Quebec Chapter
- Upcoming Events
- Chapter Dues
- Chapter News
- Chapter Officers
- Student Chapter History
- Chapter Highlights
Upcoming Events
Quebec Chapter Virtual Meeting
Jan 16 2024 at 7:30 pm
https://umontreal.zoom.us/j/82790175677?pwd=bXBJS1N4RWp1akxhSlRMV3NXMkRzZz09
ID: 827 9017 5677
Code: 027686
Chapter Dues
No dues are required for Chapter membership.
Chapter News
2023 Highlights
Chapter Officers
President – Etty Bitton
Vice President – Sandrine Malaison-Tremblay
Secretary/Treasurer – May Jarkas
Immediate Past President – Langis Michaud
Student Chapter History
Montreal University AAO Student Chapter
Quebec AAO Student Chapter Officer and Faculty Liaison History
Year | President | VP | Secretary | Treasurer | 2nd yr rep | Faculty liaison |
2022-2023 | Elizabeth Lapointe | Patrick Simard | ||||
2021-2022 | Claudelle Jolicoeur | Ariane St-Martin | Alexa Scalia | Marina Nguyen | Patrick Simard | |
2020-2021 | Nicolas Blais | Ariane St-Martin | Claudelle Jolicoeur | Alexa Scalia | Marina Nguyen | Patrick Simard |
2019-2020 | Lara Tchakmakian | Melanie Shashaty | Catherine Comtois | Perla Azar | Justine Renaud | Benoit Tousignant |
2018-2019 | Gabriella Courey | Alexandra Fortier | Lara Tchakmakian | Melanie Shashaty | Catherine Comtois | Benoit Tousignant |
2017-2018 | Michelle Zakem | Ariana Verni | Gabriella Courey | Alexandra Fortier | Benoit Tousignant | |
2016-2017 | Annie Leblanc | Michel Zakem | Ariana Verni | Alexandra Fortier
Gabriella Courey |
Benoit Tousignant | |
2015-2016 | Carolyn Perugino | Annie Leblanc | Michel Zakem | Ariana Verni | Etty Bitton | |
2014-2015 | Zoe Lacroix | Carolyn Perugino | Etty Bitton | |||
2013-2014 | My Tien Pham | Zoe Lacroix | Carolyn Perugino | Etty Bitton | ||
2012-2013 | Yves Momplaisir | My Tien Pham | Zoe Lacroix | Etty Bitton | ||
2011-2012 | Claudine Courey | Etty Bitton |
2016 Student Fellowship Program
2015 Student Fellowship Program
2014 Student Fellowship Program
2013 Student Fellowship Program
2012 Student Fellowship Program
Chapter Highlights
2023 Highlights
Academy 2023 New Orleans Attendees
It’s been several years now that a combined ‘Canadian Alumni reception’ is held on Friday evening of the meeting to meet and greet alumni from the Montreal and Waterloo Optometry schools. Dr. Julie-Andrée Marinier (interim Director, Montreal) and Dr. Stan Woo (Director, Waterloo) were on hand to share news from each school with the attendees. We are also privileged to have Dr. Martin Spiro, newly elected president of the Canadian Association of Optometrist, to welcome and update attendees as well. This combined reception allows faculty and students from both schools to exchange and stay connected during the meeting. The annual group photo was a must to complete the evening!
Congratulations and welcome new fellow, Dr. Eric Lortie-Milner for completing his FAAO requirements.
Congratulations the following on their milestone FAAO anniversaries;
1 yr: Sarah Aumond, Gabriella Courey
5 yr: Vanessa Bachir, Diane Sayah, Kevin Sorya
10 yr: Claudine Courey, Alexandra Fraser, Nicolas Fontaine
15 yr: Frederic Gagnon, Patrick Simard
30 yr: Jean-Yves Roy
35 yr: Langis Michaud
45 yr: Brian Goldberg
Faculty, students and graduate students continue to contribute to the success of the annual AAO meeting, with 16 presentations for this year, with a record 3 lectures as part of the continuing education program (2 in contact lenses and 1 in dry eye).
2022 Highlights
Academy 2022 San Diego Attendees
This year, the AAO celebrated its centennial year in San Diego. What a meeting with the inauguration of a ‘Hall of Fame’ highlighting optometrists that have made considerable contributions to the profession and to the AAO. Congratulations to all the honorees. For the Quebec chapter, we have added two new fellows to our group, Drs. Sarah Aumond and Gabriella Courey. Congratulations and welcome to the Chapter!
Congratulations and welcome new fellow, Dr. Sarah Aumond for completing his FAAO requirements.
Research from the University of Montreal continues to be presented at the AAO annual meeting and this year was no exception with 15 presentations, including those from faculty, optometry students and graduate students. Research on the comparison of instruments for axial length measurement highlighted University of Montreal researchers (MAPLE team) at the ‘Fellows Doing Research’ booth. Congratulations to the MAPLE team for this spotlight.
2021 Highlights
On September 23 2021, the Quebec Chapter had a virtual meeting that discussed several items and highlighted several milestone anniversaries such as;
Congratulations the following on their milestone FAAO anniversaries;
1st anniversary: Kevin Messier et Reza Abbas
5th: Stephanie Chriqui, Luigi Bilotto, Benoit Tousignant, Vincent Moore
10th: Walter Wittich
25th: Alain Coté et Valérie Savard
35th: Jacques Gresset
Other noteworthy milestones (>30 years):
32 years: Daniel Brazeau
33 years: Langis Michaud et Jules Plante
43 years: Brian Goldberg
At the 2021 annual AAO meeting in Boston, the faculty and optometry students from the Montreal School of Optometry contributed to the program with 8 presentations.
Dr. Kevin Messier presenting a poster at the 2021 AAO annual scientific meeting
During the same meeting, Professor Etty Bitton was honored with the Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation. Congratulations Dr. Bitton!
2020 (Virtual Meeting) Highlights
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic restricting travel, the virtual meeting of 2020 was a huge success. Quebec optometrists, researchers and students participated in record numbers. Numerous faculty and students presented posters, papers and conferences. Drs Kevin Messier and Reza Abbas Farishta completed their fellow and we celebrated ‘At Home’ with a custom banner. Due to the virtual nature of the meeting, students were able to participate in record numbers. A student fellowship poster board was created to help students celebrate once they received their certificates. We all look forward to the next in-person meeting!
2019 Highlights
In 2019, the Quebec Chapter maintained its continued progression of activity at the AAO annual meeting in Orlando with numerous contributions to the scientific and the continuing education program.
The Quebec chapter had two new fellows, Drs Sandrine Malaison-Tremblay and Dan Samaha. We congratulate them and welcome them to the Quebec Chapter!
New fellow- Dr. Malaison-Tremblay
The annual meeting of the AAO is rapidly becoming a yearly pilgrimage for several students, researchers, educators and optometrists from Quebec, Canada, with 180 attending this year including 85 student members (a new record!!!). The Canadian Alumni reception allowed many friends and colleagues to catch up and continue the relationships between the two Canadian optometry schools.
Numerous presentations from students and faculty also highlighted this year’s events, with a total of 5 conferences and 16 scientific presentations.
AAO student awards 2019
An increasing number of students are receiving the AAO student fellow. A pinning ceremony celebrated the event with the Director of the school, Dr. Christian Casanova, and the faculty liaison, Dr. Benoit Tousignant.
Several students were able to receive awards towards the AAO 2019 meeting. These include optometry students as well as graduate students. We congratulate all the recipients!
2018 Highlights
Academy 2018 San Antonio was once again a popular destination for Quebec optometrists from Canada. A total of 137 people were in attendance at the AAO meeting held in San Antonio, of which the majority were students! Congrats to the student chapter for this amazing show of support! A group photo captured the moment at the Canadian Alumni reception.
We would like to congratulate 3 Université of Montréal alumni, namely Drs Zoe Lacroix, Vanessa Bachir and Diane Sayah on their FAAO. Congratulations to all of you !
Milestone FAAO anniversary congratulations go to;
Dr. Brian Goldberg (40 years)
Jules Plante and Langis Michaud (30)
Jean-Yves Roy (25)
Julie Brulé (15)
Frederic Gagnon and Patrick Simard (10).
Dr Brian Goldberg (40 years as a FAAO) and Langis Michaud (30 yrs)
Several presentations were also done at the AAO annual meeting, highlighting student and faculty presentations from the University of Montreal.
Optometry students Alexandra Fortier and Gabriella Courey present their poster presentation with faculty member, Dr Etty Bitton.
Faculty member and AOA Faculty student liaison, Dr. Benoit Tousignant presents on eyecare for the homeless at the AAO poster session.
2017 Highlights
In 2017, May Jarkas, practitioner and clinic faculty at the school, received her FAAO at the Chicago AAO annual meeting. We congratulate her and welcome her to the Quebec Chapter! The annual meeting of the AAO is gaining popularity with folks from Quebec, Canada. Optometrists, faculty and students were on hand at the Canadian Alumni reception in Chicago.
Congratulations also goes out to Dr. Luigi Bilotto as the recipient of the Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.
2016 Highlights
At the 2016 AAO meeting in San Diego, we are pleased to welcome Drs. Benoit Tousignant, Stephanie Chriqui, Luigi Bilotto and Vincent Moore as new Fellows! Congratulations on completing the FAAO requirements. We also would like to congratulate Dr. Jack Rosenthal for 40 years as a FAAO!
The annual meeting in Anaheim was a big success with an impressive 119 attendees from Quebec with a record number (81) of students. In addition to the new FAAOs honored this year, an impressive 54 students from Montreal completed their Student Fellowships. Student fellowships require students to participate in a number of different aspects of the AAO meeting in order to gain a better understanding of all that the AAO has to offer. To complete a student fellowship, students must attend different activities during the meeting, such as a poster session, lectures, a symposium, the exhibit hall to meet vendors, etc. Student Fellows of the AAO are recognized with a certificate and a pin after the meeting – congratulations to all our new Student Fellows! As usual, members of the optometry school contributed to the annual program with lectures, posters and papers.
2015 Highlights
At the 2015 Chapter meeting, we celebrated a new FAAO (Caroline Faucher) and a lifetime fellow marking his 50th anniversary as a FAAO (Howard Backman). Congratulations to both!
2014 Highlights
At the 2014 Chapter meeting, we celebrated a longtime friend and Fellow of the AAO, Daniel Brazeau, on his 25th anniversary. Congratulations Daniel!