The Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research is proud to announce that Michelle Hall, MS, CPO, LPO, FAAOP(D), Lead Prosthetist and O&P Residency Director at Gillette Children’s in St. Paul has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Carlton Fillauer Award for Outstanding Contributions to Prosthetics Science and Practice.
One of the profession’s most distinguished awards, this award was established in honor of the late Carlton Fillauer, a visionary leader and innovator in the field.
Michelle Hall has demonstrated exceptional dedication to evidence based practice while making a lasting impact on the profession and the lives of individuals with limb loss and limb difference.
The award will be presented at the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium on February 20, 2026, where the O&P community will gather to honor this year’s recipient and celebrate Carlton Fillauer’s enduring legacy of excellence and service.
“I am deeply honored to receive the prestigious Carlton Fillauer Award in recognition of my dedication to the advancement of prosthetic clinical care, research, and dissemination throughout my career. I hope that this award continues to encourage other prosthetists to pursue not only exceptional patient care, but also to participate in scientific inquiry and dissemination to continue to advance our profession.”
Michelle is an ABC certified prosthetist-orthotist and a Fellow with Distinction of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (Academy). She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota, respectively. Her O&P education was obtained at Northwestern University. Michelle has practiced at Gillette Children’s for over seventeen years and currently serves as their Prosthetics Team Lead and O&P Residency Director. Her current research focuses on prosthetic outcome measures and secondary prostheses for children. She chaired the 2023 Orthotic and Prosthetic Innovative Technologies (OPTech) conference, hosted by Gillette Children’s.
She currently chairs the Academy’s State-of-the-Science Program Committee that is focused on translating research into clinical practice, specifically through the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Michelle is a three-time Thranhardt Lecture Series winner and recipient of the Academy’s Clinical Commitment Award and NCOPE’s Clinical Mentoring Award in Partnership with the Academy. She has volunteered and lectured extensively, most notably she is a past-president of the Academy.
Learn more about the Carlton Fillauer Award, his legacy, and the other O&P Foundation Professional Award programs.
