Prof. William R. Proffit, D.D.S, Ph.D.

Dr. William R. Proffit, a native of North Carolina, received his dental training at the University of North Carolina, a PhD in physiology from the Medical College of Virginia, and a MS in orthodontics from the University of Washington. After serving as an investigator at the National Institute of Dental Research, he joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1965, serving as the first chairman of the orthodontic department there. From 1973 to 1975, he was Professor of Orthodontics and Chairman of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Florida. Since 1975, he has served as Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the UNC School of Dentistry, and was department chairman until July 2001. In 1992 he was named Kenan Professor, a distinguished professorship in the university. He is the author of Contemporary Orthodontics, now in its fifth edition and nine languages, and co-author of three books on severe dentofacial problems including Contemporary Treatment of Dentofacial Deformity, published in 2003. Other publications include over 180 scientific papers in refereed journals and more than 50 book chapters and invited contributions. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, and has lectured worldwide. Research recognition includes the American Dental Association's Norton Ross Award for excellence in clinical research, the Ohio Dental Association’s Callahan Award for research accomplishments, and the American Journal of Orthodontics Dewel Award three times (with co-authors) for the year’s best clinical research paper. He received the AAO’s Jarabak Award for teaching excellence in 1999, the Southern Association of Orthodontists Distinguished Service Award in 2001, the North Carolina Dental Society’s Meritorious Achievement Award in 2002, and the Ketcham Award of the American Board of Orthodontics in 2005.