 2024, Ms. Gordon worked closely with the Board and staff to transform AAO policy-making and strategic planning to a contemporary business approach, basing policy and direction on metrics, return on investment and association best practices. The AAO increased member data usage to guide programs and services and introduced Trustee At-Large positions to help make leadership more representative of today’s diverse membership. Hiring senior executives with specific expertise, Ms. Gordon spurred large-scale initiatives for grassroots political advocacy and grew non-dues revenue through initiatives like the Wharton-AAO MBO program.
*Award is designated for a non-orthodontist.
