The Board may grant honorary certification to individuals who do not possess all of the educational and practice limiting requirements to be eligible for specialty examination, but who have demonstrated unusual capability in related areas of endeavor and have made outstanding contributions to dental public health. Specifically, the recipient: (1) should have demonstrated unusual capability in dental public health and a record of outstanding contributions to the specialty of dental public health; and (2) does not meet the requirements to be eligible for dental specialty status.  

Any Diplomate may nominate an individual for Honorary Diplomate status, and when such a nomination is made or at any other time the Board wishes to consider nominations for Honorary Diplomate, a committee is formed to consider candidates for this honor. The Honorary Diplomate Committee is an ad hoc committee composed of the Past-President, one Director, and two (non-Director) Diplomates of the ABDPH. This committee will consider any person nominated for Honorary Diplomate status or any other persons the Committee wishes to nominate.  The Committee will vote to honor no more than one person as an Honorary Diplomate in a given year. 

List of Honorary Diplomates

Alice Horowitz

Ernest Newbrun

Kathy Phipps

Detailed Process: 

1. The President of the ABDPH will appoint a nominations committee consisting of the Immediate Past-President and at least two Diplomates who have not served on the Board. 

2. A call for nominations will be made in each fall issue of the ABDPH newsletter with the nominations due to the Executive Director (via email at executive.director@abdph.org) no later than February 1 of the following year. 

3. Nominations should include: (1) A letter of nomination from an active Diplomate of the ABDPH indicating how the individual meets the award criteria and why the nominee will most likely never meet Board specialty eligibility criteria; and (2) a current curriculum vitae of the nominee. 

4. All nominations will be reviewed by the committee and the committee may recommend one or more suitable candidates to the Board for their approval. The status of Honorary Diplomate does not have to be granted every year. 

5. The Honorary Diplomate will be invited to attend the annual business meeting and banquet to receive this honor, and will be presented a plaque/certificate and an ABDPH pin. The Board will provide the dinner and award at no cost to the awardee. However, transportation and housing costs to attend the annual business meeting will be the responsibility of the recipient.

6. No registration fees will be required of the nominee or Honorary Diplomate. 

7. The Honorary Diplomate will be recognized and profiled in a subsequent ABDPH newsletter. 

8. Honorary Diplomates may indicate this recognition on their curriculum vitae and similar documents as “Honorary Diplomate, American Board of Dental Public Health.” 

9. Benefits for Honorary Diplomates will include: (1) Listing on ABDPH website; (2) receipt of ABDPH Newsletter; (3) no annual registration fees; (4) invitation and announcement to attend the Diplomates’ Annual Dinner and Business Meeting at the same cost as other Diplomates; and (5) other benefits that the ABDPH deems appropriate.