Naming Opportunities

Dr. Boden’s sustained impact on orthopaedics since residency has been significant.  He has co-authored over 200 peer reviewed articles, edited numerous textbooks and chapters, and has received over 40 U.S. patents.  He has spoken extensively on his favorite topics of musculoskeletal imaging, bone healing and regeneration, and multidisciplinary approaches to musculoskeletal care.  He has spent his entire 30+ year career at Emory and served on multiple committees as well as serving as Director of the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center for 20+ years, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics, System Vice President for Business Innovation and Strategic Partnership Development, and most recently as Emory Healthcare’s first Chief Strategy Officer – all while continuing to care for patients and leading an NIH-funded translational research program. 

Dr. Boden served as President of the AOA in 2013-14, and for the Eastern Orthopaedic Association, The International Society for Study of the Lumbar Spine, and has been an officer in the Orthopaedic Research Society.  He is a winner of the Kappa Delta Research Award, and over 15 research awards from the top spine societies.  However,

Dr. Boden’s greatest accomplishment has been helping Mary raise their 5 children, of which all four daughters chose to enter the field of orthopaedics.  Without the support of his entire family, friends, and clinical partners and scientific collaborators, none of these achievements would have been possible.

In recognition of Dr. Evarts’ transformational gift, the Executive Committee has chosen to honor him by renaming the Resident Leadership Forum as the C. McCollister Evarts Resident Leadership Forum.

Dr. Evarts’ impact on orthopaedics has been significant. Among his many achievements, he has co-authored over 200 articles, edited numerous publications, held a wide range of visiting professorships and appointments, and participated on countless committees. He has served as Chair of two Orthopaedic Departments, CEO and Dean of two academic health centers, and been the recipient of many honors and awards—including the AOA’s Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award in 2006.

Dr. Evarts has served as President not only for the AOA (in 1985), but also for the AAHC, Hip Society, ABOS, and OMeGA Medical Grants. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine. He acknowledges that without the support of family and friends, all his other achievements would be diminished.

As an AOA Past President and prior AOA North American Traveling Fellow and ASSH Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellow, Vin Pellegrini gifted one million dollars to the AOA in 2022 through the AOA’s Campaign for Tomorrow. Dr. Pellegrini is appreciative of the opportunities afforded him by the AOA and wishes to ensure the continued programming of the NATF in order to influence and cultivate the academic trajectory of early career orthopaedic faculty members aspiring to leadership roles in academic orthopaedics. He is grateful to be able to give back to the AOA community for its positive influence on his own career and the continued inspiration it provides to orthopaedic leaders and academicians.

Dr. Pellegrini served as Chair of three Orthopaedic Departments for a total of 27 years at Penn State, the University of Maryland, and the Medical University of South Carolina. He held leadership roles as President of The Hip Society, the Maryland Orthopaedic Association, the Medical Staff of the University of Maryland Medical Center, and was Chair of the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies of the Association of American Medical Colleges and a member of the AAMC Board of Directors. He served as Deputy Editor of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and a member of the ACGME Residency Review Committee in Orthopaedic Surgery, and has been an examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery for over 20 years. He received the Distinguished Clinician Educator award from the AOA in 2022. His clinical interests include total hip and knee arthroplasty and surgery of the hand, and his research interests include basal joint arthritis of the thumb, venous thromboembolism complicating total joint arthroplasty, heterotopic ossification, and the biology of fracture healing. His research has been funded by the Department of Defense and the US Army, and he serves as PI of the PEPPER Trial, funded by PCORI. His work has resulted in over 200 peer reviewed publications and the Charnley and Stinchfield Awards of the Hip Society, the Coventry Award of the Knee Society, and the Nicolas Andry Award of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.

Beyond caring for patients, his greatest professional interests are in resident and medical student education and academic medical center governance. He has been responsible for the education of more than 100 orthopaedic residents and 20 resident research fellows. He is a passionate advocate and sponsor for women in orthopaedics, a mentor to many, and an active champion for the missions of academic medicine through the AOA and AAMC. He humbly acknowledges that all of his accomplishments pale in comparison to the love and support he has received from Lisa, Nancy, and his three daughters over many decades.

Dr. Rockwood’s gift was made in support of the AOA American-British-Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship program and created The Charles A. Rockwood Traveling Fellow. 
In 1967, he participated in the AOA American-British-Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship program and often speaks of the strong impact this experience had on his career. His generous support of the AOA’s ABC Traveling Fellowship is a representation of his passion for the program. 

Dr. Rockwood has received many honors throughout his career. His most recent honor is being named one of the 2019 AOA Pillars of the Orthopaedic Profession.

His gift created the Michael A. Simon CORD Summer Lecture Series, which will ensure that the AOA’s Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) program secures the best speakers for the AOA’s summer CORD Conference. 

Dr. Simon served as Interim Chairman for the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago and as the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Professor of Surgery. He has held numerous leadership roles in professional societies, including as President of the Illinois Orthopaedic Association, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, and the Academic Orthopaedic Society. 

He has been the Chair of ABOS and the JBJS. He has received many honors and awards—including the AOA’s Distinguished Clinician Educator Award in 2005. Dr. Simon is a 1983 alumni of the American British Canadian Traveling Fellowship and served as AOA President in 2002. 

Ann Van Heest MD is Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Van Heest trained at the University of Minnesota for medical school and orthopaedic surgery residency, as well as the Harvard Hand and Upper Extremity fellowship.

Dr. Van Heest has a strong interest in supporting orthopaedic resident education. She served as the University of Minnesota Residency Program Director for over 20 years. She also has over 20 publications on orthopaedic surgery education, with a focus on innovations in surgical simulation. She served as the ABOS GME Chair from 2017- 2021. At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Van Heest was the 2015 hand fellowship teacher of the year and the 2016 resident teacher of the year. She has received the 2010 ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, the 2011 University of Minnesota Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education and the 2018 AOA Distinguished Clinical Educator Award.

In 2023-2024, Dr. Van Heest served as the AOA President. During that time, the stand-alone winter AOA-CORD meeting in collaboration with ARCOS was established. This gift is to ensure that the AOA’s Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) program secures the best speakers for the AOA’s Winter CORD Conference.