The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) chose Brian J. Hafner, PhD, and Jennifer A. Richards, MA, CPO, as recipients of the 2026 Thranhardt Lecture Series Awards. Their submissions will be showcased at the 2026 Academy Annual Meeting & Scientific Symposium.
Hafner will present “Validation of the PROsthetic mobility Performance Test (PROMPT).” He is a professor in the University of Washington (UW) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, adjunct professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, director of research for the UW Division of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and a principal investigator at the university’s Center on Outcomes Research in Rehabilitation.
Richards will present “Assessing Orthotic Treatment Outcomes in Pectus Carinatum Through Clinical Anthropometric Measures.” She is a practitioner at the University of Michigan Orthotics and Prosthetics Center and an adjunct professor at the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics and the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology.
Each year, the Academy Annual Meeting Clinical Content Committee selects two abstracts to be presented as part of the Thranhardt Lecture Series, and each awardee receives a $500 honorarium. Thranhardt Lecture Series abstracts are also sent to the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics (JPO) Editorial Review Board for potential inclusion in a future issue and become courses on the Academy’s O&P Knowledge Central.
The Thranhardt Lecture Series Award was established in 1995 with a gift from J. E. Hanger in memory of Howard R. Thranhardt, CP, to recognize individuals committed to advancing clinical education and research in O&P.
