Peter D. Waite, M.P.H., D.D.S., M.D., F.A.C.D., F.A.C.S., professor emeritus in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
The award was presented during the SSOMS 75th Annual Meeting, held April 23-27 in Key West, Florida. Waite was recognized for his decades of leadership, innovation and dedication to the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Waite is the former McCallum Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UAB, where he served as program director for seven years and department chair for nearly 30. He continues to teach dental students and residents in his emeritus role.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Waite earned his medical degree from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. His clinical expertise includes orthognathic surgery, craniofacial reconstruction, cleft lip and palate, cosmetic surgery, dental implants and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
Waite is a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and editor of Peterson’s Principles of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, edited eight books, and authored 37 book chapters. His research has advanced the specialty in areas such as rhinoplasty in orthognathic surgery, cleft and craniofacial procedures, and enhanced recovery after surgery protocols.
Among his many honors are the William Gies Award, the Daniel Laskin Award, and the AAOMS Clinical Research Award.
“I’ve always believed that the greatest privilege in medicine is the opportunity to teach and to serve,” Waite said. “This recognition is deeply meaningful, and I’m grateful to have spent my career doing what I love.”
Outside of academia, Waite volunteers as a forest ranger in Grand Teton National Park and works with the Wildlife Bear Brigade. He considers his greatest achievement to be his family — his wife, three children and six grandchildren.