Dr. Henry W. Fields, Jr., Recognized as the 2023 Earl E. and Wilma S. Shepard Distinguished Service Award Recipient
Professor emeritus Henry W. Fields, Jr., DDS, MS, MSD, is the recipient of the 2023 Earl E. and Wilma S. Shepard Distinguished Service Award. Presented on April 24 at the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session in Chicago, the award recognizes Dr. Fields for his outstanding dedication and advancement of the ideals and mission of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO). The ABO is the global leader in orthodontic board certification and sets the standards of care for excellence in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.
Dr. Fields served as chair of the Division of Orthodontics from 2006 to 2020, including the years 2013 to 2020 as the Vig-Williams Endowed Chair in Orthodontics. He joined Ohio State in 1991 as dean of the College of Dentistry and continued in that role through 2001. He has served as the chief of the Section of Orthodontics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital since 2006.
Dr. Fields expressed his appreciation for the recognition, saying, “I have been lucky professionally. At many points, people have taken me aside and told or showed me what was possible and expected me to make it happen. Everyone can benefit from these demonstrations of confidence. I hope others do the same for those with potential.”
During the AAO Annual Session, he received the additional honor of having the pre-conference meeting named The Henry W. Fields Educational Leadership Conference. The Society of Educators, which hosts the meeting, annually recognizes the service of a highly distinguished educator by naming the conference in their honor.
Dr. Fields has authored or co-authored more than 120 scientific articles, numerous books and book chapters, and has lectured worldwide. He serves as a reviewer for several journals, including the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Angle Orthodontist and Pediatric Dentistry. His current research interests include child dental behavior, vertical facial development, orthodontic diagnostic and treatment methods, and health literacy and informed consent.
Dr. Fields is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He is active in many dental and orthodontic organizations at the national, state and local levels. He is a past president of the Ohio Dental Association and the Columbus Dental Society.
Dr. Fields earned his dental degree and a master's in pediatric dentistry from the University of Iowa. He then completed a master's in orthodontics at the University of Washington. Prior to joining Ohio State, Dr. Fields was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and for five years was graduate program director for pediatric dentistry.