Meenakshi Vishwanath, BDS, MDS, an assistant professor in the UNMC College of Dentistry, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Board of Orthodontics.
The ABO directors are responsible for establishing policy with regard to the board certification of specialists in orthodontics. Each director represents one of the eight constituent organizations of the American Association of Orthodontists and serves an eight-year term, which culminates in the position of president.
Dr. Vishwanath, who represents the Midwestern Society of Orthodontists, will become president of the ABO in the 2030-2031 year.
Dr. Vishwanath joined UNMC in 2017 and became program director of the graduate orthodontic program in 2021.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected to serve as a director for the American Board of Orthodontics,” Dr. Vishwanath said. “It is humbling for me to join the leadership of this distinguished group, which has carried forward the mission of elevating the quality of orthodontic care for the public for over 90 years. I look forward to collaborating and learning from my fellow board members and adding value to the board’s critical work through my dedication and devotion to promoting excellence in orthodontics.”
Dr. Vishwanath added, “I believe I am the first director to serve the board as a director from my university and the state of Nebraska, as well as the first director of Indian descent. It is an honor to represent my university, state and my heritage.”
Educated in the U.S. and India, Dr. Vishwanath earned her BDS in dental surgery from Pondicherry University-Mahatma Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences in Pondicherry, India, and then completed her MDS in orthodontics from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences-SDM College of Dental Sciences, Dharwad, India. In 2009, she earned the membership in orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, U.K.
Dr. Vishwanath came to the United States in 2012 and completed fellowships in orthodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and the University of Connecticut. She obtained an MS degree and certificate in orthodontics from the University of Connecticut in 2017.
Her research interests include orthodontic biomechanics, impacted canines, orthognathic surgery and interdisciplinary care of cleft lip and cleft palate.
Congratulations, Dr. Minnie!
Hearty congrats, Minnie!