August SCOnline: News for Alumni and Educational Partners

August 2013

Building Construction Report

As SCO prepares to welcome incoming students from the Class of 2017 to campus for Orientation later this week, finishing touches are being made to the college's $9.4 million new academic complex. Technology wiring, furniture installation and final touch ups are being completed this week. Between now and the official dedication ceremony on Friday, October 4, an art installation and other aesthetics will be finalized as well. Alumni and participants at our Fall Homecoming and CE weekend are invited to tour our new classrooms, pre-clinical labs, study rooms and other areas following the dedication ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 4. Lunch will be provided. Be sure to choose the ceremony as part of your Homecoming registration process or RSVP to ia@sco.edu.

REGISTER FOR FALL HOMECOMING & CE

Registration Now Open

Register now for SCO's Fall Homecoming/CE weekend, to be held Oct. 3-6. Twenty hours of CE will be offered, including the final lecture of his career by Jim Newman, OD '73, and other noted speakers, including Jerry Hayes, OD '73. Alumni are invited to attend SCO's Convocation and White Coat Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. Formal dedication of SCO's new academic facility immediately follows at 12:30 pm with a barbecue luncheon afterward. An all alumni dinner will be held Saturday evening at the Peabody Memphis, including special recognition of reunion classes. A full schedule may be viewed online here. SCO extends its appreciation to Alcon, Allergan and the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence for its support of our weekend.

AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

Outstanding Achievement Recognized

Three alumni will be recognized for their notable contributions to the profession of optometry, leadership and support of SCO at this year's Convocation ceremony on Friday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. Receiving SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award will be U.S. Senator John Boozman, OD '77, currently serving his first term in the U.S. Senate after several years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jim Newman, OD '73, will also receive the Lifetime Achievement Award following his recent retirement after 40 years of teaching at SCO. The Young Alumni Award will go to Navy Lt. Commander Emily Sprague, OD '04, who has served in leadership roles at Camp Pendleton, Pearl Harbor and Guantanamo Bay. All alumni are invited to attend the ceremony preceding the dedication of SCO's new academic complex.

HONORARY DEGREE NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

Deadline is October 31

SCO is seeking submissions for names of distinguished optometrists and other individuals for consideration of honorary degrees to be awarded at commencement in 2014. The college invites you to submit names and accomplishments of those to be considered; anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Recipients must be of sufficient stature and character as to honor the college. Specific criteria must include at least two of these:

Distinguished record of scholarship
Outstanding contributions to society through humanitarian efforts, public service or education
Outstanding contributions to optometry or the optometric profession.

Nominations and supporting details should be sent to Academic Affairs (Honorary Degrees), c/o SCO, 1245 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN 38104 or to degrees@sco.edu. The deadline is Thursday, October 31.

CLASSNOTES AND UPDATES

News about SCO's Alumni and Faculty

Nathan Ford, OD '50, was recently recognized with a Tennessee House of Representatives resolution in honor of him being named SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2012. Read more in this newspaper story in which he's pictured with Jeff Foster, OD '81.

Herbert Wertheim, OD '67, founder and president of Brain Power, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments, lens tints, and diagnostic instruments, was recently elected to the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology's Board of Directors. Read more in this news release.

Terry Moehnke, OD '77, is a candidate for a city council position in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Read more in this newspaper story.

Major Jeff Newsom, OD '05, has been selected to serve as the Air Force Optometry Operations Office and will relocate from Dover AFB, Delaware to the Air Force Medical Operations Agency in San Antonio, Texas. The second person ever to serve in this position, Major Newsom will work closely with the Optometry Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General to optimize efficency and engle

enhance productivity across the entire Air Force.

Nick Engle, OD '07, and Erin Engle, OD '07, welcomed a daughter, Piper Avery, pictured, on May 2.

Gary Granger, OD '10, will open a new optometry practice, Granger Eye Studio, this October in Youngsville, Louisiana.

Marina Gurvich, OD '10, recently joined Tasman Eye Consultants, where she practices with Stuart Tasman, OD '80.

Aubrey Harlan, OD '10, recently opened a new practice in Kentucky. Read more in this story.

Kinsey Honeyman, OD '10, recently opened Highpoint Family Vision in Shawnee, Kansas.

Melia Robertson, OD '10, and her husband, Justin, welcomed a daughter, Emmarie Ray Robertson, born May 18, pictured.

Sam Winston, OD '11, and his wife, Leah, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Lydia Rose Winston, pictured, born June 20. She is the granddaughter of Barry Winston, OD '74, and the great-granddaughter of the late Harold Winston, OD '41.

Keegan Hearn, OD '11, has joined the practice of Rob Szeligas, OD '05, in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Barrett Brown, OD '13, has joined a practice in Monticello, Arkansas. Read more in this story.

Brittany Radke, OD '13, has joined Eye Contact, a practice in Madison, Wisconsin.

SCO President Richard W. Phillips, OD '78, is recuperating after a fall at home resulted in a broken leg two weeks ago. He is currently undergoing physical rehabilitation. Although he faces a long recuperation period, he remains in daily touch with college operations and hopes to return to campus soon for meetings. Dr. Phillips appreciates the thoughts and prayers of alumni. You may email your sentiments to him in care of alumni@sco.edu.

SCO's incoming 132 members of the Class of 2017 were selected from 866 applicants. They have a mean overall GPA of 3.53 and a meant OAT score of 327. The class is 52 percent female, 48 percent male and they come to Memphis from 29 different states.

SCO received the "School of the Year" award at this summer's 45th annual National Optometric Association meeting in New Orleans.

Faculty Updates

Drs. Karen Keihbein and Jill Pitts have been promoted to Assistant Professor. Drs. Janette Dumas, Jason Duncan, and Rick Savoy have been promoted to Associate Professor. Dr. Chris Lievens has been been promoted to Professor.

Dr. Carrie Lebowitz recently succeeded Dr. Jim Newman as Director of Academic Support Services at SCO.

New faculty who recently joined SCO include Dr. Mike Christensen, Associate Professor and Director of Research; Dr. Alan Kabat, Professor, and Dr. Reena Lepine, Instructor.

Dr. Bill Edmondson, pictured, received the Contact Lens Achievement Award from the AOA's Contact Lens and Cornea Section in appreciation of outstanding contributions to the optometric profession in the area of contact lenses and eye care.

Dr. Dan Fuller recently published two different articles with Drs. Danielle Alperin and Christina Newman, SCO's first Cornea and Contact Lens-Refractive Surgery residents in Optometry and Vision Science and Optometry Reports, respectively.

Dr. Paul Harris was interviewed about reading speed and comprehension on e-books for an article in the July issue of Optometry Today in the UK.

Dr. Glen Steele lectured and chaired a meeting at the InfantSEE Committee at Optometry's Meeting. He also led a panel on engaging parents to promote pediatric vision with Drs. Paul Harris, Elizabeth Christensen and Greg Hicks.

Drs. Marc Taub and Ashley Gentrup received the Outstanding Scientific Project Award from the American Public Health's Vision Care Section for a paper focusing on the FUNDS program that helps provide VT to patients at The Eye Center.

Dr. James E. Venable recently completed the 2013 Chairs and Academic Administrators Management Program (CAAMP).

In Memoriam:

Irving Gutstein, OD, '50, Brick, NJ
Ralph A. Halvorsen, OD '51, Everett, WA
Benjamin Susman, III, OD '51, Tazewell, VA
Kelly Carlton Thomas, Sr., OD '56, Miami, FL

UPCOMING EVENTS

Note the Dates for SCO's Events!

October 3-6: Homecoming and Fall CE, Memphis
October 4: Convocation, New Academic Facility Dedication ceremonies

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