Explore This Issue
March 2024Once a year, the four sections of the Triological Society gather to learn about new research, exchange ideas, and network with others in the specialty. This year’s Combined Sections Meeting took place on Jan. 25–27 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.
During the meeting, awards were given, and otolaryngologists were honored for their career achievements. Here, you’ll meet the honorees and special guests and view the Speed Networking Event, which brought together experienced and new otolaryngologists to share ideas on a variety of topics. Next month’s issue will feature a look at some of the new research and panel presentations from the meeting.
2024 Thesis Award with Distinction: Taher S. Valika, MD, Chicago, Ill.
Thesis: “Fluoroscopic Assisted Tongue Suspension: Advancement and Innovation in the Management of Complex Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea”
Eastern Section Citation Awardees: Barry L. Wenig, MD, MPH, MBA, Chicago, Ill.
Dr. Wenig is the Mario D. Mansueto, MD, Professor and chair of the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He treats patients with malignant and benign head and neck tumors, with the goal of eradicating cancer while maintaining quality of life. He’s a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology and has been an active leader in professional organizations, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Head and Neck Society.
Peak Woo, MD, New York, N.Y.
Dr. Woo is a clinical professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine. Since 2008, he has been in clinical practice with academic appointment as clinical professor and co-director of the laryngology fellowship training program at the Icahn School. He’s a past president of the American Broncho-Esophaglogical Association and the American Laryngological Association. His main clinical and research interests are in the medical and surgical treatment of laryngeal diseases, and he has lectured extensively on diagnosis and management of voice disorders. He has participated in laryngology fellowship training of international and national fellows since 1996.
Donald A. Leopold, MD (posthumous)
A stalwart of modern rhinology, Dr. Leopold passed away on June 11, 2022. He was focused on patient care, education, and research during his internationally recognized career in olfaction and rhinology. He was a leader within otolaryngology for decades, serving as president of the American Rhinologic Society and chair of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and the University of Nebraska. He trained hundreds of students, residents, and fellows over his almost 40-year career at SUNY Upstate, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Vermont.
Eastern Section Guest of Honor: Warren Schubert, MD, St. Paul, Minn.
Dr. Schubert is a general plastic surgeon who has been based at Regions Hospital, the main Level 1 Trauma Hospital for the University of Minnesota Plastic Surgery residency training program, for 33 years. He’s the immediate past chair of the AO Craniomaxillofacial (AOCMF) International Board, past president of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, and has been a board member of the AOCMF (AO Craniomaxillofacial) International Board, the AOCMF (AO Craniomaxillofacial) North American Board, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Association for Hand Surgery, among others. His primary interests are maxillofacial trauma and reconstruction, hand surgery, work in developing countries, and teaching.
Southern Section Citation Awardees: Jeffrey P. Harris, MD, PhD, La Jolla, Calif.
Dr. Harris is one of the longest serving chairs of otolaryngology, now in his 38th year. He is a tenured, distinguished professor of otolaryngology and neurological surgery at the University of California San Diego. His clinical practice covers neurotology, but his special focus has been immune causes of hearing loss, AIED, Meniere’s disease, and surgery for otosclerosis. He is the past president of the American Otological Society and the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. He was awarded the Shambaugh Prize by the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum in Rome, Italy, and the Award of Merit from the AOS. He also received the Triological Society’s Citation Award for the Western Section.
Fred J. Stucker, MD, Shreveport, La.
Dr. Stucker is an emeritus professor at LSU Health Shreveport. Following his submarine and diving duty in the U.S. Navy, he served his residency in otolaryngology at the Oakland Naval Hospital, then was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval Hospital in Japan as chief of ophthalmology and otolaryngology, with additional duties as the medical officer for the Submarine Flotilla Seven and the medical diving officer for the Far East. Following his military career, he became professor and chair of the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at LSU Medical School, guiding the program for 29 years. Dr. Stucker has been president of four national societies and has received numerous awards from both the military