VCU School of Dentistry Dean Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., was presented the Dan Gordon Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) on Saturday, November 5. The award recognizes individuals who have contributed at the highest level to the welfare of the ACP and the specialty of prosthodontics, dentistry, science and health professions.

The ACP is the official sponsoring organization for the specialty of prosthodontics, which is one of 12 recognized specialties of the American Dental Association. Founded in 1970, ACP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing patient care, advancing the art and science of prosthodontics, promoting the specialty of prosthodontics to the public and other dentists and healthcare professionals, ensuring the quality of prosthodontic education and providing professional services to its membership.

“I am humbled by this generous recognition from my peers and the American College of Prosthodontists,” said Cooper, who accepted the award during a ceremony at the ACP’s Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas. “I’d like to thank my many colleagues and friends at the ACP for their support. I am honored to help advance an organization that has contributed to my own success in so many ways.”

Cooper, a patient-oriented researcher and clinician, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and has been actively involved in the ACP for nearly 30 years. He served as ACP president in 2010, following two years as vice president and president-elect. He also served as director of the ACP’s Board of Directors from 2013-2015 and received numerous ACP awards including the Young Investigator Award in 2001, the Clinician Research Award in 2004 and the Founders Society Award in 2020.

Cooper joined VCU School of Dentistry in April after serving as associate dean of research at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry. As dean of Virginia’s only dental school, he has championed efforts to improve access to oral health care in communities throughout the state and is taking steps to establish an advanced education in prosthodontics program. Prior to UIC, Cooper served as program director of Advanced Prosthodontics and was the Stallings Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Adams School of Dentistry. With more than 180 peer-reviewed publications, his research interests include immunomodulation of bone regeneration and clinical evaluation of dental implant therapies.