William John Gies Award
“ I am extremely humbled and honored to receive the William John Gies Award. I could never have dreamed of such an accolade. I extend my profound appreciation to the College for this incredible honor and am forever grateful.”
– Stephen Ralls
Dr. Stephen A. Ralls
A
fter an exhaustive national search, Dr. Stephen A. Ralls was appointed September 25, 1996, to serve as the fourth executive director and seventh administrative officer of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Ralls is a
Journal of the American College of Dentists
native of California. He began his dental education at the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry. Upon graduation in 1974 he entered the U.S. Navy, completing a general practice residency at the Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego. In 1979 Dr. Ralls completed a doctorate in education, also from the University of Southern California. The same year he started a periodontics residency at Indiana University, completing the program in 1981 with a Master of Science in Dentistry degree. Dr. Ralls achieved certification by the American Board of Periodontology in 1984. Dr. Ralls’ Navy career included a variety of challenging assignments, including dental department head on the USS Dixon (AS-37), Dental Corps plans officer and specialty advisor for dental research for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and com-
manding officer of the Naval Dental Research Institute, Great Lakes. Dr. Ralls achieved the rank of captain in 1990, and he was the first captain to receive the surface warfare designation for medical department officers. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), and the Navy Commendation Medal (two awards). He has authored or co-authored over sixty articles and abstracts, given numerous professional presentations, and he has received five patents for his research. Dr. Ralls was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Dentists in 1993. Among other honors, he is also a fellow of the International College of Dentists. On 24 March 1997, Dr. Ralls left the Navy to assume new duties as executive director of the college. In this capacity he served as managing editor
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