Eye on Optometry
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) recently launched its new and refreshed website at www.optometriceducation.org.
The home page is specifically designed to appeal to potential and future students and complements the futureeyedoc.org site, which is a component of ASCO’s public awareness campaign, Optometry Gives Me Life.
The new website also appeals to other audiences – ASCO faculty and administrators, practicing ODs, Doctors of Optometry interested in ASCO’s Career Center, and more. As before, sections on diversity, equity and inclusion; data and reports; awards and grants; and ASCO’s corporate contributors program remain easily accessible.
“We are pleased to offer our new website to the public,” according to Dr. John Flanagan, ASCO President. “Our enhanced site is instructive and engaging whether you are a student considering optometry as a career or a faculty member looking for professional development opportunities.”
ASCO’s website can be viewed at www.optometriceducation.org.
A message from ASCO President, Dr. John Flanagan:
On Sunday, November 8, I had the honor of representing ASCO, at the invitation of the National Optometric Association, during a celebration, “Honoring an Icon in Optometry Dr. C. Clayton Powell, Sr.” It was a wonderful, heartwarming celebration of an amazing life. The following is the eulogy I offered on ASCO’s behalf.
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On behalf of all the Deans and Presidents of the Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and all the faculty, staff and students we represent, I offer sincere condolences to all of our friends and partners at the National Optometric Association and to the family and friends of Dr. C. Clayton Powell. We are greatly saddened at Dr. Powell’s passing, he touched many of us in ways both profound and serious, but also of joy and life.
On a personal note I have fond memories of spending an evening with Dr. Powell when NOA met on the Berkeley campus in early October 2014. We sat together at dinner and chatted enthusiastically. We exchanged stories of our mentors, our motivations, and our activism. I particularly remember him proudly telling me, with a twinkle in his expressive eyes, about how he beat his friend and classmate at both Booker T. Washington High School and later at Morehouse College, to become high school President. That friend was Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
What a giant we have lost.
And with his old friend in mind I thought it appropriate to recall Benjamin E. Mays, President of Morehouse College, from his Eulogy to Dr. King on April 9th 1968. He quoted poet Robert Browning, and it seemed so appropriate for our friend and colleague Dr. Clayton Powell Sr.
One who never turned his back but marched breast forward,
Never doubted the clouds would break,
Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph,
Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,
Sleep to wake.
Dr. Powell influenced generations of optometrists; we wish him a peaceful rest.
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Symposium generously funded by VSP Global
Generously sponsored by VSP Global, the ASCO/NOA/AAO Joint Symposium on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be held during AAO’s annual meeting, Academy 2020 At Home.
The Symposium will showcase the current state of diversity in optometry and will feature an overview of diversity in the schools and colleges of optometry, and ASCO’s, AAO’s, and NOA’s diversity and inclusion efforts to date; an equity and inclusion success story from a non-optometric health field (veterinary medicine); and strategies for working toward a more diverse, culturally sensitive, and inclusive profession.
This Symposium is complementary to ASCO’s public awareness campaign, Optometry Gives Me Life, which strives to increase the quality and quantity of the applicant pool, especially among those students in underrepresented minority groups. The three sponsoring associations have plans to continue their collaboration and create additional diversity-equity-inclusion-related programming for Academy 2021 Boston.
Symposium Planning Chair Dr. Karla Zadnik, Dean of the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University said, “This symposium is the first of its kind for our three organizations. Ever. Co-presented by ASCO, the NOA and the AAO, it will foster conversation regarding diversity and inclusion in optometry. Hopefully, faculty members at all ASCO institutions will make attendance a high priority.”
“VSP Global® is honored to sponsor the Diversity Symposium at Academy 2020 at Home,” said Michelle Skinner, VSP Global Chief Network Officer. “This is an important conversation that aligns with our own organization’s diversity & inclusion strategy, which is focused on accelerating diversity, inclusion and equity efforts to support the diverse communities we serve, including optometry students and Doctors of Optometry.”
“The American Academy of Optometry membership pillar focuses on increasing membership for under-represented populations. We recently formed a Diversity Task Force that will, among other things, focus on developing initiatives and programs addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion to improve and increase diversity in Academy membership and leadership. Confronting the longstanding pandemic of inequality and racism in our society and our profession requires all of us to do the honest, uncomfortable work of addressing it and facilitating change,” said Sherrol Reynolds, OD, FAAO, Chair, Membership Pillar, American Academy of Optometry and President of the National Optometric Association.
Attendees do not need to be registered for Academy 2020 at Home in order to attend the Symposium. Click here to access the link to view the Symposium. A video recording of the event will be made available at a later date.
Symposium presenters are:
Dr. Gary Chu, Vice President, Professional Affairs, The New England College of Optometry, and Chair of the ASCO Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Special Interest Group; Dr. Edna Chun, Chief Learning Officer, HigherEd Talent, and author of numerous books including “Leading a Diversity Culture Shift in Higher Education” (2018); Dr. Rustin Moore, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Ruth Stanton Chair in Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Services, The Ohio State University.
The session will be moderated by representatives of each of the three sponsoring associations, Dr. Cynthia Heard, Professor of Optometry, Southern College of Optometry and Chair, AAO Diversity Task Force; Dr. Sherrol Reynolds, Associate Professor and Chief, Retina and Primary Care Clinic at Nova Southeastern University and President, National Optometric Association; and Dr. Karla Zadnik, Glenn A. Fry Professor of Optometry and Physiological Optics and Dean at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. The program will feature a question and answer wrap-up at the conclusion of the presentations.
About The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) advances optometric education and research to enhance the health and well-being of the public. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Rockville, MD, ASCO is committed to achieving excellence in optometric education and to helping its member institutions prepare well-qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry. Its membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States. A number of optometry schools outside the United States are affiliate and associate members.
About American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the continuing education presented at its annual meeting. Fellows of the Academy are committed to the premise that learning is a lifelong obligation of a professional, as is the commitment to expand the profession’s knowledge base through ongoing fellowship and exchange. For more information, visit the website: www.aaopt.org
About The National Optometric Association (NOA)
The National Optometric Association (NOA), founded in 1969, is dedicated to the optometric profession and service to the underserved through our mission of, “Advancing the Visual Health of Minority Populations.” The NOA is comprised primarily of minority optometrists from throughout the United States. The NOA continues to develop programs and initiatives to help improve diversity in school and colleges of optometry, scholarships, mentorship and partnerships to increase awareness about eye diseases, and outreach to underserved communities. More information about the NOA is available online at: https://nationaloptometricassociation.com
We are living in difficult times. The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) champions our core values of Leadership, Innovation, Inclusion and Integrity. We embrace diversity of opinions, perspectives, and backgrounds. As health care professionals and educators, we abhor bigotry of any kind, and we are appalled by the blatant racism in our society and violence in our communities. We experience the grief of loss, through the COVID-19 pandemic and through the violence of recent events, and witness that our loss is disproportionately affecting minorities and our colleagues, friends, and family of color.
We need to carry the banner for fundamental change in our society so that people of all backgrounds and experiences, especially persons of color, know in their hearts that we value their contributions, respect their dignity, and ensure that they can count on equal treatment under the law. We believe it is important to witness and confront current events, to speak the names of the victims. In our various communities, we must act to ensure that the senseless killing of George Floyd and many others before him, will be a catalyst to a just and equitable society.
ASCO, in partnership with the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and the National Optometric Association, organized an attendance-breaking workshop on diversity in optometric education in concert with the 2020 AAO At Home Conference. Our national public education campaign Optometry Gives Me Life showcases diverse, exceptional professionals as exemplars to prospective students about how a life in optometry can be fulfilling for everyone. We need to do more. We will do more. But today we mourn our loss of communal dignity and commit to a better, more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
A Short Conversation with Dr. David Damari, ASCO President
Each July, ASCO swears in a new President to serve for the year. This year’s President, Dr. David Damari, sat down with ASCO’s Intern, Amanda Howarth, and Director of Communications, Kimberly O’Sullivan to talk about the next twelve months.
Dr. David A. Damari is the Dean at Ferris State University Michigan College of Optometry. Prior to his appointment as Dean, he was a professor at Southern College of Optometry (SCO) and the Chair of the Department of Assessment, responsible for institutional review, measures of academic outcomes, and regional and professional accreditation. He is a Fellow and past president of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.
ASCO: Dr. Damari, congratulations on being named ASCO President for fiscal year 2017-2018. What are you excited for most? Do you think you will face any challenges in the coming year?
Dr. Damari: I’m excited and honored to be ASCO’s president. I’ve been involved with ASCO since I was an optometry student at SUNY. I’ve always been aware of ASCO’s role in the profession and it’s a remarkable privilege for me to lead this great organization where I will get to work with the great Presidents and Deans at all the schools and colleges of optometry.
It’s a difficult time in all healthcare professional education right now. There are fewer students graduating from high school, which means fewer graduating from college, and thus less students applying to healthcare professional schools overall. We have the challenge of getting the best and the brightest college students to recognize what a terrific profession optometry is – a profession that helps people improve their quality of life. In my opinion, there is no other healthcare profession that does more to improve people’s lives than optometry.
Optometry is a fun and exciting field that truly impacts lives. I believe we face the challenge of doing a better job to communicate this to potential students around the country. Some of the publications that ASCO has produced really do that well. The “True Stories” brochure eloquently captures how much our profession can do for patients. Those communications go a long way about informing people about our profession. We can and must keep doing more to attract the best and the brightest.
ASCO: What will be some of your top priorities this year?
DD: Dr. Zadnik got us started on the strategic planning process so my top priority is to finalize our Comprehensive Strategic Plan and to start its implementation. Specifically, the number one priority is to build our applicant pool. I want to increase our effectiveness in various operations, to give our staff better resources, and to better communicate with our volunteers. We need to continue to take advantage of our great, new Executive Director, Dawn Mancuso. We’re excited for the direction ASCO is going in.
ASCO: What are your ideas to help the ASCO staff further the Strategic Plan?
DD: I hope to visit the ASCO office when we’re in D.C. this year and meet with the staff. I had been there when I became Dean four years ago and I look forward to seeing everyone. In my past work with the staff, I have found them to be great to work with and passionate about the profession. I want to make sure that we can capture that passion and give them what they need in terms of volunteers and resources to carry out the Strategic Plan.
ASCO: What drew you to optometry? What did you find most appealing about the field of optometry?
DD: I initially thought I would go into law. During my gap year between college and graduate school, I was talking to my Doctor of Optometry about going to law school and he said he didn’t picture me as a lawyer. He told me he thought I would be a great optometrist. He convinced me to spend a day at his office, where I saw many different aspects of optometry, including vision therapy, which I found eye-opening. He turned my whole perspective around and I went to optometry school for the next 4 years.
Two things have really continued my passion for optometry. The first is the patients I have seen over the years. One of the greatest things about optometry is that you impact people for the rest of their lives. I had a private practice in the mid-90’s in Rochester and had many patients. Twenty years after selling that practice, I am still receiving letters and calls from, and running into at professional conferences, former patients who thank me for turning their lives around.
The second thing that has continued my passion for optometry is that I had tremendous mentors in my career. Even before I was in school, my optometrist changed my life path. Those mentors really inspired me and moved me forward.
ASCO: What drew you to teaching? How did you become so passionate about optometric education?
DD: When I was in private practice, I loved the patients and the impact we were having on their lives, but what I hadn’t expected was the teaching bug had really bit me when I was a clinical assistant professor at SUNY. As a Doctor of Optometry you impact a lot of lives, but as an optometric educator, you impact all the lives of the students’ patients as well. It really is an exponential impact. I’m very passionate enlarging the future of our profession and what we can do for patients. I felt the most effective way to do that was to get into optometric education.
It was a privilege to work with Dr. Billy Cochran, who was president of Southern College of Optometry at the time, who made a big impact in what I saw in optometric education and who taught me strong leadership qualities. Working with people like him and others in optometric education has really shown me this is a great way to serve the profession as well as to enrich and enlarge the profession. This ASCO presidency term is just another step in my attempt to serve this profession that I love so much.
ASCO: If you were speaking with a student who is interested in becoming a Doctor of Optometry or with a student who has the aptitude but may not know about optometry, what advice would you give them?
DD: I would ask them, “How do you picture yourself living the rest of your life and in your career? Do you want to serve others and influence their ability to live better lives?” I think that optometry is a great way to do that, which is not readily apparent – making it even more important. We need our visual systems to serve us comfortably and tirelessly throughout the day, and there is no other profession that can address that need. I would say to a student that becoming an optometrist gives you the opportunity to impact the success of others throughout their whole life.
ASCO: On a more personal note, tell us a little about your life outside of the workplace. What was the last vacation you took? What are some of your hobbies?
DD: My son studied for a semester in Florence. He was studying architecture – couldn’t convince him to do optometry! He does make an impact on vision though, as architecture affects the buildings and infrastructure we look at every day. We visited him in Florence and then also went to London and Paris. That was a great trip. Our daughter had also spent a semester abroad in London so when we went to London on this trip, she showed us around that big city. I love traveling because I always try to keep my mind open to what other people experience. I find that it enriches my mind to know what other people’s experiences are like.
As for hobbies, I do a lot of reading and too much binge watching of Netflix and Hulu. I’m very excited for the new season of Kimmy Schmidt to come out. What I miss about my time in New York was I saw a lot of plays and watched a lot of baseball games. I don’t do a lot of that anymore, but I used to love doing that.
ASCO: You have served as the Dean of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University since 2013. Tell us a little about your school and your experience being a proud Bulldog. What have been some of your favorite things about living in Michigan?
DD: I never saw myself as a Dean but someone who knew my passion for the profession convinced me to apply for the job at Ferris State University. I interviewed and I loved it. The people up here are wonderful. One of the best things about being a Bulldog is that the people at Ferris State University are passionate about the students. The population is incredibly diverse. A lot of students are first generation college students. I was the first in my family to attend college, so for me, I feel a real personal connection there.
Michigan is similar to where I grew up in upstate New York so it was like coming home when I came to this job. After 16 years in Memphis, which is very different than New York, it really felt like coming home. It’s great to have four seasons again. After you make it through the cold winter, you are rewarded with the beautiful spring, summer, and fall. Big Rapids is a cute, small town and because it’s a college town there are many activities to do. It’s just been a really great move for us.
ASCO: And lastly, our intern, Amanda, is graduating this May and plans to pursue a career in public health in the future. Amanda asks, what common behaviors do you believe are strongly affecting the vision of the public? What advice do you have for someone who is passionate about improving vision at the broader level of public health?
DD: Vision is one of those aspects of daily life that people do not recognize impacts them. I hear people all the time say, “I have trouble looking at a map for directions,” and “I fall asleep when I read.” All of those are symptoms of different visual problems. I think that’s a big public health need – to educate the public on why their vision is so important. Itching eyes, fatigue, and headaches are all often caused by visual problems. We also have a public health crisis in this country with diabetes. Everyday Doctors of Optometry are making the first diagnosis of diabetes through the their detection of the ocular signs of diabetes.
I think the biggest impact on public health our profession could make is to convince more people to come into an optometrist’s office for a comprehensive eye exam. I can’t tell you how many people have never had an eye exam because they believe they can see 20/20. At the same time, though, a lot of those people hate reading and always skip around on pages and they often feel really fatigued when working on the computer. It’s a shame that 20/20 is assumed to be perfect vision when 20/20 vision is only one aspect of visual health.
People struggle with settling with their vision every day because they don’t realize they’re struggling. Many people are losing their vision to diabetes and glaucoma. This is a real public health problem and optometrists must work with public health officials and other healthcare practitioners to improve everyone’s visual welfare.
Thank you for your time Dr. Damari! We wish you the best of luck as president!
