Inclusion and Engagement Award
Description
The Inclusion and Engagement Award seeks to recognize a member of the AAO whose actions demonstrate dedication to making the AAO stronger by promoting inclusion and engagement.
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 Inclusion and Engagement Award. A nominator is limited to one Inclusion and Engagement Award nomination per year. This award is not necessarily given each year.
To nominate a colleague for the AAO Inclusion and Engagement Award, please submit the following:
- A letter of recommendation outlining why the candidate should be considered for the Inclusion and Engagement Award.
- If possible, a CV including activities demonstrating contributions to inclusion and engagement initiatives within the organized dental/orthodontic community.*
*Organized dental/orthodontic community includes dental study clubs, professional dental associations/organizations (ex: ADA, AAO, ADEA, NDA).
Submissions are due by March 31, 2025. Nominations received after the deadline will be considered for the following year. The nominator is limited to one Inclusion and Engagement Award nomination per year.
Please direct questions to:
Ms. Courtney Bennett, [email protected]
Selection Process and Criteria
The Special Committee on Inclusion and Engagement will review the nominations and provide the AAO Board of Trustees with their top choices. The Board of Trustees will then choose an award recipient taking into consideration SCIE’s rankings which will be based off the rubric created by SCIE (link rubric).
During the selection process, the Special Committee on Inclusion and Engagement will seek to nominate award recipients who demonstrate outstanding examples of:
- Specific activity and/or achievements to promote inclusion and engagement through recruitment, advocacy and engagement.
- Contributions to organized dentistry through participation and/or leadership in initiatives that promote inclusion and engagement; and
- Research, publications and presentations on inclusion and engagement.
Presentation of the Award
In the years where a recipient has been selected, the award will be presented at the annual Awards Presentation Event that takes place during the AAO Annual Session. The recipient will receive a monetary award of $1,500 and a plaque. The recipient is not required to be present at the Annual Session to accept the award.
The 2026 AAO Annual Session will be held in Orlando, FL.