CDA Award Winners Each year, the CDA Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the people and organizations whose passion, leadership and commitment have helped shape dentistry in Canada. This year’s recipients were recognized during the CDA Awards Luncheon, held April 24, 2026, in Toronto. One of CDA’s signature events, the luncheon brought together colleagues and leaders from across the country to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s honourees. CDA gratefully acknowledges LISTERINE for its generous support as the event’s exclusive Platinum Sponsor. Throughout a distinguished career in academia, research and professional leadership, Dr. Jack Gerrow has played a transformative role in strengthening dental education, licensure and regulation in Canada and beyond. His pioneering work in developing valid and reliable methods for evaluating clinical competence has helped shape certification processes in Canada that uphold high professional standards and better protect the public. As an educator, prosthodontist and academic leader, Dr. Gerrow has influenced generations of dental professionals through his time at Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, the ACFD Teaching Institute, and the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB). His research has driven important changes in professional certification nationally and internationally, while his mentorship has guided countless students, educators and colleagues. Dr. Gerrow helped establish Canada’s pathway for internationally trained dentists and led innovations in competency-based assessment that continue to influence regulatory practices worldwide. His contributions have been recognized through numerous honours, including the Gies Award for Innovation, an honorary degree from Dalhousie, and his appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada, the latter of which recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Dr. Gerrow has left a lasting legacy through his leadership and vision for the dental profession in Canada. Dr. Jack Gerrow CDA Medal of Honour This award is the highest conferred by CDA. It is given to a dentist in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding service and professional achievement to the benefit of the dental profession, the dental community and society at large, and to which can be attributed significant change. “Thank you to my nominators, and especially to my wife Jan and our incredible children whose support and patience made so much of this work possible. I am deeply grateful to the many mentors, colleagues and friends who shaped my career, from my early days in clinical practice and academia to my work with CDA and NDEB. I have been fortunate to work alongside dedicated professionals who were willing to challenge long-standing assumptions about examinations and embrace evidence-based change. Together, we conducted research that influenced certification and examination systems across multiple professions and countries. As I accept this honour, I would also like to highlight the importance of dental education in Canada. Although Canada has a proud history of excellence in dental education, our faculties face significant challenges. I encourage leaders across our profession to work together to strengthen and support Canadian dental education for future generations.” – Dr. Gerrow 11 Issue 4 | 2026 |
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTE5MTI=