The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) recognized several O&P professionals, students, and researchers with awards and accolades for their contributions to the O&P industry during the 2026 National Assembly in Las Vegas this week..
George Breece received the AOPA Special Award for Career Commitment to Advocacy for commitment and contributions to O&P throughout his career. Breece, founding executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) retired in 2025, after 38 years at the helm of NAAOP.
Dennis E. Clark, CPO, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Professor Hans Georg Nadar Digital O&P Care Award was given to Zachery Wright, PhD, Mujtaba Khan Mohammad, and Thomas Boyd.
The Edwin and Kathryn Arbogast Award was given to Lanie Bainter and Adam Fields of Drexel University for the best prosthetic abstract for their poster presentation, “Toward a Gold Standard: A Review of Prosthetic Strength Testing and ISO 10328 Methodology.” Bainter and Fields are expected to earn their O&P master’s degrees in 2027.
Alexis Spell, MSOP, received the Otto and Lucille Becker Award for the best orthotic abstract poster presentation, “Increased Pain Intensity Is Associated with Orthosis Nonuse in Adults with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita.”
The AOPA Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Dennis Janisse, CPed.
AOPA O&P Rising Stars were Janine Albrecht, MSOP, CPO, WillowWood; Cassandra Delgado, MSOP, CPO, Coyote Prosthetics & Orthotics; and Graci Finco, PhD, CPO, Texas Christian University.
Maggie Baumer, JD, EMBA, Hanger Clinic; and Nicole Ver Kuilen, So Every BODY Can Move received the Ralph R. “Ronny” Snell, CPO, FAAOP, Legislative Advocacy Award.
