Academy News
See the latest news and updates from the American Academy of Optometry.
Announcing the 2022 New Fellows and Diplomates
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) recently hosted Academy 2022 in San Diego. The organization’s centennial was met with great fanfare, and the Academy welcomed a record number of 309 new Fellows to its ranks. Along with this strong showing of new Fellows, nine current Fellows earned the distinction of Diplomate.
Fellows of the Academy must complete a candidacy process that includes submitting written work demonstrating their skills as an optometrist or vision scientist. They must also sit for an oral exam at the annual meeting. It is estimated that 10 percent of practicing optometrists in the United States are Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). Among those eligible for Fellow status are: optometrists, scientists, educators, librarians, administrators and editors. Those who pass the rigorous criteria earn the distinction and the right to use FAAO in their credentials.
Diplomates are Fellows of the Academy who wish to demonstrate their extensive skill in a specific area. Currently nine sections offer Diplomate programs. These include: Anterior Segment; Binocular Vision, Perception and Pediatric Optometry; Comprehensive Eye Care; Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies; Glaucoma; Low Vision; Optometric Education; Public Health & Environmental Vision; and Vision Science.
Below is a complete list of the new Fellows and Diplomates. More information on becoming a Fellow and Diplomate can be found on the Academy’s website at https://aaopt.org/membership/.
About the American Academy of Optometry
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the continuing education presented at its annual meeting. Fellows of the Academy are committed to the premise that learning is a lifelong obligation of a professional, as is the commitment to expand the profession’s knowledge base through ongoing fellowship and exchange. For more information, visit the website: http://www.aaopt.org.
2022 Fellows
Kaleb Abbott
Rami Aboumourad
Cristina Acevedo
Noell Acord
Stephanie Adams
Lindsay Agro
Prince Akowuah
Abby Alexander
Kory Allen
Meznah Almutairi
Shelby Anderson
Miriam Anglo
Rebecca Aquije
Sabari Arcot
Grace Arnold
Alyanna Arzner
Kofi Asiedu
John Assan
Melissa Atencio
Nicole Auble
Sarah Aumond
Natasha Balani
Seema Banerjee
Ankur Banik
Rusha Barua
Ashley Bascom
Hadas Ben-Eli
Khob Bhandari
Kristen Bisig
Nicholas Blasco
Daniel Bollier
Melissa Bollinger
Petr Boshinski
Mackenzie Bradley
Grace Brasel
Rebecca Braunsdorf
Lauren Bruehl
Rachel Bruinsma
Lewis Bruneel
Nicholas Bruns
Jade Brunsvold
Amy Burcham
Akshaya C Balakrishnan
Melissa Caceres
Wendy Cacioppo
Gabriela Camorlinga
Sophia Capo
Paige Carr
Megan Carter
Christopher Cha
Brian Chado
Mandip Chahil
Jessica Chan
Tak Chau
Chandrashekhar Chawan
Connie Chen
Wei Chen
Christina Cherny
Elizabeth Choi
Kai Yip Choi
Bryan Cholico
Amy Chow
Brian Chow
Zachary Coates
Sylvester Cobbina
Camille Cohen
Kelly Cohen
Thomas Collins
Nora Cothran
Gabriella Courey
Sean Cushman
Michelle D’Amura
Quan Dao
Sweta Das
Sydni Davis Farhat
Melinda Thomas De Jesus
Isabel Deakins
Christin DeMoss
Daniel Detwiler
Eric Devore
Preet Dhami
Daniel Diamond
Randa Djabri
Carolyn Draude
Diana Driscoll
Jennifer Dryden
Ronit Dutta
Jennifer Eng
Michelle Anne Espanto
Ngozika Ezinne
Kimberly Fazio
Kevin Feng
Liana Ferreira
Cara Finn
Kristina Flaig
Randi-Jo Francis
Calliope Galatis
Marissa Gomez
Vivek Goyal
Daniel Grangaard
Hannah Gregory
Paul Grigsby
Kalina Grimm
Ivanna Grynyk
Allison Guindon
Jason Guo
Nayan Gupta
Caroline Haberthy
Megan Hafner
Michael Hall
Allyson Hall Johnson
Shazib Haq
Beth Harper
Kallie Harrier
Kiira Harrison
Belen Healy
Thomas Heinen
Amy Hellem
Andrew Henderson
Elise Hoi
Justin Holland
Alexandra Homann
Megan Horter
Selena Huang
Marie Huegel
Jennifer Hunsader
Tracy Hutchings
Klaus Ito
Sukanya Jaiswal
Janis James
Caitlin Jomoc
Landon Jones
Najiya Kadavath Meethal
Colin Kane
Sydney Kapp
Leyla Karim
Laura Karle
Helen Kee
Devon Kennedy
Katie Ker
Catherine Kerr-Niermann
Almas Khan
Autumn Killop
Deborah Kim
Jung-Sun Kim
Tyler Kitzman
Linus Klingler
Adam Kluck
Jared Koga
Jeffrey Kong
Paul Krabill
Casey Krug
Nora Kuby
Jenny La
Andrea Labunski
Alyssa Lancaster
Jason Lau
Michelle Lee
Richard Lee
Sam Lee
Shannon Leonard
Tsz Wing Leung
Melissa Levine
Jessica Lim
Luqian Liu
Nancy Liu
Kelly Lutmer
Anthony Mac
Crystal Maharrey
Julia Mai
Shreya Malli
Revathy Mani
Lina Manoukian
Jem Martin
Alexander Martinez
Elizabeth Marunde
Tiana Mathieson
Deepmala Mazumdar
Kanesha McBee
Jenna McBride
Michael McDougall
Xue Mei
Courtney Melchione
Matthew Meredith
Alex Meyer
Benjamin Michalicek
Kamila Mikos
Stefanie Mirabella
Salal Mohammad
Monique Mohammed- Weeks
Jennifer Monarrez
Yun Ping Moore
Sheila Morrison
Sara Moses
Marina Naguib
Geetha Nakka Sravani
Divya Nandwani
Ramya Natarajan
MaKay Neilson
Christina Nguyen
Hong Nguyen
Jacqueline Nguyen
Jennifer Nguyen
Linh Nguyen
Olivia Nichols
Rita Nieu
Augustine Nti
Irene Oluwatoba-Popoola
Chee Horng Alex Ong
Uchechukwu Osuagwu
Godwin Ovenseri
Margaret Overstreet
Alyssa Panagos
Simmy Panchal
Rabindra Pandey
Song Park
Johnny Pascual
Komal Patel
Reena Patel
Sapna Patel
Korey Patrizi
Sona Paul
Jennifer Peterson
Alexandra Piper
Andrew Pisetzner
Nicole Poon
Sudan Puri
Cathy Qin
Stephanie Quiroz
Rabab Rafique
Imad Rahman
L Alelujah Ramirez
Tuwani Rasengane
Faisal Rashid
Victoria Ray
Zachary Reynard
Charis-Ann Ricketts
Liana Rivkin
Julia Runco
Patricia Salazar
Rachel Samouha
Alina Sample
John Samssedi
Hannah Sanders
Sherry Sandri
Megan Schmauder
Brian Schmidt
Stephanie Schumacher
Amanda Setto
Muhammad Shahbakht
Kevin Shahnazi
Noreen Shaikh
Cindy Shan
Sherry Shang
Dana Shannon
Deepak Sharma
Zhihui She
Elsa Sheerer
Alaina Short
Peyton Simpson
Neeraj Singh
William Skoog
Claire Skorseth
Morgan Smerud
Jennyffer Smith
Zhi Da Soh
Sheila Soltani
Hannah Song
Andrew Sprenkel
Samuel Stack
Jennifer Steineman
Aidan Stubbs
Zahra Tajbakhsh
Leannza Tang
Fiza Tariq
Colleen Tejchma
Lilian Thoi
Chinenye Timothy
Steffani Tiomno
Isis Topete
Huy Tran
Kelsey Trast
Stella Tu
Kent Uehara
Emiko Vasquez
Marilyn Vricella
Zachary Walburg
Joshua Walek
Charlene Walton
Angela Wen
Rachel Werner
Douglas Widmer
Rachel Williams
Aaron Wolf
Arie Wong
Michael Wong
Miuyi Wong
Hannah Wood
Elspeth Wrigley
Keying Yan
Chang Ye
Jacquelyn Yi
Michelle Yoshimoto
Jessica Young
Alice Yuan
Lauren Zabaleta
Anna Zhang
Joyce Zhang
Evalin Zhao
2022 Diplomates
Anterior Segment
Sarah Lopez
Scott Hauswirth
Binocular Vision, Perception and Pediatric Optometry
Nicklaus Fogt (Research)
Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies
Stuti Misra (Research)
Amy Nau (Clinical)
Erin Rueff (Clinical)
Low Vision
George Papadakis
Optometric Education
Jasmine Yumori
Public Health and Environmental Vision
Lynn Greenspan
President’s Calling - Leadership & Legacy: Looking Toward the Future
In 1922, eleven men gathered in the Planters Hotel in St. Louis to form an organization for “optometric study in higher branches and for the exchange of ideas in optometric work”, and the American Academy of Optometry was born. One hundred years later, the Academy has successfully carried forward that original charge to become the largest organization in the world for optometric professionals.
With these many years behind us, we now have thousands of Fellows and a membership that reflects today’s world. Our membership is inclusive and welcomes all – from gender and race to ethnicity and nationality. Personally, this is a great point of pride for me.
In addition to honoring our history, the Centennial Celebration encourages us to look toward the future and consider what the Academy will become. I believe the foundation for our continued growth began in 2020 with the development of a four-year strategic plan. Built on five “pillars”, the plan is a road map that provides direction to keep the Academy vital and relevant to the profession and honor the changing world around us.
One of the pillars of the plan is “Leadership & Legacy.” which calls for a focus on leadership development and broadening opportunities for all Fellows eager to take on leadership roles. In particular, this pillar provides an actionable approach to expanding our leadership structure to be reflective of our membership in regard to ethnicity, race, age, and gender.
That is a reason to celebrate, indeed. Our Board and committee leaders are committed to collaborating with Fellows to achieve this future. We look forward to sharing more information in the New Year.
Finally, I am pleased to announce our last group of Hall of Fame inductees:
- William Lyle
- Robert Mandell
- Ruth Manny
- Harue Mardsden
- Edwin Marshall
- Timothy McMahon
- O.J. Melvin
- Meredith Morgan, Jr.
- Don Mutti
- Robert Newcomb
- Donald Paine
- Briggs Palmer
- Neil Pence
- John Perry
- Tom Quinn
- Sam Quintero
- Al Rosenbloom
- Bruce Rosenthal
- Mitchell Scheiman
- Lois Schoenbrun
- Glenda Secor
- Joseph Shovlin
- Harold Simmerman
- Earl Smith
- Donald Springer
- Morris Steinfeld
- Loretta Szczotka-Flynn
- Tammy Than
- Gay Tokumaru
- Michael Twa
- Helen Viksnins
- Suresh Viswanathan
- Ed Walker
- Robert Walker
- Richard Weisbarth
- Eugene Wiseman
- Bradford Wild
- Melvin Wolfberg
- Jack “Joe” Yager
- Stanley Yamane
- Karla Zadnik
- John Zettle, Jr.
Sincerely,
Timothy McMahon, OD, FAAO
President
President’s Calling - BRIGHT IDEAS: The Pressure Is On
We’re down to the final 15! Our inaugural BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition is underway, and the field has already narrowed by half. Next up, our competitors are working with industry mentors, fine tuning their pitch, and recording a five-minute podcast about their company or idea for their future use.
What’s on the line? Cash prize packages will be awarded to the top three competitors:
Top 15 Applicants
• Complimentary booth space at Academy 2022 San Diego ($600 value)
• Podcast opportunities prior to the annual meeting
• Invitation to “Fireside Chat” conversations with industry experts
Top 5 Semi-Finalists
All the above, plus:
• The opportunity to pitch live at the conference
• Pitch mentorship and “Business Deep Dive”
Top 3 Winners
All the above, plus:
• $10,000 for first place
• $5,000 for second place
• $2,500 for third place
You won’t want to miss this! Join us on Thursday, October 27, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. during Academy 2022 San Diego. The BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition is presented by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation in collaboration with the Innovation Council.
In other news, Centennial Celebration excitement continues with the release of the names of our next group of Hall of Fame inductees:
• Wolfgang Cagnolati
• Elmer Eger
• Jay Enoch
• Boyd Eskeridge
• Joan Exford
• William Feinbloom
• John Flanagan
• Mert Flom
• Thomas Freddo
• Rex Ghormley
• Edward Goodlaw
• Gunilla Haegerstron-Portnoy
• N. Alden Haffner
• Michael Harris
• Richard Hill
• Henry Hoffstetter
• Daniel Hummel
• Chris Johnson
• Lyndon Jones
• Morris Kirschen
• Carel C. Koch
• Pete Kollbaum
• Donald Korb
• Tom Lewis
• (Gerald) Jerry Lowther
Our Hall of Fame inductees will be formally recognized during a special ceremony prior to the Welcome Reception. Join us in the Convention Center lobby on Wednesday, October 26, at 4:30 p.m. for the unveiling and brief remarks by Centennial Celebration chair Barbara Caffery, OD, FAAO, and President-Elect Sue Cotter, OD, FAAO.
Sincerely,
Timothy McMahon, OD, FAAO
President
Announcing 2022 Award Recipients
Each year the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) recognize individuals who have made significant contributions and excelled in the profession.
“The Academy’s awards represent the very best of us, and it is right and fitting that in our centennial year we take the time to honor and celebrate our award recipients,” said John G. Flanagan, PhD, DSc, FAAO, chair of the awards committee and dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science at University of California Berkeley.
AAO and AAOF are pleased to present the 2022 award recipients:
Ann E. Elsner, PhD, FAAO
Charles F. Prentice Medal Award/AAO
James S. Wolffsohn, BSc, MBA, PhD, FAAO
Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award/AAOF
Jack Phu, OD, PhD, FAAO
Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award/AAO
Sajeesh Kumar, PhD, FAAO, FAMIA
American Academy of Optometry – Essilor Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Optometry/AAO
Jerry Cavallerano, OD, PhD, FAAO
William Feinbloom Award/AAO
Hector C. Santiago, OD, PhD, FAAO
Brien Holden Humanitarian Award/AAO
Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, FAAO
Carel C. Koch Medal/AAO
Joseph C. Lehman, OD, MS
The Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics/AAOF
Sherry J. Bass, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
Vincent Ellerbrock Clinician Educator Award/AAO
“Myopia Control: Why Each Diopter Matters”
Mark A. Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD, FAAO; Noel A. Brennan, MScOptom, PhD, FAAO. Optometry and Vision Science. 96(6):463-465, June 2019.
Garland W. Clay Award/AAO
Jason S. Ng, OD, PhD, FAAO
Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education/AAOF
Herbert Wertheim, OD, DSc, MD
Honorary Fellowship Award/AAO
Joan M. Exford, OD, FAAO
Life Fellowship Award/AAO
Chris A. Johnson, PhD, DSc, FAAO
Life Fellowship Award/AAO
Joseph P. Shovlin, OD, FAAO
Tony Adams Eminent Service Award/AAO
William D. Carter
Founders’ Award/AAO
Robin L. Chalmers, OD, FAAO
Max Schapero Lecture Award /AAO
Sandra Block, OD, MEd, MPH, FAAO
Henry B. Peters Award/AAOF
Award recipients will be recognized at special ceremonies during Academy 2022 San Diego, AAO’s annual meeting, which will be held this year from October 26 – 29, 2022, in San Diego.
About the American Academy of Optometry
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the continuing education presented at its annual meeting. Fellows of the Academy are committed to the premise that learning is a lifelong obligation of a professional, as is the commitment to expand the profession’s knowledge base through ongoing fellowship and exchange. For more information, visit the website: http://www.aaopt.org.
About the American Academy of Optometry Foundation
The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and was founded in 1947 for the “upholding, broadening, fostering, promoting and aiding of optometric education; the profession of optometry and its practitioners.” The organization provides financial support for optometric research and vision and eye health education to improve patient clinical care. For more information, visit the website: https://www.aaopt.org/home/aaof.
Nationwide Search for New CEO
American Academy of Optometry Launches Nationwide Search for New CEO
CFO Richard Jones to Serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 14, 2022) The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) has formed a search committee to identify candidates for the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Current Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/Deputy CEO Richard Jones will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer throughout the search. Jones has more than 20 years of nonprofit financial experience and been part of AAO’s management team for nearly a decade.
The search committee is led by Immediate Past-President Barbara Caffery, OD, PhD, FAAO, and composed of Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO; Stacey Coulter, OD, MS, FAAO; Joseph Shovlin, OD, FAAO; Jennifer Coyle, OD, MS, FAAO; and Andrew Mick, OD, FAAO.
“This committee is dedicated to identifying a leader who will pave the way for the Academy’s continued growth and contributions to the optometric profession,” said Caffery. “We are celebrating our centennial this year and want a CEO who can lead us into another successful 100 years.”
“It is critical we bring in a highly qualified individual with vision and the experience this role requires,” said AAO President Timothy McMahon, OD, FAAO. “They must be able to work in collaboration with the Board and staff to provide the quality programming, continuing education, leadership development, and membership services our Fellows expect.”
The committee has issued a request for proposal (RFP) from qualified search firms.
About the American Academy of Optometry
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the extensive continuing education and programming presented at its annual meeting. Learn more at http://www.aaopt.org.
Foundation News
See updates and the latest news from the American Academy of Optometry Foundation.
Announcing the 2022 William C. Ezell Fellowship Recipients
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
2022 WILLIAM C. EZELL FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS
ORLANDO, FL (July 18, 2022) – The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) is pleased to announce the 15 recipients of the 2022 William C. Ezell Fellowships. Named for founding AAOF president, William C. Ezell, OD, this fellowship seeks to assist full-time students in their pursuit of advanced degrees in optometric research and education.
Since 1949, more than 470 fellowships have been awarded to talented individuals in the field. This year’s recipients will receive $8,000 for the year-long fellowship. They will also be awarded two travel grants of $750 to attend the Academy’s annual meeting and the Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting.
Funding for these Fellowships is provided by leading optometric companies, private endowments, and other business organizations representing most sectors of the industry.
The AAOF congratulates the following recipients 2022 Ezell Fellows:
American Academy of Optometry Centennial Ezell Fellow
Charlotte YiYi Wang, OD, FAAO
University of California Berkeley School of Optometry
American Academy of Optometry Centennial Ezell Fellow
Rachel Williams, OD
University of Houston College of Optometry
American Academy of Optometry Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies (CCLRT) Ezell Fellow
Emmanuel Kobia-Acquah, OD, MSc, FAAO
Technological University Dublin Ireland
American Academy of Optometry Ezell Fellow
Kierstyn Napier – Dovorany, OD, FAAO
Indiana University School of Optometry
American Academy of Optometry Foundation Ezell Fellow
Rebecca Deffler, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry
Bert C. & Lydia M. Corwin Ezell Fellow
Sidra Sarwat, BOptom, MSc
University of New South Wales
Danne Ventura / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Neeraj K. Singh, BSOptom, MPhil
Indiana University School of Optometry
Irvin M. Borish / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Prince Kwaku Akowuah, OD
University of Houston College of Optometry
John N. Schoen Ezell Fellow
Erica R. Shelton, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry
Merton C. Flom Leadership Ezell Fellow
Rajendra Gyawali, FAAO
University of New South Wales
Meta Platform Technologies, LLC Ezell Fellow
Jennyffer D. Smith, OD
University of Houston College of Optometry
Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellow
Breanne B. McGhee, OD, MEd, FAAO
Pacific University College of Optometry
Mike Daley / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Marielle Reidy, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry
Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS) Ezell Fellow
Carol Lin, OD, MS, FAAO
State University of New York College of Optometry
Rod Tahran / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Augustine Nyarko Nti, OD
University of Houston College of Optometry
This year’s Ezell Fellows will be honored during Academy 2022 San Diego, which is October 26 – 29, 2022.
About the American Academy of Optometry
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the continuing education presented at its annual meeting. Fellows of the Academy are committed to the premise that learning is a lifelong obligation of a professional, as is the commitment to expand the profession’s knowledge base through ongoing fellowship and exchange. For more information, visit the website: http://www.aaopt.org.
About the American Academy of Optometry Foundation
The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and was founded in 1947 for the “upholding, broadening, fostering, promoting and aiding of optometric education; the profession of optometry and its practitioners.” The organization provides financial support for optometric research and vision and eye health education to improve patient clinical care. For more information, visit the website: https://aaopt.org/about-us/foundation/
