The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) awarded the Albert H. Ketcham Memorial Award, its highest honor, to Vincent G. Kokich, DDS, MSD, at the annual luncheon of the College of Diplomates of the ABO, which was held in conjunction with the AAO’s 2011 Annual Session in Chicago.

The ABO created this award in 1936 to commemorate the achievements of Ketcham, one of the pioneers in the specialty of orthodontics. The ABO presents this honor annually to an individual who, in the judgment of the award committee, has made a notable contribution to the science and art of orthodontics. According to Jeryl English, DDS, MS, the 2010-’11 president of the ABO, “The Albert H. Ketcham Award personifies the goals of dedication to excellence and dedication to orthodontics that The American Board of Orthodontics has represented since its inception. Hence, recipients of the award personify these attributes and serve as role models for us all. This year’s recipient has distinguished himself professionally throughout his career and is certainly a perfect role model.”

Kokich, of Tacoma, Wash, is a professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also maintains a private practice in Tacoma. He has published 21 book chapters, 99 scientific articles, and 48 review articles. He has given more than 950 presentations throughout the world and has lectured to orthodontic societies in more than 50 countries. He is the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. He is a past president of ABO and the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry.

He has also presented several distinguished lectures, including the Jacob A. Salzmann Lecture, the John Valentine Mershon Memorial Lecture, and the Edward H. Angle Lecture for the AAO. He is an honorary member of the WFO; a Diplomate of the ABO; and a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

“Receiving the Ketcham Award is a humbling experience,” Kokich said. “What an honor it is for me to have my name added to the list of notable individuals who have received this recognition over the past 75 years. I thank The American Board of Orthodontics for this tremendous distinction and also for their dedication in elevating the level of excellence practiced by orthodontists throughout North America and in other parts of the world.”