The Academy Award

For Contributions to the Osteopathic Profession

The AAO’s Academy Award recognizes individuals outside of the Academy who have demonstrated commitment to osteopathic principles and to the osteopathic profession, and who have profoundly contributed to the profession by:

  • Exhibiting outstanding efforts or special contributions to promote osteopathic medicine;
  • Continuously showing support of and collaboration with osteopathic organization;
  • And having a vision that is complementary to the Academy’s mission.

Established in 2000, this award addressed several action items from the AAO’s strategic plan. The Board of Trustees identified the first recipient at its October 2000 meeting, and the inaugural award was presented at the AAO’s Convocation in March 2001.

The Academy Award

Nominations

Nominations are due by October 1 annually.

Download the Nomination Form →

Past Recipients

An asterisk (*) denotes deceased.

2020s

2025W. Joshua Cox, DO, FACOFP
2023Joshua L. Prober, JD
2020Johannes Mayer, MD, DOM (Germany)

2010s

2019Robert Orenstein, DO, FIDSA, FACP, AAHIVS
2018Sidney N. Dunn
2017Angela Cole Westhoff, MA
2016Paul R. Standley, PhD
2015Diana L. Finley, CMP
2014Richard A. Vincent, MBA
2013Michael E. Fitzgerald, BA
2012Michael M. Patterson, PhD*
2011Fred C. Tinning, PhD*
2010John B. Crosby, JD

2000s

2009Stephen J. Noone, MS, CAE
2008Frank H. Willard, PhD
2007Barbara Peterson, D. Litt (Hon)
2006Norman Gevitz, PhD
2005Albert Kelso, PhD*
2004Irvin M. Korr, PhD*
2003W. Douglas Ward, PhD*
2002Judy Staser*
2001Andrew T. Weil, MD

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