Happy New Year from the NESO President!
Dear NESO Colleagues and Friends,
Happy New Year!!
I am Sercan Akyalcin—and if you’re not sure how to pronounce it, you’re not alone (Ser-jon Ak-yal-chin). Feel free to ask me in person. I promise it’s easier than it looks. I’m honored to serve as your 2025–26 NESO President. Outside of orthodontics, I’m a husband to a prosthodontist and a proud dad, and I’m looking forward to building more meaningful connections with members throughout the year.
I’m grateful to work with a terrific group of NESO volunteers focused on one thing: helping you thrive as an orthodontist. This year, we’ll provide resources to help you build your practice and expand your clinical knowledge through high-quality, evidence-based continuing education.
Even though it is only January, we want to make sure you are absolutely planning to attend this year’s Annual Session in the fall. We know you have choices about where to spend your valuable time away from your practice, and I want to give you a sense of why this coming meeting will be great for you, your team, and your practice.
First…
We are back in Boston in 2026!!! Not just because it’s Boston (though… yes, wicked Boston). Next November, Boston will be buzzing with the 250th-anniversary celebration as its backdrop, creating a once-in-a-lifetime setting you won’t want to miss.
Come for the chowdah… stay for the program (and America 250 energy— history is literally outside the doors).
As a taste of the program, we are building our signature annual celebration that captures the best of NESO: the people, the energy, the practical takeaways, and the momentum you carry straight into Monday morning. As I begin my tenure as NESO President, I want you to know this: I care deeply that every member has an awesome experience, whether this is your first NESO meeting or your twentieth. I want you to walk away feeling welcomed, valued, and re-energized, with ideas you’re excited to implement and people you’re genuinely glad you saw.
On the education side, here’s the promise: no hype, just real clinical value that directly benefits your practice and growth. We’re curating a program that’s evidence-based, interdisciplinary, and relevant to what you need in practice the very next day. We’ve also recruited world-class speakers, including exceptional clinicians you may have seen on primary stages like the World Federation of Orthodontists and the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session. They will speak at NESO because their protocols hold up, their outcomes speak for themselves, and they teach in a way you can actually use.
Our social program will foster meaningful connections, helping you relax, reconnect, and build relationships that last long after the last lecture ends. Great meetings are remembered not only for what you learned, but for who you shared it with.
And, what about those of you members who are our future? We’ll be championing residents, new members, and young orthodontists in ways that make you feel supported and valued. The future of our specialty depends on the mentorship, access, inclusion, and real opportunities we provide early in careers. It will all be happening in Boston!
It may be January, but mark your calendar now for Boston, November 6-7, 2026, and plan to join us for this memorable event.
Warmly and collegially,
Sercan
Sercan Akyalcin, DDS, MS, PhD
Head of Orthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
President, Northeastern Society of Orthodontists
Chair, Council on Orthodontic Education, AAO
Secretary-Treasurer, E.H. Angle Society – Eastern Chapter
Office: 617.432.5740 | Fax: 617.432.3246
188 Longwood Avenue, REB #508 | Boston, MA 02115
https://hsdm.harvard.edu/people/sercan-akyalcin