SCO was honored at this year's National Optometric Association's 47th annual summer meeting when the student NOSA chapter received the NOA's Chapter of the Year Award. SCO faculty member Janette Dumas, OD, was recognized as the NOA's Doctor of the Year, while Brittany Tounsel, OD '15, received the Student of the Year Award. Kirsten McKnight, '16, was inaugurated as NOSA's national president for 2015-16, marking the second year in a row that an SCO student has led the organization. Pictured at the meeting is (L-R): Feyi Aworunse, '16, Rosalyn Coleman, OD '10, Betty Harville, OD, SCO Board member Jarrett Johnson, OD '90, Cynthia Heard, OD, Jennifer Elumelu, '17, Lindsay Armagon, '17, Kirsten McKnight, '16, and Janette Dumas, OD.

Registration is now open for SCO's annual Homecoming and Fall CE Weekend, to be held September 24-27, 2015 in Memphis. A brochure was recently mailed with details about events, speakers and other activities. This year's event will honor the Class of 1965 as members celebrate their 50th reunion. Other reunion classes with graduation dates ending in '0' or '5' will also celebrate reunions. Alumni events include a Thursday evening kick-off party, Convocation, all-campus barbecue, alumni dinner and an after party. Visit SCO's Homecoming & Fall CE weekend page for itineraries and to start the registration process.

Faculty and SCO Updates

Several faculty promotions were announced effective July 1. Promoted to assistant professor from instructor were Esla Speth, OD '10 and Melissa Zarn, OD. Promoted to associate professor from assistant professor were Patricia Estes-Walker, OD, Jared Powelson, OD '96, Jennifer Sanderson, OD, and James Venable, OD '89. Promoted from associate professor to professor was John Mark Jackson, OD '99.

In addition to Dr. Glen Steele's InfantSEE anniversary participation at the AOA, pictured, other faculty participation included poster presentations by Drs. Patricia Cisarik, Jeung Kim, Jennifer Jones, Beth Sparrow, Aaron Kerr, Paul Harris, Reena Lepine, Joanne Smith, Bill Edmondson, and Chris Lievens and Drs. Christina Grosshans, Jenna O'Brien and Lekha Samuel from the residents. Dr. Chris Lievens also lectured at two seminars, and Dr. Kristin Anderson participated in an AOSA panel discussion.

Patricia Cisarik, OD, PhD, authored an article about customizing blue light protection for patients in this month's issue of Primary Care Optometry News.

Paul Harris, OD, was among the participants as SCO welcomed attendees to the 21st annual Conference on Clinical Vision Care to campus earlier this month. Dr. Harris also recently spent two days in Woods Hole, Massachusetts at the J. Erik Jonsson Center, part of the National Academy of Science. The meeting was called the Initiative for Innovation in Vision Science. The goal of the 30 attendees was to come up with innovative ways to approach amblyopia treatment. In his presentation, Dr. Harris emphasized the role that vision therapy and perceptual learning play without the need for opaque patching, as well as the success of VT compared to other patching forms.

Glen Steele, OD '69, was interviewed by a number of news outlets related to the viral social media video showing an infant's reaction to seeing her parents clearly thanks to her glasses prescribed following an InfantSEE examination. Dr. Steele's role as AOA's InfantSEE Committee Chair was noted in an interview by the NBC-TV affiliate in Memphis.

Marc Taub, OD, MS, was quoted in a recent Optometry Times article about a new device that assists ALS patients in communicating via their eyes and a computer.


In Memoriam:

 

• Thomas A. Smith, OD '48, Huntsville, AL
• Robert W. Turbeville, OD '48, Hartsville, SC
• Richard L. Robertson, OD '54, Loganville, GA
• W. Joe Horrom, OD '62, Lehigh Acres, FL

 

• Oct. 14-18, TAOP meeting in Gatlinburg, TN
• Jan. 29-31, SCO Mardi Gras CE Weekend, New Orleans