White Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Meeting

At the recent Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons(SSOMS) meeting in San Diego, Calif., Dr. Raymond White, Jr., Dalton L. McMichael Distinguished Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and former school dean, was honored with the SSOMS Lifetime Achievement Award.

“This award is coming full circle for me,” said White. “My first clinical presentation was to the Southeastern Society 46 years ago in New Orleans, La on maxillary orthognathic surgery. I was in my first faculty position as assistant professor at the University of Kentucky. Bill Proffit was chair of the Orthodontic Department at the time and a co-author.”

The SSOMS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has significantly contributed to the specialty and to dentistry as a whole. White has done just that, serving as dean of the UNC School of Dentistry from 1974-81 and associate dean of the UNC School of Medicine 1981-92.

“The highest any organization can bestow on an individual is the meeting dedication,” said Dr. Tim Turvey, chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. “As an educator, mentor and researcher Dr. White has touched the lives and careers of many of the organization’s members and his positive impact is reflected by this gesture.”

Prior to joining UNC, White served as chair of a Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Kentucky and also professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Medical College of Virginia. Throughout his career, White has served as the assistant editor of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and co-editor of Orthodontics and Orthognathic Surgery. His peer-reviewed publications cover more than 45 years. His local honors include the NCDS Distinguished Service Scroll Award, the NCDS Meritorious Service Award, and the UNCDAA John C. Brauer Award. White has also received significant awards from national and international organizations, including the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Torch Award from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, W. Harry Archer Award from the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and SSOMS Distinguished Educator Award. White was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1982.