Humanitarian Award

Description

The Humanitarian Award recognizes significant contributions to improve the quality of human life that extend beyond the usual scope of private practice, academic functions or organized dentistry.

Any AAO member, AAO constituent or component organization, or WFO-affiliated organization is eligible to nominate an AAO member in good standing for the AAO Humanitarian Award. A nominator is limited to one Humanitarian Award nomination per year. Posthumous nominees must have met the criteria for the award (see below).

To nominate a colleague for the AAO Humanitarian Award, compile:

• A letter of nomination signed by an AAO member. The letter should cite the nominee’s qualifications referencing the award criteria listed below;
• A second letter of supporting documentation from an individual who is not the nominator. This individual does not have to be an orthodontist;
• A third letter supporting the nomination from the nominee’s component orthodontic organization.

Submissions are due by March 31, 2025.

Please direct questions to:
Ms. Lisa Chandler, [email protected] — verification of submissions

AAO Humanitarian Award Criteria

1. Any individual may nominate an AAO member in good standing by submitting an application by the deadline. Nominations received after the deadline will be considered next year. A nominator is limited to one Humanitarian Award nomination per year.
2. A posthumous nominee must have met the criteria listed in numbers 1 and 3.
3. Nominee has rendered outstanding public humanitarian service to improve the quality of human life of those served. The service must be beyond the scope of private practice, academic organization, and the usual function of organized dentistry.
4. Nominee has made significant contributions to such areas as government, community economics, public welfare, or any area which improves the general health or well-being of the community, state, nation or foreign nation.
5. Nominee provides leadership and humanitarian volunteer efforts that reflect favorably upon the profession of dentistry.
6. Nominee provides volunteer service that reflects a significant devotion of time, energy and altruism that brings honor to the profession without indirect or direct personal or organizational gain or profit.
7. Nominee has established a legacy that is an inspiration to other members of the dental profession and beneficial to underserved populations.
8. The nominations shall come from a constituent, component, WFO-affiliated organization or an AAO member.

An AAO committee of past presidents will select the recipient in 2025 for recognition at the 2026 Annual Session. The recipient may then be nominated for consideration by the American Dental Association for its Humanitarian Award, if eligible.

A monetary award of $1,500 will be given to the recipient. In addition, recipients receive Round trip economy airfare for two plus basic ground transportation (i.e. taxi, UBERX, Lyft, etc.) between home/hotel/airports; Three nights for one hotel room at an AAO designated leadership hotel (direct billed to AAO); A total of $75 per diem (per individual) for three days to cover meals and incidental expenses and an invitation to the Awards Presentation.

Should the award recipient be deceased or disabled at the time of the Annual Session at which the award is to be presented, his/her spouse or next-of-kin will be entitled to and offered full remuneration as outlined above. The spouse or next-of-kin will also be offered the opportunity to accept the award on the recipient’s behalf.

The 2026 AAO Annual Session will be held in Orlando, FL.