Your SOE 2025-26 Officers
Dr. Po-Jung Chen, President
Dr. Dimitris Michelogiannakis, President-Elect
Dr. Monica Chenshuang Li, Secretary-Treasurer
Dr. Laura Jacox, Editor
Dr. Jeff Iverson, COE Liaison
Society of Educators
Connect with educators across the country to move orthodontics forward.
We look forward to seeing you in Orlando in 2026!
The AAO is proud to stand with orthodontic educators to advance the specialty. Any AAO member who is a faculty member at an accredited U.S./Canadian educational institution; or student member pursuing an orthodontic academic career, or non-orthodontist member of the orthodontic teaching team as verified by the Program Director or Department Chair, automatically qualifies for SOE membership.
Membership includes the opportunity to attend the annual meeting as well as other events that may be planned throughout the year.
The mission of the Society of Educators is to:
- Foster improvements in orthodontic education and research.
- Monitor changes and make recommendations to the AAO Council on Education (COE) relating to issues of orthodontic education, including, but not limited to, training, program accreditation, and financing.
- Encourage orthodontists to seek positions of leadership in academic and research institutions.
- Provide a forum for the interchange of ideas between educators and others with interests and/or expertise in education.
Join your fellow educators in the SOE today.
Memberships in the SOE are available for institutions and individuals. Institutional memberships cover all educators in a department. Individual memberships are available in lieu of institutional membership.
We hope to see you at the SOE George Frans Currier Educational Leadership Conference at the Orange County Convention Center on Thursday, April 30.
More information coming soon!
- President, Po-Jung Chen, DDS, MDS, MDentSc (University of Nebraska Medical Center) — [email protected]
- President-Elect, Dimitrios Michelogiannakis, DDS, MS, (University of Rochester) — [email protected]
- Secretary-Treasurer, Monica Chenshuang Li, DDS, PhD, DMD (University of Pennsylvania) — [email protected]
- Editor, Laura Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS, (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) — [email protected]
- COE Liaison to SOE: Jeff Iverson, DMD, MS (University of Utah) — [email protected]
The AAO & AAOF provide opportunities for Educators & Residents to apply for Fellowships, Grants, and Awards
- The Full-time Faculty Teaching Fellowship
- Craniofacial Anomalies & Special Care Training Award
- Institute for Teaching & Learning (ITL) Fellowships
- Chairs & Academic Administrators Management Program (CAAMP) Fellowships
AAO Research Awards & Presentations
- Hellman, Sicher, & Graber Awards
- Oral Research, Table Clinic & e-Posters
- Dr. William R. Proffit Resident Scholar Award
- AAOF Seven Award Program Priority Areas:
- Biomedical Research Awards
- Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards
- Center Awards
- Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
- Educational Innovation Awards
- Program Awards
- Research Aid Awards
- Jarabak/Salzmann/Blair Awards
