ASCO News
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) announces the recipients of the 2023 Special Recognition Awards.
“I am so pleased, and not at all surprised, with this year’s Special Recognition Awards winners,” says Dr. Melissa Trego, ASCO President. “During the awards presentation at this year’s Annual Business Meeting, it will be evident why each and every recipient is worthy. I’m so pleased we can celebrate and acknowledge each awardees contributions to optometry and I congratulate them all.”
ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Earl L. Smith III is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an outstanding individual who, over an extended period of time, provided exceptional leadership to ASCO and to optometric education; made outstanding contributions to the optometric community; and displayed exemplary commitment and dedication to the Association.
Professor Smith received his OD (1972) and PhD (1978) from the University of Houston and subsequently joined the faculty of the UH College of Optometry. During his tenure in the College of Optometry, he held the Greeman-Petty Professorship in Vision Development and served as the Chair of the Basic Sciences Department, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, the Dean of the College of Optometry, and as the Interim Chief Health Officer of the University of Houston. Dr. Smith currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus.
Smith’s research interests are focused on the optics of the eye. For his research on the role of vision in regulating refractive development, he received the Glenn Fry Award (1996) and the Prentice Medal (2010) from the American Academy of Optometry, the Korb Award for Excellence from the Contact Lens and Cornea Section of the AOA (2011), and was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar by the National Academy of Practice in Optometry (2012). Professor Smith has published over 200 refereed papers and received 38 years of research funding from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Eye Institute (NEI). He is also an accomplished lecturer, having received teaching awards at the department, college, and university levels. In 2021, Professor Smith received the Farfel Award from the University of Houston, the highest honor awarded to a UH faculty member.
Dr. Smith has been an active member of the vision science community. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a past ARVO Fellow (inaugural class), a past President of the American Optometric Foundation (2002), a past President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (2010), a past Member and Chair of NIH NEI’s Central Visual Processing Study Section (1998-2003), a past member of NIH’s National Advisory Eye Council (2005-2008), and a past Director on the Boards of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.
For his accomplishments in teaching and his impact on the profession of optometry, the Texas Optometric Association presented Professor Smith with the Educator of the Year (2003) and Optometrist of the Year (2009) awards; the AOA inducted him into National Optometry Hall of Fame (2015); and he was admitted to the Leadership & Legacy Society of the American Academy of Optometry (2022).
“My career benefited greatly because I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” according to Dr. Smith III. “More importantly, throughout my career, I have had the good fortune to work with wonderful colleagues and I have had great role models in the classroom, the research lab, and the administrative realm.”
Herbert Wertheim Award
Dr. Donald Korb is a renowned clinician, clinical scientist, researcher, inventor, and is the second Dr. Herbert Wertheim Award recipient. This award, affectionately called the “Herbie,” recognizes remarkable individuals or organizations that have accomplished high-impact, ground-breaking, and innovative programs or initiatives, and contributed substantially, or have the potential to sustainably address, eye and vision health and/or the social determinants of eye health and vision care, at the local, national, or global level.
Dr. Korb received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry followed by graduate studies at Boston University and Boston College. Early in his career, his exposure to contact fitting and their limitations began a long journey in identifying and naming contact lens complications, determining their causes and finding resolutions.
His first major project was the development of the CSI lens, a novel optical membrane, which improved oxygen supply to the cornea and became the forerunner of the contemporary contact lens. Its success led to a continuing flow of new concepts, rooted in research, which translated to improvements in clinical practice, decreasing complications and increasing patient comfort.
He discovered and named eight conditions related to the anterior segment of the eye, most important of which is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, acknowledged today to be the leading global cause of dry eye. Other conditions which remain of contemporary significance are Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis, Lid Wiper Epitheliopathy, and Lid Seal.
Once the conditions were identified, along with colleagues, he addressed treatments, resulting in two major dry eye drops, Soothe XP and Systane Balance, and instrumentation for diagnosis and treatment, Lipiview and LipiFlow, the first FDA approved dry eye treatment.
Dr. Korb’s 110 scientific articles, new instrumentation, and numerous treatment regimens have impacted the care of over 50 million contact lens patients and tens of millions of dry eye patients.
“I am truly honored and grateful to the members of the ASCO Board, and to all those who participated in selecting me as ASCO’s 2023 Herbert Wertheim’s Award recipient,” according to Dr. Korb. “This honor is particularly significant to me because of my experiences in training optometrists at all levels, allowing me to appreciate the critical role that ASCO plays in constantly advancing the profession. The importance of education, training, research, and clinical residency is universally accepted as paramount to the success of graduates and ultimately the quality of patient care. ASCO has successfully assured that the quality of the optometric educational experiences is at the highest level and will continue.
“Less obvious, but equally important, is ASCO’s enviable atmosphere and culture so essential to maintaining focus on complex goals. Congratulations to ASCO and to all who contributed to ASCO’s fulfillment of their mission,” he continues.
ASCO Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award
The ASCO Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award recognizes an individual from a current or past Corporate Contributor partner company that demonstrates exemplary support of ASCO and its member institutions.
The individual serves as an example for his/her colleagues in industry and has made exceptional and meaningful contributions to the advancement of ASCO and optometric education.
The 2023 recipient is Dr. Charissa Lee. As a 2002 graduate of State University of New York College of Optometry, Dr. Lee brought over 12 years of hospital-based and private practice optometry experience to her Johnson & Johnson Vision (JJV) position.
Prior to joining JJV, Dr. Lee opened a private practice in Irvine, California, spoke to doctors across the country as a Professional Affairs Consultant, and served as program director at the Johnson & Johnson Institute. As the leader of the Professional Team, Dr. Lee oversees Johnson & Johnson Vision Care’s support of Professional Advocacy, Education and Relations and is a core member of the Vision Americas Leadership Team. She is a strong supporter of allyship and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within and external to JJV.
Outside her role as a mom and wife, Dr. Lee is also a proud member of the AOA, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and recently completed her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business.
“What ASCO does for the future of our profession is unparalleled, and I am honored to be recognized by this prestigious group,” says Dr. Lee. “There is power when we all work together, and I am proud to support and celebrate our ever-evolving community.”
ASCO Rising Star Award
Sponsored by OCULUS, the ASCO Rising Star Award is given to an outstanding faculty member or administrator with less than seven years of service who has made noteworthy contributions to fulfilling the mission, strategic objectives, or programs of ASCO. This year’s Rising Star awardee is Dr. Jaymeni Patel.
Dr. Jaymeni Patel is an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Dean for Community Based Education at the Illinois College of Optometry. She oversees the externship program at the college and precepts students in the Primary Care Clinic, Glaucoma Unit, and Urgent Care Clinic. She teaches the Ocular Disease Seminar course and coordinates the Ocular Disease laboratory.
Dr. Patel received her Doctor of Optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) and completed her residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Care at ICO. She is the current co-chair of the ASCO Externship Directors Special Interest Group, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and a member of the Illinois Optometric Association and American Optometric Association.
“OCULUS is once again proud to sponsor the Rising Star Award at the ASCO Annual Business Meeting,” says Dr. Bill Tullo, OCULUS Medical Director USA. “Recognizing a faculty member or administrator whose contributions standout and are consistent with ASCO’s mission is an important tradition. Professional development is important for ensuring continuous improvement and coincides with OCULUS’s core values.”
“I am immensely grateful for the honor of being nominated for this award. I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to the ASCO Board of Directors for their recognition and to my mentors for their support and guidance,” says Dr. Patel. “As an educator, there is no greater joy than observing the progress and development of the next generation. I am privileged to be affiliated with an institution that prioritizes education and the advancement of young professionals.”
Dr. Lester Janoff Award for Writing Excellence
The Dr. Lester Janoff Award for Writing Excellence recognizes the outstanding writing of a research article published in the ASCO Journal Optometric Education. The award is named in honor of Dr. Lester E. Janoff, editor of the journal from 2002-2005, and long-time member of the editorial review board who was known as an exceptional optometric educator, administrator, contact lens clinician and researcher. Dr. Janoff was also a beloved mentor of young writers.
Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO; Gregory Wolfe, OD, MPH, FAAO, FNAP; and Janette Pepper, OD, FCOVD, FAAO, all from Southern College of Optometry, are named the recipients of the 2023 Dr. Lester Janoff Award for their research paper, Training Implicit Bias and Awareness of the Impact of Systemic Racism on Health: A Preliminary Study of Second-Year Optometry Students.
“I am honored to receive the Lester Janoff Award for the article on behalf of myself and my co-authors and amazing colleagues Janette Pepper and Gregory Wolfe,” says Dr. Zarn. “We would like to thank Lindsay Elkins and Marc Taub for their guidance as we developed the article. We also thank J Bart Campbell for his support of us as faculty at Southern College of Optometry.
We are grateful to the reviewers and editors of the Journal Optometric Education for their thoughtful feedback during the review cycle. Thank you to the Journal Optometric Education for this distinguished honor.”
“Being named a co-recipient of the Dr. Lester Janoff Award for Writing Excellence is an unexpected and wonderful honor. I am thankful to have had many mentors in my life who encouraged me to think broadly about the intersection of optometry and public health and to identify synergistic opportunities to close knowledge gaps,” says Dr. Wolfe.
“Thank you to the Editorial Board for recognizing our work in memory of the late Dr. Lester Janoff, who dedicated his life to optometric education and the pursuit of knowledge. I’d also like to thank those who were involved in the peer review process. Their suggestions helped to make our paper clearer and stronger. Finally, I’d like to thank my co-authors, Dr. Zarn and Dr. Pepper. Circumstances allowed us to come together to address and assess critical knowledge gaps in the optometric curriculum. We supported each other through the process, learned from each other, and grew to become better educators.”
Dr. Dumas-Pepper says, “I would like to thank Dr Melissa Zarn for her initiative and Dr. Greg Wolfe for his insight in doing this project.
I would also like to thank the ASCO Awards Committee for selecting our work out of so many wonderful articles to choose from. I do not take this honor lightly and I am grateful for the acknowledgement.”
A committee of the Journal Editorial Review Board reviews all research articles that have appeared in the journal in the previous two years, selecting a winner from that pool. Publication excellence is judged on significance of the topic chosen, quality of the article, and potential impact.
The award consists of a certificate and a cash award of $2,000, which is divided among the authors.
ASCO Student Award in Clinical Ethics
This annual national award, sponsored by Alcon, is available to optometry students during any point of their professional program at an ASCO-affiliated school or college of optometry in the United States and Canada. The application consists of an essay of up to 1,500 words describing any one of the following scenarios:
1. A patient-based case-study that the student encountered as part of their clinical learning experience.
2. A research-based case scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning experience.
3. A professional ethics-based scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning.
ASCO announces Dr. Zebin Dholasaniya as the winner of the 2023 Student Award in Clinical Ethics. This annual national award provides the winner with a $1,000 award check and an acrylic engraved plaque.
Dr. Dholasaniya is a recent graduate of the University of Houston, College of Optometry. Her winning essay, The Ethical Dilemma: A Pediatric Patient’s Right to Truth vs. Parents’ Nondisclosure Request will be featured in an upcoming journal of Optometric Education.
“We at Alcon are proud to continue our support of the annual Student Ethics Award and highlight the learning experiences of optometric students during their educational journey,” says Chad Zscherny, Alcon’s Director of Academic Development. “Congratulations to this year’s winning national recipient, Dr. Dholasaniya! On behalf of Alcon and through our partnership with ASCO, we are excited to sponsor this award!”
Award winners will be acknowledged during ASCO’s Annual Business Meeting on June 21 in Washington, DC. The Annual Business Meeting is open to all. Please register at: https://web.cvent.com/event/605167f1-b7f0-40eb-82a8-43524445ac08/regProcessStep1
The Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) has declared the low number of historically underrepresented men of color (HUMOC) graduating and entering the health care professions a national crisis. Representing CEOs of national academic health professions associations, FASHP has released a consensus statement addressing this critical issue. FASHP is calling on local and national educational, health care, governmental and community leaders to raise awareness regarding this critical issue and to identify barriers and provide resources to dramatically increase the number of men of color graduating from the academic health professions.
“We must urgently join forces with P-16 education, government, health care, corporations and other leaders to remove pathway barriers and adopt robust strategies that facilitate a significant increase in the number of historically underrepresented men of color entering and graduating from dental, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, social work and other health professions schools,” said Dr. Karen P. West, Secretary of FASHP and President and CEO of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA).
“The development of a diverse healthcare workforce is a critical goal for all FASHP member associations,” added FASHP President Dawn Mancuso, MAM, CAE, FASAE, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. “Our patients deserve the best care we can provide, and that requires a concerted, broader effort to motivate attention and activate solutions.”
The long-running sentiment expressed by FASHP CEOs is consistent with two landmark reports, In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health-Care Workforce (2004) and Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions (2004), which state that more racially and ethnically diverse health care professionals are essential for meeting future health care needs; tied to improved patient satisfaction, increased access to quality health care and reduced health disparities; and critical for elevating the nation’s responsiveness to the health care needs of a society with rapidly changing demographics.
American Dental Association data reveal that 3,223 (48.4%) of the 6,665 2021 U.S. dental school graduates were men. Of these, only 431 (6.46%) were HUMOC (263 Hispanic/Latino men, 147 Black/African American men, 18 American Indian/Alaska Native men, and 3 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander men). Additionally, the two Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ dental schools, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry and Howard University College of Dentistry, accounted for 36 (24.5%) of the Black/African American men graduates, and the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine accounted for 18 (6.8%) of the Hispanic/Latino men.
Similar disparities exist across the academic health professions. For example, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2021-2022 data show that of the 21,051 U.S. medical school graduates, 10,268 (48.8%) were men. Of these, only 1,251 were HUMOC (664 Hispanic/Latino men, 565 Black/African American men, 13 American Indian/Alaska Native men, and 9 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander men). To tackle disparities, the AAMC launched the Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine in 2020, which includes partnerships that focus on systemic solutions to increase the representation and success of Black men interested in and entering medicine.
Additionally, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a 2022 virtual roundtable on Black men and women in science, engineering and medicine to identify policies and build better pathways for Black undergraduates to pursue science, engineering and medicine. With a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), ADEA hosted a two-day summit in August 2022 with 83 representatives from across the health professions to start developing solutions to the paucity of HUMOC in the health professions. Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States and former President of Morehouse College and Meharry Medical College, was a featured guest and galvanized the group to act. He noted that although the Summit focused on men of color in the health professions, “any coalition must involve women as well. Holistically, we need to be working together.” Dr. Satcher further explained that encouragement for boys of color must start as early as elementary and high school, noting, “Right now, we need to invest in their excitement about learning, so students invest more in themselves. We must ask, ‘How can I make sure our students care about learning?’”
According to Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, CEO of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, the lack of men of color entering health professions schools is systemic. Dr. Maccabe stated, “A lack of awareness, marginalization, educational disparities, systemic racism and unconscious bias has led to these continuing inequalities and a lack of HUMOC matriculating and graduating in the academic health professions, which has now reached crisis proportions.” Expanding on the issue, he shared that the 2021 graduating class of veterinary medical students included only 0.6% Black/African American men, 1.4% Hispanic/Latino men, and 0.2% American Indian/Alaska Native men.
The low numbers of HUMOC health care providers affect not only communities of color, but the entire nation’s well-being. As noted in the FASHP consensus statement, this lack of diversity has significant consequences for public health, education, economic stability and the availability and quality of health care treatment for all U.S. communities. There is also a need to significantly increase the number of HUMOC graduating with Ph.D.s and doctorate degrees in public health. The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) 2021-2022 data show that 230 of the 824 U.S. public health doctoral graduates were men. Of the total graduates, only 2.5% were Black/African American men, 2.1% Hispanic/Latino men, and 0.1% American Indian/Alaska Native men. Dr. Laura Magaña, ASPPH President and CEO, notes that “these statistics are unacceptable and solidify our resolve to implement impactful solutions around engaging our members towards a more inclusive and equitable public health workforce.”
Dr. Dennis Mitchell, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for University Life at Columbia University, is a dentist and was instrumental in establishing what is currently known as the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), jointly administered by ADEA and AAMC. Supported by a generous grant from the RWJF, SHPEP, formerly known as the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), is a six-week summer enrichment program for marginalized and socioeconomically and educationally disadvantaged college students interested in the health professions. Columbia University is one of 12 program sites. A 2015 Mathematica study commissioned by RWJF showed that the likelihood of students in SMDEP with a dental component were 10.5 percentage points more likely to enroll in dental school, and students in the program with a medical track were 9 percentage points more likely to enroll in medical school students than students not participating in SMDEP pathway program. Echoing Dr. Satcher’s sentiments, Dr. Mitchell, who also serves on the National Association of Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education Board of Directors, added, “Pathway programs such as SHPEP make a difference, but to truly make a difference, we need more of these programs and more of these interventions throughout the P-16 student lifecycle for boys and men of color.”
The FASHP CEOs agree that more academic enrichment interventions are needed to increase the representation of all historically underrepresented and marginalized groups in the health professions. However, FASHP believes there is an urgent need to call attention to the significant deficiency of HUMOC entering and graduating from health professions schools in comparison to other marginalized student populations.
In pursuit of greater collective action, FASHP is establishing a coalition with associations across the academic health professions, health care institutions, and health professional organizations to tackle the longstanding problem of the low numbers of HUMOC at health professions schools. FASHP plans to expand its work to galvanize P-16 governmental, health care, corporate, foundation, health care research, community and other leaders to develop short and long-term strategies with focused action plans. FASHP leaders realize this is a complex problem and are energized to address the challenge.
They are further inspired to action by Dr. Satcher’s parting words at the Summit, “We need people who care enough to know enough and have the courage to do enough to persevere until the job is done!”
FASHP Member Organizations
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Dental Education Association
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Association of University Programs in Health Administration
Council on Social Work Education
PA Education Association
Liaison Members:
Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges
American Council of Academic Physical Therapy
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American Psychological Association
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) awarded Dr. Herbert Wertheim ASCO’s inaugural Herbert Wertheim Award, affectionately called “The Herbie.” Dr. Wertheim received his award in October during a special recognition reception in San Diego during the American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference.
The Herbert Wertheim Award recognizes remarkable individuals or organizations that have accomplished high-impact, ground-breaking, and innovative programs or initiatives, and contributed substantially, or have the potential to sustainably address, eye and vision health and/or the social determinants of eye health and vision care, at the local, national, or global level.
“We are honored to not only recognize and praise Dr. Wertheim for his remarkable inventions and his unparalleled support of optometric education, including his remarkable donation to the University of California – Berkeley’s School of Optometry. He is such an icon and we are pleased to name this award after him,” says Dr. Melissa Trego, ASCO President. “Dr. Wertheim’s passion for optometry, it’s past, present, and future, will forever be evident as we continue his legacy through future ‘Herbie’ recipients.”
“I’m highly honored to be the recipient of this very special recognition award that is named after me for my contributions to optometry while emphasizing the need for enhanced education for the preservation of vision worldwide. This is a wonderful and needed calling that will enhance the lives of tens of thousands, if not millions, of patients who will need professional optometric vision and eye health evaluations and treatments throughout their lifetimes. This is a profession I am proud to be a part of and encourage any young person who is considering helping to make the world a better place to choose the optometric profession as a career choice,” says Dr. Wertheim a worldwide clinician, educator and researcher.
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) announces the release of two new diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging resources available free of charge for use by all in the profession interested in learning more about offering culturally competent patient care.
These two new resources, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging — A Virtual Cultural Competency Workshop and the Cultural Competence In Eye and Vision Care: A Toolkit round out ASCO’s Eye on Diversity initiative, generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision.
The Virtual Cultural Competency Workshop is an on-demand training resource developed by Dr. Keshia S. Elder, OD, MS, MS, FAAO, the first African American female in the nation to lead a school of optometry (University of Missouri at St. Louis). Other contributors involved in the preparation of the workshop include Drs. Ruth Shoge, Director of DEIB and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California – Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, and Dr. Gary Chu, Vice President for Professional Affairs at the New England College of Optometry.
This workshop is intended for anyone in the optometric community – students, residents, faculty, practitioners, practice staff, etc. – and covers topics such as DEIB concepts overview, social and cultural identifiers, bias and ways to identify bias. Optometric educators can use this virtual workshop in their classrooms, administrators can use it during faculty meetings, and Doctors of Optometry can use it for staff training.
The Toolkit is a valuable publication written by Drs. A. Philip Aitsebaomo, Melissa Contreras, Keshia S. Elder, Crystal Lewandowski, and Janette D. Pepper. Topics included are: health disparities and social determinants of health; cultural competence and humility; implicit and cognitive bias in health care; inclusive clinic practices; inclusive strategies in practice management; curriculum integration and teaching strategies; pegagogical framework; case examples and evaluation techniques. The Toolkit can be used in conjunction with the virtual workshop or as a stand-alone publication and is available in both a PDF and flipbook format.
These resources are available online through ASCO’s Learning Center, also sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision. Access to these resources can be found here:
Workshop: https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/49611
Toolkit: https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46673
“Johnson & Johnson Vision is proud to be a leader in this important space, and of the great work that ASCO has done through the Eye on Diversity initiative,” says Dr. Charissa Lee, Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Head of North America Professional Affairs. “We are optimistic that these newest ASCO resources, along with the prior projects, will create real impact for our patients, the optometric community, and will serve as a solid foundation, as we all continue to grow our DEI efforts.”
“ASCO thanks Johnson & Johnson Vision for its leadership and commitment to our efforts to expand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in optometric education.,” says ASCO President, Dr. Melissa Trego. “J&J also generously sponsored our Eye on Diversity Speaker Series, the Voices of Diversity video series, and the Optometry Gives Me Life campaign. ASCO’s dedication to diversity within our member schools and colleges does not stop with these resources. We will continue to support and mentor all our students and faculty to become better Doctors of Optometry and people.”
In collaboration with the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO®), the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has posted on its website the pass rates for every U.S. optometric institution. The data for 2022 is found at: https://optometriceducation.org/news/national-board-of-examiners-in-optometry-yearly-performance-report/. Reports beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year are posted for comparison.
“NBEO is pleased to continue to work with ASCO as we provide this data,” says Dr. Jill Bryant, NBEO Executive Director. “These results are from calculations using the scores of optometry candidates who have both graduated during the 2021-2022 timeframe and attempted all three parts of the exam at least once.”
“The pass rates from the 23 schools and colleges of optometry in the US is important information as we look back at a year which many in academia say was very challenging,” says Dr. Melissa Trego, ASCO President. “We remain committed to offering a vigorous curriculum to our optometry students to best prepare them to enter this very challenging field.”
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) launches its Voices of Diversity project, an important addition to the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging Eye on Diversity initiative, generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision.
The Voices of Diversity videos feature first-person accounts from Doctors of Optometry, optometric educators, and optometry students who bravely share their stories about the impact race and prejudice has had on them both personally and professionally. Filmed during the July 2022 Annual Conference of the National Optometric Association, the videos describe instances of microaggressions, sexism, misogyny, bigotry, and prejudice. They also include examples of supportive mentorship, collaboration, helpful guidance, and allyship.
“The Voices of Diversity project is an important component to ASCO’s Eye on Diversity initiative,” says Dr. Charissa Lee, Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Head of North America Professional Affairs. “We are pleased to be a part of this and to offer these testimonials to the broader community. My hope is that these videos will help all of us become more empathetic healthcare providers as well as more compassionate people in our everyday lives.”
“This important project could not have been possible without the incredible support of Johnson & Johnson Vision. These personal accounts of what some of our colleagues have experienced are painful to accept but we must validate these experiences and resolve to do better going forward,” says ASCO President, Dr. Melissa Trego. “I sincerely hope everyone in the optometric profession, as well as other health care providers, take the time to view everyone’s story. They are real, valid and important.”
The Voices of Diversity project, in its entirety is about 1 hour and 30 minutes and can be seen on ASCO’s YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/gtNRuMvAZ-E
Individual montages of compiled video testimonials can be seen on ASCO’s Learning Management System at https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/49784# and are split into categories:
- First Some History Makers
- Why is DEI Important?
- What Does Inclusion Look Like?
- Everyone Has A Story
- Words to Live By
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) announces the online availability of the recordings of its recently-completed Eye on Diversity Speaker Series, a component of a larger diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiative generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision.
“We are happy to collaborate with ASCO to help make a difference for patients, providers and the eyecare industry,” says Dr. Charissa Lee, Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Head of North America Professional Affairs. “Diversity must always be at top of the mind for healthcare practitioners, and this speaker series, as well as the greater Eye on Diversity project, is a big step in the right direction.”
The goal of ASCO’s Eye on Diversity Speaker Series is to engage world-renowned content experts from outside optometry to share powerful insights, experiences, and knowledge around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. By sharing these insights and experiences, ASCO and Johnson & Johnson Vision strive to stimulate deeper conversations and commitment to action around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout optometric education and all of optometry.
The six featured speakers and the topics they discuss are:
- Wajahat Ali, “Go Back to Where You Came From” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46671
- Patricia Arredondo, “Thriving through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: A Continuous Journey” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46923/video_presentations/246002
- Vincent Pompei, “Creating an Inclusive Environment for LGBT+ Patients and Staff” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46924
- Cie Armstead, “Building an Inclusive Culture: As a Doctor of Optometry, What’s in It for Me?” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46925/video_presentations/243366
- Wema Hoover, “Reframing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; How Difference Can Make a Difference” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46926/video_presentations/243375
- David Ikard, “The Dangers of Whitewashing History” https://www.pathlms.com/asco/courses/46928/video_presentations/243379
“We want to express our appreciation to Johnson & Johnson Vision for generously sponsoring this project, and our broader Eye on Diversity initiative. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are values we share with Johnson and Johnson Vision, and we hope this series helps educate people on these important issues,” says ASCO President, Dr. Melissa Trego. “These topics could be uncomfortable for some, but we hope this series will be used as a teaching tool for optometry faculty, residents, and practice owners/managers as we continue to address systemic racism, unconscious bias, and hate.”
For more information on the Eye on Diversity initiative, generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision, visit https://optometriceducation.org/speaker-series/.
In collaboration with the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO®), the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has posted the pass rates for every optometric institution available on its website. The data for 2022 is found at: https://optometriceducation.org/news/national-board-of-examiners-in-optometry-yearly-performance-report/. Reports beginning from the 2016-2017 academic year are also posted for comparison.
Dawn Mancuso, MAM, CAE, FASAE, the CEO/Executive Vice President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), was recently elected the president of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP).
FASHP is an organization that aims to encourage collaboration between educational institutions of various health professions, improve the field of health profession education for the future, and connect the organizations that share an interest in health profession education.
On her new appointment, Ms. Mancuso says, “I am honored to serve as president of FASHP. I am looking forward to collaborating with my colleagues from across all of the health professions in this new capacity, and to continuing to support the advancement of health professions in general. FASHP has been a great resource that has had a positive impact on ASCO’s capacity to support optometric education, so it is very rewarding to be able to give back in this way.”
Presidency of FASHP extends two years. Ms. Mancuso will serve as FASHP President starting on January 1, 2023, and concluding on December 31, 2025.
“We want to congratulate Dawn on this great opportunity. The leadership and skills that she uses with ASCO are very much aligned with the needs and mission of FASHP,” says Dr. Melissa Trego, ASCO President.
