The University of Nebraska Medical Center student was selected for clinical excellence in the annual competition presented by American Orthodontics.
The Journal of Clinical Orthodontics (JCO) has named Dr Jonjei Ku from the University of Nebraska Medical Center as the winner of the 2026 Eugene L Gottlieb JCO Student of the Year Award. The award is presented by American Orthodontics.
Ku was selected over 21 other students from schools across the US and Canada. His prize includes more than $8,000 worth of products and services from American Orthodontics, JCO, and Dolphin.
Award and Recognition
The award program is designed to recognize clinical excellence among orthodontic students.
“I am incredibly grateful to receive the 2026 Eugene L Gottlieb JCO Student of the Year Award, especially knowing the caliber of residents across the country who deserve this recognition just as much. More than anything, this reflects the people who have supported me this whole time,” says Ku, in a release. “Orthodontics is a field that lets us put science to work in the most human way, giving patients a smile and a confidence they carry with them for the rest of their lives. I hope to honor that by continuing to learn, grow, and give back to this most meaningful specialty.”
Ku is the eleventh winner of the award. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is the tenth different school to be represented by an award winner.
Competition and Judging Process
The competition was conducted in two stages and judged by members of the JCO editorial board. Initially, each participating school in the US and Canada nominated one student. The 22 nominees submitted letters of recommendation, a personal essay, and a complete treatment plan for an unpublished case.
From this group, 12 finalists were selected. Each finalist then submitted a complete report for a case they had personally worked on, with a panel of JCO board members voting for the winner.
“JCO is the clinician’s journal, so it is fitting that since most of the other awards are for research, we award the clinician’s resident award,” says Dr Neal Kravitz, JCO editor, in a release. “It’s so hard to pick a winner, with so many quality residents. Our readers can look forward to seeing Dr Ku’s case in JCO later this year.”
Sponsors and Award History
American Orthodontics (AO) serves as the award’s title sponsor.
“AO is dedicated to supporting orthodontic education and the future of the profession, and we are very proud to sponsor the JCO Student of the Year Award recognizing the best and brightest in orthodontics,” says Todd Beaudoin, director of North American sales at American Orthodontics, in a release.
The award is also sponsored by Dolphin, which provides imaging and practice management software for orthodontists. A complete profile of Ku will be published in a future issue of JCO.
Photo: JCO
