Past Merit Award recipients
Complete historical record across five active award categories. Jump to any award:
AAPHD Public Service Award
Presented to an individual for substantial contribution through action related to public health dentistry issues.
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2026 | An Nguyen, DDS, MPH |
| 2025 | The Maryland Dental Action Coalition |
| 2024 | Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation |
| 2023 | Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors |
| 2022 | Dr. Kila Johnson, Director of Dental Services, Harris County (TX) Public Health |
| 2022 | Mr. Fred Leviton, Dental Lifeline Network |
| 2020 | Patty Braun, MD, MPH |
| 2019 | Peter Milgrom and Mike Shirtcliff |
| 2018 | DentaQuest Foundation |
| 2017 | Stephen Kess |
| 2016 | Hugh Silk, MD, MS |
| 2015 | Wendy E. Mouradian, MD, MS |
| 2014 | Children's Dental Health Project |
| 2013 | The Honorable Bernard Sanders |
| 2012 | Susan Griffin, PhD |
| 2011 | Shelly Gehshan |
| 2010 | Sherrod Brown |
| 2009 | Mary Otto |
| 2008 | Rasmuson Foundation |
| 2007 | Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS |
| 2006 | Lawrence A. Tabak, DDS, PhD |
| 2005 | Senator Susan Collins |
| 2004 | Rob Reiner |
| 2003 | U.S. Senator Raymond A. Rawson |
| 2002 | U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman |
| 2001 | VADM David Satcher |
| 2000 | Scott Litch and Judy Sherman |
| 1998 | Senator Edward M. Kennedy |
| 1997 | Honorable Steny Hoyer |
| 1996 | Honorable Edward Kennedy and Assemblywoman Jackie Speier |
| 1995 | Joe Garagiola |
| 1991 | Kay Johnson |
| 1990 | Julius Richmond |
| 1989 | Honorable John David Waihee, III |
| 1988 | Marian Wright Edelman |
| 1987 | C. Everett Koop |
| 1986 | Honorable Claude Pepper |
| 1985 | Honorable Henry Waxman |
AAPHD Distinguished Service Award
Presented to a member of AAPHD for excellent and distinguished service to public health dentistry and the association.
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH, MMSc |
| 2025 | Steve Geiermann, DDS, FICD, FACD |
| 2024 | Steven M. Levy, DDS, MPH |
| 2023 | Dr. Chester Douglas |
| 2022 | Bob Russell, DDS, MPH, MPA, CPM, FACD, FICD |
| 2020 | Sena Narendran, BDS, MSc, DDPH |
| 2019 | Jack Dillenberg |
| 2018 | Jane Weintraub, DDS, MPH |
| 2017 | Jane McGinley, RDH, PhD |
| 2016 | Ray Kuthy, DDS |
| 2015 | Barbara Gooch, DMD, MPH |
| 2014 | Diane Brunson, RDH and Donald Marianos, DDS |
| 2013 | Caswell Evans, Jr, DDS, MPH and Lewis N. Lampiris, DDS, MPH |
| 2012 | E. Joseph Alderman, DDS, MPH |
| 2011 | William Maas, DDS, MPH |
| 2010 | Mark Siegal, DDS, MPH |
| 2009 | Burton Edelstein, DDS, MPH |
| 2008 | Helen Gift, PhD |
| 2007 | William F. Bird, DDS, MPH, DrPH |
| 2006 | Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH |
| 2005 | Dushanka V. Kleinman, DDS, MScD |
| 2004 | Scott L. Tomar, DMD, DrPH |
| 2003 | Lois Cohen, PhD |
| 2002 | Myron Allukian, Jr, DDS, MPH |
| 2001 | Brian A. Burt, BDS, PhD |
| 2000 | R. Gary Rozier, DDS, MPH |
| 1999 | Alice Horowitz, RDH, MA, PhD |
| 1998 | Nathan C. Cons and John K. Peterson |
| 1997 | Joseph M. Doherty, DDS, MPH, and Helen K. Doherty |
| 1996 | John C. Greene, DMD, MPH |
| 1995 | Robert E. Mecklenburg, DDS, MPH |
| 1994 | Martha Liggett |
| 1993 | Dennis Leverett, DDS, MPH |
| 1992 | Durward Collier, DDS |
| 1991 | Irwin D. Mandel, DDS |
| 1990 | Stanley Lotzkar, DDS, MPH |
| 1989 | Max H. Schoen |
| 1988 | David Edward Barmes |
| 1987 | Herschel Horowitz, DDS, MPH |
| 1986 | David Soricelli |
| 1985 | John T. Hughes |
| 1984 | Donald J. Galagan |
| 1983 | Albert L. Russell |
| 1982 | Polly Ayers |
| 1981 | Frank E. Law |
| 1980 | John W. Knutson |
| 1979 | James Morse Dunning |
| 1978 | Ernest A. Pearson, Jr. |
| 1977 | David F. Striffler |
| 1975 | Charles W. Gish |
| 1973 | John T. Fulton |
| 1972 | Kenneth Easlick |
AAPHD President's Award
Presented at the discretion of the President to an individual for significant contributions to the welfare of the Association.
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Eli Schwarz, DDS, PhD, MPH |
| 2025 | Dr. Mary Tavares, DMD, MPH |
| 2024 | Dr. Suman Challa |
| 2023 | Dr. Joseph Salamon |
| 2022 | Victor Badner, DMD |
| 2021 | Julie Frantsve-Hawley, PhD, CAE |
| 2020 | David Cappelli |
| 2019 | Robert Weyant |
| 2018 | Ana Karina Mascarenhas |
| 2017 | Catherine Hayes |
| 2016 | E. Joseph Alderman |
| 2015 | Frances Kim |
| 2014 | Chester Douglas |
| 2013 | Diane Brunson |
| 2012 | Amos Deinard |
| 2009 | Reginald Louie |
| 2008 | Eugenio Beltran |
| 2007 | Alice Horowitz |
| 2006 | Nicholas Mosca |
| 2005 | Steven Geiermann |
| 2004 | Joseph Doherty and Stuart Lockwood |
| 2003 | Stanley Lotzkar |
| 2001 | James Toothaker |
| 1999 | Teresa Dolan |
| 1998 | Jane A. Weintraub |
| 1997 | Raymond Kuthy |
| 1996 | Robert J. Collins |
| 1994 | Stephen B. Corbin |
| 1989 | Richard D. Mumma, Jr, and Joseph M. Doherty |
| 1988 | Edward N. Brandt, Jr, and Crystal Gayle |
| 1987 | Robert E. Mecklenberg |
AAPHD Richard Ferraro Award
Presented to a Director of the Dental Service in a Federally Qualified Health Center that has developed an excellent community preventive dentistry program, and improved access to basic dental care.
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Dr. Tonya X Cook, DMD, MPH |
| 2025 | Dr. Kala M. Smith, DMD |
| 2023 | Dr. Huong Le, Asian Health Services, Oakland, CA |
| 2022 | Sepideh Taghvaei, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, Dientes Community Dental Care, Santa Cruz County, CA |
AAPHD Amos Deinard Award
This award honors Dr. Amos Deinard, a pediatrician and one of the original medical providers advocating for better medical-dental integration and improved oral health of Americans through engaging non-dental providers in collective efforts.
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Dr. John Ahern, MD, PhD |
| 2026 | Dr. Lisa Simon, DMD |
| 2025 | Dr. Constance Gundacker, MD, MDH |
| 2024 | Rebecca Bernstein, MD, MS |