Our department’s legacy of excellence in teaching and educational leadership continues…

Tom Southard is the 2022 recipient of the Louise Ada Jarabak Memorial International Teachers and Research Award. The award is the given each year by the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation recognizing exceptional leadership in orthodontic teaching and research. Nominees must be teachers of orthodontics. Their professional career must include a program of meaningful orthodontic research, presentations at national meetings, and personal sacrifices to promote the orthodontic specialty.

In his 30 years as faculty and department chair, Tom has published 2 orthodontic textbooks, authored over 100 research articles, and directed over 100 Master’s Theses in orthodontics, all with exceptional passion. In addition, every year he delivered approximately 150 hours of didactical teaching in Biomechanics, the core of our orthodontic curriculum. Tom, thank you for your dedication and leadership. We congratulate you!

Tom’s productive tenure continues the legacy of excellence in teaching and research at Iowa, furthering the heritage of our department by the work of Samir Bishara, John Casko, and George Andreasen, all previous Jarabak awardees. It is significant that our department is the ONLY orthodontic program in the world to have four Jarabak award winners. Excellence at Iowa continues.