Programmatic Committees

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (AAFC)

General Program Areas: Curriculum, faculty, teaching methods, research and evaluation.

Committee Members:  
Dr. Adam Gordon, UABSO, Chair
Dr. Ida Chung, WUCO
Dr. Julie DeKinder, UMSL
Dr. Cristina Llerena Law, NOVA
Dr. Renee Reeder, KYCO
Dr. Samantha Rice, CCO
Dr. Aaron Zimmerman, OSU 

Liaisons:          
Dr. Sharon Bentley, UCB
Dr. Alana Bandstra, ICO
Dr. Nancy McNamara, UCB                      
Dr. Kevin Helmuth, AZCOPT
Dr. Kristine Huang, SCCO
Dr. Jennifer Hue, SUNY
Dr. Doan Trong Kwak, PCO
Dr. Thomas Wong, SUNY
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff 
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

APPLICANT POOL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (APDC)

General Program Areas: Development of a robust, diverse and highly qualified national applicant pool.

Committee Members:
Dr. Lewis Reich, SCO, Chair
Sarah Cupples, OSU
Jim Hollifield, SCO
Teisha Johnson, ICO
Dr. Howard Purcell, NECO
Dr. Matthew Truong, PUCO

Liaisons:
Dr. Lucy Kehinde Darnell, UHCO
Dr. Erik Mothersbaugh, ICO
Dr. Lyle Tate, UHCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff
Kimberly O’Sullivan, ASCO Staff 
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

AWARDS & RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE (AWDC)

General Program Areas: Identification, recruitment, and preparation of slate of award winners; oversee and implement ASCO Awards program; recommend new Association awards; nominate individuals for ASCO awards; recommend award winners for board approval. Draft and propose resolutions recognizing and honoring outstanding individuals and organizations in optometric education and outside the profession who have contributed significantly to the optometric education enterprise.

Committee Members:
Dr. Linda Casser, PCO, Chair
Dr. Stacey Coulter, NOVA
Dr. Linda Du, UMSL
Dr. Ann Elsner, IUSO 
Dr. Josephine Ibironke, KYCO
Dr. Kelly Nichols, UABSO

Liaisons:
Sara Lau, ASCO Staff
Kim O’Sullivan, ASCO Staff
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

CLINICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (CAFC)

General Program Areas: Clinical education, clinical administration, clinical services, externship programs, clinical research, and program development

Committee Members:               
Dr. Amy Roan Moy, NECO, Chair
Dr. Bisant Labib, PCO, Vice-chair                          Dr. Andrew Archila, UHCO
Dr. Jennifer Fisher Lim, UCB
Dr. David Hall, SCO
Dr. Vakishan Nadarajah, CCO
Dr. Candice Turner, UABSO                       

Liaisons:
Dr. Surbhi Bansal, SCCO
Dr. Daniel Delisio, CCO
Dr. Emily Hable, IUSO
Dr. Alia Khalaf, MCPHS
Dr. Janelle Mallios, CCO
Dr. Neil Pence, IUSO
Dr. Nicole Ross, NECO
Dr. Daniela Rutner, SUNY
Dr. Amar Sayani, NOVA
Dr. Anna Ablamowicz Tichenor, IUSO
Dr. Natalie West, UABSO
Dr. Dawn Goedde, OSU
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff

DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY COMMITTEE (DCCC)

General Program Areas: Promoting ethnic and cultural diversity; supporting member institutions’ embracement of diversity in their practices and programs as it embodies the idea of an open and multicultural society.

Committee Members:
Dr. Janette Dumas Pepper, SCO, Chair
Dr. Victoria Franks, AZCOPT
Dr. Joy Harewood, SUNY
Dr. Pierre Morton, PUCO
Dr. Sherrol Reynolds, NOVA
Dr. Parres Wright, CCO       

Liaisons:
Dr. Sharon Bentley, UCB
Dr. Lucy Kehinde Darnell, UHCO 
Dr. Jeffrey Ho, NECO
Dr. Simone Jadczak, NECO
Dr. Ruth Shoge, UCB
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff   
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff                      
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff  
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President

EDUCATION COMMITTEE (EDUC)

General Program Areas: Promoting lifelong learning, leadership development and career development for faculty and administrators, students and residents. Review measurable results for this strategic initiative; develop an implementation plan, including recommending priorities, a timeline and necessary structural changes for ASCO to implement strategies and tactics. Covers new educational programs as well as current ones, such as SIFD and FFP.

Committee Members:
Dr. Marc Taub, SCO, Chair
Dr. Raymond Chu, SCCO
Dr. Nataly Fahim, WUCO
Dr. Brianne Hobbs, CCO
Dr. Tareq Nabhan, UMSL  

Liaisons:
Dr. Nancy Coletta, MCPHS
Dr. Michelina Buckingham, PUCO
Dr. Eilene Kinzer, KYCO
Dr. Cristina Llerena Law, NOVA
Dr. Erik Mothersbaugh, ICO
Dr. Todd Peabody, IUSO
Dr. Dianne Russo, NECO
Dr. Lindsay Sicks, ICO
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO Staff EVP/CEO
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff            
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President

FUTURE FACULTY PROGRAM SUBCOMMITTEE (FFPS)

General Program Areas: Develop programs helping graduate students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their success in an optometric academic environment as career-long, productive faculty members.

Subcommittee Members:
Dr. Lindsay Sicks, ICO, Chair
Dr. Christina Law, NOVA, Vice-chair
Dr. Shital Mani, PCO                      
Dr. Vakishan Nadarajah, CCO 
Dr. Eric Syverson, MCO                 
Dr. Matt Valdes, UIWRSO

Liaisons:
Dr. Mark Taub, SCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff 
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff           
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

OPTOMETRIC EDUCATION LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE SUBCOMMITTEE (OELI)

Subcommittee Members:
Dr. Erik Mothersbaugh, ICO, Chair
Dr. David Damari, OSU
Dr. Josephine Ibironke, PCO/Drexel
Dr. Beth Kinoshita, PUCO
Dr. Michael Sullivan-Mee, SUNY                
Dr. Tamara Oeschlin, UAB 

Liaisons:
Dr. Marc Taub, SCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

SPRING INSTITUTE FOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE (SIFD)

General Program Areas: Develop programs helping faculty members gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their success in an optometric academic environment as career-long, productive faculty members.

Subcommittee Members:
Dr. Diane Russo, NECO, Chair
Dr. Todd Peabody, IUSO, Vice-chair
Dr. Alexandra Benevente-Perez, SUNY      
Dr. Christina Esposito, AZCOPT
Dr. Clinton Roger Prestwich, CCO
Dr. David Troilo, SUNY                   
Dr. Linda Rouse, NOVA          

Liaisons:
Dr. Mark Taub, SCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff     
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff        
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

FUNDRAISING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (FNDC)

General Program Areas: Setting and evaluating fundraising goals and strategies; assisting ASCO’s Director of Development in building ASCO’s fundraising capacity and financial resources.

Committee Members:
Dr. Kelly Nichols, UABSO, Chair
Dr. Jacquie Patterson, PCO, Vice-chair
Dr. Mark Colip, ICO
Dr. Nathan Lighthizer, NSUOCO
Dr. Howard Purcell, NECO
Dr. Dawn Rigney, SUNY

Liaisons:
Dr. Michael Twa, UHCO
Dr. Suresh Viswanathan, IUSO
Dr. Matthew Ascuitto, ICO 
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (GAFC)

General Program Areas: Legislative and advocacy efforts for optometric education.

Committee Members:
Dr. Richard Castillo, UNCP, Chair
Dr. Cliff Caudill, KYCO, Vice-chair
Dr. Keisha Brown, UABSO
Dr. William Hefner, PUCO
Dr. Adam Hickenbotham, RMUCO
Dr. Mike Kozlowski, AZCOPT
Dr. Lillian Wang, UCB

Liaisons:
Dr. LeChelle Hunt-Davenport, SCO
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President

INTERNATIONAL OPTOMETRIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE (IOEC)

General Program Areas: Relationships, projects, and policies related to international education and the global promotion of the profession.

Committee Members:
Dr. Bina Patel, NECO, Chair
Dr. Janet Leasher, NOVA, Vice-chair
Dr. W. Howard McAlister, UMSL
Dr. Tareq Nabhan, UMSL
Dr. Natasha Tetlow, NOVA
Dr. Melissa Vitek, PCO

Liaisons:
Dr. Renee Reeder, KYCO 
Dr. Jennifer Hue, SUNY
Dr. Shankaran Ramaswamy, MCPHS
Jennifer Rubin, ASCO Staff
Mollie Mills, ASCO Staff
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE COMMITTEE (IPRF)

General Program Areas: Examining educational strategies of other health care professions; identifying best practices; developing a list of consultants; developing a grant funding process for demonstration projects; seeking industry support; develop, share/recommend strategies incorporating interprofessional education into curricula; monitoring federal activities and funding opportunities; raising public and professional awareness of the role optometry has in team-based collaborative patient-centered care.

Committee Members:
Dr. Melissa Zarn, SCO, Chair
Dr. Amy Logan, UABSO, Vice-Chair
Dr. Kim Duong, WUCO
Dr. Mawada Osman, OSU
Dr. Casey Hamm Peterson, UMSL     
Dr. Danielle Piser, ICO
Dr. Melissa Vitek, PCO

Liaisons:
Dr. Nancy Coletta, MCPHS
Dr. Benedicte Gonzalez, SCCO
Dr. John Nishimoto, SCCO
Joanne Zuckerman, ASCO Staff
Dr. Julie Tyler, SCCO-MBKU
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

RESEARCH COMMITTEE (RESC)

General Program Areas: Research training, program development, data collection and information resource, and liaison to the AOA Council on Research.

Committee Members:
Dr. Suresh Viswanathan, IUSO, Chair
Dr. Larry Baitch, MCPHS
Dr. Carl Bassi, UMSL
Dr. Safal Khanal, UABSO
Dr. Chris Lievens, SCO
Ms. Gladys Lynn Mitchell, OSU
Dr. Xiaohua (Elsa) Zhuang, ICO

Liaisons:
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Joanne Zuckerman, ASCO Staff

RESIDENCY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (RAFC)

General Program Areas: Residency training, program development, data collection and information resource, and liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs and other entities for residency programs.

Committee Members:
Dr. Diane Adamczyk, SUNY, Chair  
Dr. Stephen Chun, UCB
Dr. Graham Chung, UCB
Dr. Nancy Coletta, MCPHS
Dr. Eilen Kinzer, KYCO
Dr. Harneet Randhawa, ICO
Dr. Jennifer Sanderson, SCO

Liaisons:
Dr. Nancy Coletta, MCPHA
Dr. Anna Bedwell, IUSO
Dr. Beth Harper, UHCO
Dr. Cheryl Mengelt, SCO
Dr. Caroline Pate, UABSO
Dr. Jennifer Tong, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Dr. Judy Tong, SCCO-MBKU
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

ORMATCH SUBCOMMITTEE (ORMS)

General Program Areas: Development and implementation of an optometry residency matching program in conjunction with National Matching Services, Inc. (NMS).

Committee Members:
Dr. Cheryl Mengelt, SCO, Chair
Dr. Alicia Greene, Salem VAHCS, Vice-chair
Dr. Yangdi Chen, VA Puget Health Care System
Dr. Larissa Krenk, IUSO
Dr. Rachael LaBounty, Louis Stokes Cleveland VAME                    
Dr. Valerie Quan, WUCO  

Liaisons:
Dr. Diane Adamczyk, SUNY
Elliott Peranson, National Matching Service
Jonah Peranson, National Matching Service
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff

STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (SAFC)

General Program Areas: Applicant development, financial aid, student services and policies.

Committee Members:
Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe, WUCO, Chair
Dr. Debora Lee Chen, UCB    
Dr. Avery Cunningham, SCO
Dr. Lucy Kehinde Darnell, UHCO
Dr. John Gialousakis, CCO
Dr. Andrea Quezada, WUCO

Liaisons:
Dr. Teisha Johnson, ICO
Dr. Erik Mothersbaugh, ICO
Amanda Peterson, IUSO
Monica Maisto Scirrotto, PCO
Dr. Gerald Simon, UABSO
Dr. Rebecca Smietana, SCO
Dr. Lyle Tate, UHCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO

OAT SUBCOMMITTEE (OATS)

General Program Area: Guiding the development and administration of a quality entrance examination for optometry schools and colleges; working with the American Dental Association on the further development and enhancement of the OAT exam.

Committee Members:
Dr. Gerald Simon, UABSO, Chair
Dr. James Miller, MCO, Vice-chair
Dr. David Damari, OSU
Dr. Denise Goodwin, PUCO
Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Konig, KYCO
Dr. Jason Ng, SCCO-MBKU                   

Liaisons:
Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe, WUCO
Dr. Alicia Feis, AZCOPT, ASCO President
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff

OPTOMCAS SUBCOMMITTEE (OPTS)

General Program Areas: Development and implementation of a centralized application service for optometry in conjunction with Liaison International, Inc.

Committee Members:
Monica Maisto Scirrotto, PCO, Chair
Dr. Keshia Brown, UABSO
Latasha Jackson, ICO
Mindy Latty, NSUOCO
Rebecca Smietana, SCO
Rochelle Valera, UIWRSO

Liaisons:
Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe, WUCO
Dawn Mancuso, ASCO EVP/CEO
Paige Pence, ASCO Staff