Arol Augsburger Bio

October 14, 2020

Arol Augsburger, OD

Dr. Arol Augsburger is President of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), the oldest and largest college of optometry in the country and the largest provider of eye and vision care in Illinois in its teaching clinic, the Illinois Eye Institute. The Illinois College of Optometry is located on the near south side of Chicago. As part of the mission of the Illinois College of Optometry, more than 110,000 eye and vision care patients are treated annually on its campus, and another 150,000 patients at affiliated external sites around the world.

Prior to Dr. Augsburger’s appointment at ICO in 2002, he served 30 years in a variety of leadership positions in higher education including positions as the Interim Provost of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Dean and Professor of the UAB School of Optometry, and Professor of Clinical Optometry at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

Dr. Augsburger has been honored by the American Optometric Association as the Distinguished Service Awardee, and the National OD of the Year. He has been named Optometrist of the Year in three other states. The Ohio State University Optometry Alumni Society named Arol Augsburger as their 2011 Distinguished Alumnus. He was inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2014.

Dr. Augsburger has served as President of ASCO, the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, and the Rotary Club of Chicago, Rotary 1, the world’s first Rotary Club and as the Chairman of the ROTARY/One Foundation. He previously served on the Special Medical Advisory Group (SMAG) of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Augsburger is the Immediate-Past Chairman of the Board of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, serves on the Near South Planning Board of Chicago, and the Jackson Park Hospital Foundation Board.