 Alumni Awards Announced
This fall's award recipients for outstanding alumni achievement have been announced. Former AOA President Joe Ellis, OD '86, is the 2014 recipient of SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award bestowed by the college. Receiving SCO's Young Alumni Award is faculty member Lindsay Elkins, OD '07, who leads the college's School Screenings Program. Both will receive their awards at this year's Convocation ceremony, to be held during Fall Homecoming and CE Weekend. Learn more about each recipient in this news release.
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Register Now for Fall Homecoming & CE
Reunions Scheduled for October 9-12
 Register now to secure hotel reservations and your attendance at SCO's Fall Homecoming and CE Weekend, to be held October 9-12 in Memphis. Join us for 19 hours of COPE-approved CE. Special events include a Kick-off Party, President's Reception, Alumni and Friends Dinner and After-party. The Alumni Child Admissions Forum will be held on Friday, Oct. 10 for alumni and their children interested in optometry. Class reunions for alumni whose graduation year ended in '4' or '9' are also being planned. Hotel rooms are going fast, so visit our Homecoming section on the web to view a full program and to start your registration process.
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Entering Class Arrives on Campus Later This Week
SCO to Welcome 136 New Students
 SCO will welcome 136 entering students to campus later this week as the college kicks off the fall semester with a two-day Orientation event. With a total enrollment of 527 students in the four-year program, SCO's enrollment is the highest in 30 years. The new class brings an all time high OAT score of 328 and a 3.56 GPA. The students come from 33 states, two Canadian provinces and one from the Bahamas. SCO is now accepting applications for next year's class, so if you know a viable prospective candidate, please encourage them to consider SCO.
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Nominations Sought for Honorary Degrees
Deadline is October 31
SCO invites submissions for names of distinguished ODs and other individuals for consideration of honorary degrees to be awarded at commencement in 2015. Recipients must be of sufficient stature and character as to honor the college; anonymous submissions will not be accepted. 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 emailed to degrees@sco.edu. The deadline is October 31.
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CLASSNOTES AND UPDATES
News about SCO's Alumni and Faculty
Lawrence Fuller, OD '65, recently retired after a nearly half century of practice at his Florida  office. Read more in this story.
AOA President David A. Cockrell, OD '81, pictured, recently testified before Congress about the role ODs play in ensuring the health and safety of contact lens patients. He also appeared on the Fox Business Channel. Learn more in this report. Dr. Cockrell will be addressing an assembly of students, faculty and staff next month on the SCO campus.
Fred Farias III, OD '87, is serving as president of the Texas Optometric Association through February 2015.
Curtis Shaffer, OD '02, recently joined Hattiesburg Clinic Eye Associates in Mississippi.
Ryan Halpern, OD '07, is featured in this recent Vision Monday story about practice management.
Rachel Aughney-Clawson, OD '08, has joined the practice of 2020 EyeCare in the Aspen, Colorado area.
Janet L. Monaco, OD '08, recently opened her private practice, Bella Vision, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Dustin Vance, OD '10, recently opened Vance Vision Clinic and received an award for patient care excellence. Learn more in this story.
Courtney Dryer, OD '11, recently wrote an article for NewGradOptometry.com about building a successful private practice.
Matt Willis, OD '11, and his wife recently welcomed a daughter, Lydia Rose, on August 2. She measured 21 inches long and weighed 7 lbs., 10 ozs.
Travis Thompson, OD '13, recently joined Hardin Valley Eyecare and Optical in East Tennessee.
Christopher Prough, OD '14, recently joined Atascosa Vision Source in Pleasanton, Texas.
Faculty and SCO Updates
Scott Ensor, OD '01, has been appointed to lead SCO's newly created Department of Interprofessional Education (IPE). Dr. Ensor will be leading a collaborative effort to guide and develop the classroom, laboratory and clinical infrastructure necessary for students to graduate with an understanding and appreciation for the role of optometric physicians in interdisciplinary healthcare.
James E. Venable, OD '89, recently announced that The Eye Center provided $1.3 million in uncompensated care to local patients last fiscal year. The amount was a record and demonstrates the college's expanding presence in meeting the needs of local patients and simultaneously maximizing patient encounters for our interns. Read more in this Memphis Business Journal story.
Dr. Venable and Aaron Kerr, OD '98, have both been named finalists in the Memphis Business Journal's Healthcare Heroes Awards presented each fall, Dr. Venable for leading innovations through technology in The Eye Center and Dr. Kerr for overseeing SCO's growing Community Outreach program.
Marie Bodack, OD, was interviewed by Memphis Parent Magazine about pediatric vision and the InfantSEE program for the publication's August issue.
Whitney Hauser, OD '01 authored an article about dry eye and how SCO's new TearWell: Advanced Dry Eye Treatment Center is assisting Memphis area patients.President Richard W. Phillips, OD '78, was interviewed in this blog post about the recent National Eyecare Workforce Study results. Glen Steele, OD '69, (as well as SCO alumnus Jack Schaeffer, OD '77) was a featured OD interviewed in the July issue of Optometric Management. Marc Taub, OD, and Paul Harris, OD, co-authored "A comparison of two tests of visual-motor integration" in the July journal issue of Optometry & Visual Performance. Dr. Harris is also quoted about the Chart 2020 Duo app in this Vision Monday story. Dr. Taub was also recently interviewed and appeared on video for this story about VT in Optometry Times. Chris Borgman, OD, recently authored this article about coding and billing for Primary Care Optometry News. In Memoriam:- John L. Hester, OD ' 47; Beeville, TX
- Hite Q. Kennady, OD '57; Elizabethtown, KY
Former SCO Dean of Students Scott Andreas died earlier this month after a short illness. Dean Andreas served the college for nearly 40 years and is familiar to generations of alumni through his service and leadership in optometric education. Alumni wishing to remember him with a memorial may contribute to the scholarship fund he established in memory of his mother several years ago. |
 UPCOMING EVENTS
Note the Dates for SCO's Events!
- Oct. 9-12: SCO Homecoming and Fall CE Weekend
- Oct. 10: Alumni/Child Admissions Forum
- Oct. 15-18: Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians fall meeting
- Oct. 17-19: Georgia Optometric Association fall meeting
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