Yale Corporation has named Dr. Benjamin Judson the Charles W. Ohse Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology), effective immediately. Dr. Judson currently serves as Division Chief of Otolaryngology for the Department of Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine.
“An endowed professorship is the highest tribute Yale bestows on a faculty member, as it represents the direct impact of our academic contributions on our community,” said Department Chair and William H Carmalt Professor of Surgery.
“Dr. Judson’s appointment is a testament to his influence as a steward leader in academic surgery, and as an advocate for providing each patient with the highest-quality care path possible.”
Dr. Judson specializes in the research and surgical treatment of head and neck cancer, and the advancement of precise and minimally invasive care options. Since his appointment as Chief of Otolaryngology in 2019, Dr. Judson has grown the division into a multi-disciplinary establishment, with more than 20 providers leading destination programs across the state.
“It is a distinct honor to assume the Charles W. Ohse professorship, and I am humbled by legacy of excellence it represents,” said Dr. Judson.
The professorship was established in 1973 by a bequest to Yale New Haven Hospital and YSM by the late Mr. Ohse, a patient under Dr. William Glenn’s care. Mr. Ohse, who had been president of New England Tile Works, was one of the first patients to have the radio frequency pacemaker installed. So indebted to the surgical science that saved his life, Mr. Ohse subsequently joined Dr. Glenn’s lab, where he helped to iterate on advanced models of the pacemaker. Mr. Ohse died in 1970.
Dr. Glenn was named the first Charles W. Ohse Professor of Surgery in 1973. The late Dr. Clarence Sasaki held the professorship until 2021.
A formal ceremony honoring Dr. Judson’s appointment will be held this fall.