UCSF Sports Medicine faculty and orthopaedic surgery residents joined W. Dilworth “Dil” Cannon, MD, in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2026, to celebrate the launch of the Cannon Society. The new academic society connects UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery alumni through mentorship, networking and research collaboration while carrying forward Dr. Cannon’s legacy of compassion and clinical excellence. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
New UCSF alumni society honors Dr. Dil Cannon and connects generations of sports medicine and shoulder surgeons through mentorship, collaboration and clinical excellence.
SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 18, 2026) — UCSF Sports Medicine faculty and orthopaedic surgery residents joined W. Dilworth “Dil” Cannon, MD, earlier this month in San Francisco to celebrate the launch of the Cannon Society, a new academic society created to honor Dr. Cannon’s legacy and connect generations of UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery alumni.
The Society will bring fellowship and residency alumni together through mentorship, networking, academic and research collaboration, and continued engagement with UCSF. Its mission is rooted in the values that have defined Dr. Cannon’s career: compassion for patients, clinical excellence, mentorship and a commitment to advancing the field.
“The Cannon Society was created to celebrate the rich history of sports medicine at UCSF,” said Brian Feeley, MD, Chief of UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery. “Through alumni engagement, mentorship and opportunities for research and academic collaboration, the goal is to honor Dil’s legacy and build a community that connects former UCSF trainees with one another and with current residents, fellows and faculty in the program.”
Dr. Cannon is Professor Emeritus of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF and a longtime leader in sports medicine whose work includes contributions to arthroscopy, meniscal repair and surgical education. His influence at UCSF extends beyond those contributions to generations of physicians he has taught and mentored.
Ryan Halvorson, MD, Chief Resident in the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, will serve as the Cannon Society’s inaugural president, helping translate its mission into an active and enduring alumni community.
“In our first year, we want to build a strong foundation for the Cannon Society by reconnecting alumni and creating meaningful opportunities for mentorship, collaboration and engagement with our current residents and fellows,” Dr. Halvorson said. “Our goal is to create a community that stays connected to UCSF—and to one another—throughout their careers.”
For C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Chair of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Society is both a recognition of Dr. Cannon’s contributions and an investment in the generations that follow.
“What a wonderful recognition of a true UCSF legend. Dr. Dilworth Cannon is a pioneer, a leader, a mentor and a friend whose influence has shaped UCSF Sports Medicine for generations,” Dr. Ma said. “The Cannon Society gives us an opportunity not only to honor that legacy, but to carry it forward—connecting our alumni, mentoring the next generation and strengthening the community of excellence and compassion that Dr. Cannon helped build.”
As the Cannon Society grows, its mission will remain rooted in the example of the physician whose name it carries: connecting generations, advancing knowledge and carrying forward a tradition of compassionate, excellent care.