Dr. Mellion is a 1980 graduate of the Saint Louis University Department of Orthodontics. He received both his B.S. and D.D.S. degrees from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.  He opened his private practice in Akron, OH after finishing at St. Louis University and currently practices (part-time) with his two sons, Zach (SLU 2006) & Alex (SLU 2013).

Over the past 44 years, Dr. Mellion has committed himself to serving and advancing organized dentistry and the orthodontic program at Saint Louis University.  He has held numerous roles in organized dentistry at the local, state and national level - most notably as president of the Ohio Dental Association (ODA) and Ohio Chairman of the American College of Dentists.  Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Callahan Memorial Awards Commission of the ODA; a position he has held since 2007.

He has received the Saint Louis University Department of Orthodontics Distinguished Alumni Award, the Pierre Fauchard Academy Distinguished Dentist Award, and the Ohio Dental Association Distinguished Dentist Award.

From 2000-2018 Dr. Mellion served as Executive Director of OERF and currently serves as its Emeritus Executive Director.  Both SLU and OERF hold a very special place in his heart, and his path to SLU is both unique and coincidental.  Dr. Mellion was planning to stay at Case Western Reserve for his orthodontic training, but an impromptu meeting with his future mentor, Dr. Lysle Johnston, changed his plans and the rest is history…..

There have been 8 members of his family that have graduated from the Saint Louis University Department of Orthodontics since 1980. Now semi-retired, Dr. Mellion greatly enjoys spending time with his children and 9 grandchildren and also spends his time playing the piano, hiking, and traveling through Europe on his motorcycle.

We are indeed honored to add the name of Dr Joseph T. Mellion to our distinguished list of Merit Award Recipients.

Dr. Lee Graber received his dental education at the University of Michigan, his orthodontic specialty education at Northwestern University and his master’s degree in Anatomy and a multi-disciplinary PhD in Human Growth and Development at the Loyola University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan.  His broad basic science and clinical research interests have ranged from craniofacial growth guidance to the psycho-social aspects of malocclusion and facial form.  Dr. Graber has authored and or edited multiple publications and has served on numerous editorial boards but is best known as the co-editor and author of Orthodontics: Current Principles and Techniques along with Drs. Katherine Vig, Greg Huang and Padhraig Fleming.  The current edition, released this year, is the ninth iteration of the text originated by Dr. Tom Graber in the 1960’s.

Dr. Graber is the past president of the American Association of Orthodontists and the World Federation of Orthodontists (WFO) which he currently serves as Secretary-General.  His passion has been supporting orthodontic specialty education and credentialing, as well as assisting similarly minded colleagues and associations around the world.  He is the recipient of numerous professional awards including the American Board of Orthodontics highest recognition–the Albert Ketcham Award, as well as the WFO’s William H. DeKock Award and the SIDO World Award.

Dr. Buschang is a Regents Professor and director of orthodontic research at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. Before moving to Dallas, he was a NIDCR postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Orthodontics, University of Connecticut Health Science Center, and then a FRSQ scholar in the Human Growth Research Center at the University of Montreal. In 1988, he accepted a faculty position in the Department of Orthodontics, Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M University College of Dentistry). His research interests focus on craniofacial growth, developmental adaptations to orthodontic and surgical treatments and oral-motor function. He has published over 330 peer-reviewed articles, three books and numerous book chapters.  Dr. Buschang has given over 200 invited lectures and workshops, and has served as associate editor for several journals. He is the only person to hold honorary memberships in both the AAO and the Edward H. Angle Society. In 2019, Dr. Buschang was awarded the American Association of Orthodontists Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, his residents honored him by establishing the Peter H. Buschang Endowed Chair in Orthodontics.  

We are indeed honored to add the name of Dr. Peter Buschang to our distinguished list of Merit Award Recipients.