The AAFPRS Outstanding Abstract Award  offers two travel grants to encourage residents and medical students to explore careers in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery—and support their attendance at the AAFPRS Annual Meeting.  These grants are awarded to the most outstanding abstracts primarily authored by an AAFPRS resident member or medical student member. This year's recipients include:

• Christine C. Little, MCD,  Vanderbilt University Medical Center for her paper titled " Mapping the Neuromuscular Junctions of the Gracilis Free Flap."

• William D. Mason, MD Ford Health System, Detroit, MI,  for his paper titled "Development and Characterization of a Novel Keloid Disease Organiod Model."

The Fatima Porter-El Mitchell Excellence in Fellowship Award  strives to recognize an AAFPRS Member who exemplifies a prevailing effort and attitude of excellence in a significant way, within the context of the AAFPRS Fellowship Program.  We are pleased to announce that this year the award goes to Stephen W. Perkins, MD. Dr. Perkins has been an exceptional AAFPRS Fellowship Director and played a vital role as the founding ACPSE Board Chair. He provided the key, driving and strategic leadership to launch the ACPSE in December 2015. The ACPSE is not 10 years old and thriving thanks to his leadership. He collaborated with, respected, valued and enjoyed working with the then Director, Fatima Porter-El Mitchell, the individual whom this award is named. We are certain Fatima would be extremely pleased that Dr. Perkins years of service to the AAFPRS Fellowship Program is being recognized

The William Wright Award for Excellence in Mentorship and Service may be presented each year to an AAFPRS member who has made outstanding contributions to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery by demonstrating a continual commitment to mentorship of younger members in the Academy or noteworthy service to the AAFPRS. This year’s recipient Travis T. Tollefson, MD.is a truly dedicated surgeon leader who has contributed tremendously to our specialty. He is an educator at heart, training a great number of facial plastic surgeons through his role as a fellowship director, directing dozens of educational courses at the AAFPRS, AAOHNS, Cleft and VPI meetings, and the international trauma organization, The AO. Dr. Tollefson represents the highest degree of academic rigor that our specialty strives for, with a special blend of surgical creativity, academic curiosity, and care for others. His talents lie not only on the surgical side but translating a lifetime of surgical wisdom into an exciting form of education for his fellow surgeons and mentees. In short, if you are near Dr Tollefson you will learn. Through his role as editor of our society’s journal (FPSAM), Dr Tollefson pushes our specialty to be better. He is a surgeon who cares for patients deeply, especially those that are vulnerable, and has advocated for patients born with cleft lip and palate both in the US (where he directs his University Cleft and Craniofacial Team) and Africa (where he has taught cleft surgery for 20 years).

The AAFPRS Exemplary Community Service Award  may be presented each year to an AAFPRS member who has distinguished themselves by providing and/or making possible free medical service to the underserved in their chosen community. The awardee has demonstrated continued and ongoing efforts to improve the lives of the underprivileged either domestically or abroad. Dr. Manoj T. Abraham has been teaching and directing fellows and residents for years. He regularly performs international surgical outreach trips multiple times a year. He has been instrumental in the development of the FACE TO FACE data base and international collaboration with surgeons across the globe.He has been a mentor to young physicians on AAFPRS committees. He continues to advance our Specialty and our Academy through his amazing and generous humanitarian efforts. His compassion and skill has and will continue to change many lives around the world.

The AAFPRS Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion may be presented each year to an AAFPRS member who has distinguished themselves through exceptional contributions to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The 2026 recipient is Jason S. Hamilton, MD. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, promoting equitable opportunities, and advocating for diverse representation in clinical practice and academic (an/or other organizational) leadership. Dr. Hamilton has been a driving force to help recognize, value and utilize the diversity within our Academy membership: to promote equity within our Specialty and medicine in general; and to advance a spirit and strategy of inclusion that truly includes everyone and safeguards against any group within our membership feeling marginalized.

The F. Mark Rafaty Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award may be presented each year to any AAFPRS member who, during their professional lifetimes, have made creative and innovative contributions of outstanding significance to the specialty of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and the missions of the Academy and the Foundation. The nominee has demonstrated leadership through participation on the Board of Directors as President of the AAFPRS, ABFPRS and AAO-HNS. He represented the AAFPRS and our Specialty by being the AAFPRS Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. He is a highly decorated double-board-certified facial Plastic surgeon, an author and educator. Throughout his career he has trained 35 AAFPRS fellows and has taught countless clinical presnetations domestically and internationally. The recipient also was an on-air medical reportor for ABC and NBC and served as president of the Illinois State Medical Society. Receiving this very special award for 2026 is J. Regan Thomas, MD.

The John Dickinson Teacher of the Year Award honors an AAFPRS member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching in Facial Plastic Surgery.Nominees may have developed high-quality, enduring educational content that applies to a wide audience, or contributed similarly to the education of Academy members. Through her many amazing skilled and generous teaching endeavors, this recipient has supported and taught young physicians through senior level facial plastic surgeons and everyone at varying professional stages in between. She has greatly enhanced the clinical skill set, knowledge base and innovation of each individual she coaches-and the patients of those facial plastic surgeons are receiving better care because of all your efforts.The AAFPRS Foundation proudly presents John Dickinson Teacher of the Year Award to Krishna G. Patel, MD.

The AAFPRS Rising Star Award may be presented each year to an AAFPRS member in the first decade of their career who has demonstrated exceptional promise, commitment, and potential in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The awardee should exemplify the qualities of a future leader through their contributions to clinical practice, research, education, or service to the AAFPRS. Their dedication and achievements during the early stages of their career should set them apart as a rising star, poised to make significant and lasting contributions to the specialty. Dr. Roy Xiao,is being presented with this Award. In his short career he has won several awards and research for his excellent teaching and research efforts. He is noted to be extremely committed to the field of facial plastic surgery and has shown incredible dedication to advancing the field through his efforts working on journal and grant review service. While being incredibly driven with proven accomplishments and awards well beyond his early career, the most important thing about Dr.Xiao is his demeanor and compassion for his patients.He is kind, extremely thoughtful, an excellent and meticulous surgeon, and always goes above and beyond for both his patients, and his colleagues. He is trustworthy and selfless, and an example of someone who uses his brilliance to help the whole team rise in every situation. He is truly a rising star, and will make a huge impact in our field.

The John Orlando Roe Award is named after the surgeon who accomplished the first rhinoplasty in 1887, includes a certificate and recognition along with 2 hours of research mentoring time to the graduate fellow who submits the best clinical research paper written during fellowship. This year's recipient is Tyler M. Rist, MD, 2024-2025 Fellow; J. Madison Clark, MD Fellowship Director for his paper Changes in Smile Symmetry and Perceived Emotions in Patients with Facial Synkinesis after Depressor Anguli Oris Myectomy: a Long-term Follow-up Study.

The Sir Harold Delf Gilles Award is named for Sir Harold Delf Gillies, a British otolaryngologist who in September 1917 described the tubed pedicle flap. Dr. Gillies frequently visited the U.S. and lectured widely to surgeons of various specialties and was given the title "Father of Plastic Surgery." A certificate and recognition is provided along with 2 hours of research mentoring time to the graduate fellow who submits the best science research paper written during fellowship. We are pleased that for 2026 Harry Chiang, MD, 2025-2026 Fellow; Robert Glasgold, MD, Fellowship Director for his paperFat Grafting to the Eyebrow-Upper Eyelid Complex: Revisiting the Aging Upper Eye Through Highlights, Shadows, and Ambient Occlusion.

VIEW a complete list of all Award Recipients.