BOSTON — The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) on November 7 presented its highest honor, the Paul Revere Award for Lifetime Achievement, to Myron Allukian, Jr., DDS, MPH, in recognition of his unwavering commitment to public health. The award was presented at a reception as part of the American Public Health Association’s 150th Anniversary Meeting and Expo in Boston. Allukian is a past president of both the Massachusetts Public Health Association and the American Public Health Association. He is the first dentist to receive the Paul Revere Award.
“Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. has been a true luminary in the field of public health,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “He has worked tirelessly throughout his professional life to advance the importance of oral health as a public health priority. Millions of Massachusetts residents, and millions in other states, have better oral health as a result of his leadership for community water fluoridation, a safe and effective public health measure.”
“I am delighted to accept this honor from the Massachusetts Public Health Association,” said Dr. Allukian. “The challenge of promoting community health and health equity – particularly when we take seriously the challenges faced by underserved populations, including people of color, people who are low income, or may not speak English, people with disabilities, and others – are complex and evolving. There is no magic pill. It takes commitment and the 3 Ps: patience, perseverance, and persistence. It also takes data so that we can better understand the challenges we face, and it takes education and organizing to build a vigorous, community-based constituency to make an impact on the health of a community.”
Allukian is a widely respected public health expert who served as Dental Director for the City of Boston for 34 years. He has worked in municipal, state, national and international venues to advance the importance of oral health as a critical public health priority.
A Boston Latin School graduate, Allukian received his BS in psychology from Tufts University, a DDS from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is also a Vietnam veteran, having served in the 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War.
Allukian is a faculty member at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, and Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine and a Consultant to NYU Langone Health, Dental Medicine. He served as Chairman of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Work Group on Fluoridation and Dental Health for the 1990 Prevention Objectives for the Nation, and the Dental Advisory Committees for Healthy People 2000, 2010, and 2020, as part of the development of the National Health Objectives. In addition, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Oral Health Working Group within the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
