Women In Optometry regularly recognizes the awards and accomplishments of women ODs in the profession and in their communities in the “Women in the News” series. Here are the August 2024 recognitions that have come to WO’s attention.
Have you received an award or acknowledgment for your contributions to optometry or your community? Send us a note: MBijlefeld@jobson.com.
Congratulations to all honorees.
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Patricia Flippin-Westfall, OD, FCOVD, was honored as Businesswoman Owner of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in Searcy, Alabama. |
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Joy Harewood, OD, FAOO, Dipl ABO, of New York, New York, was named the National Optometric Association Optometrist of the Year. |
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Jennifer Coyle, OD, MS, FAAO, of Forest Grove, Oregon, started a new role as board treasurer for the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities (The Alliance). |
Colorado Optometric Association (COA) |
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Megan Borden, OD, of Denver, became president of the COA. |
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Katie Brown-Bond, OD, of Greeley, was named the Young Optometrist of the Year by the COA. |
Southern College of Optometry Faculty-Staff Awards Assembly |
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Chelsea Spalding, OD, of North Port, Florida, was honored with the Betta Sigma Kappa (BSK) 2023-24 Teacher of the Year Award (clinical). |
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Class of 2026: Esla Speth, OD, (’10) of Memphis, Tennessee, was named 2023-24 Teacher of the Year (clinical). |
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Class of 2025: Abigail Klick, OD, (’22), of Memphis, Tennessee, was named Teacher of the Year 2023-24 (clinical). |
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Christina Newman, OD, of Memphis, Tennessee, was honored with the Drs. Charlene and Fred Burnett Outstanding Faculty Award. |
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Staff member Melissa Hansbro, of Memphis, Tennessee, was honored with the Spirit of SCO award. |
Also awarded: Dr. Will McGriff; Dr. John Mark Jackson; Dr. Rick Savoy; Dr. Patrick Fiddler.
American Academy of Optometry 2024 Award Recipients |
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Barbara Cohn, OD, DAAO, CPHQ, of Crow Agency, Montana, won the Brien Holden Humanitarian Award. |
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Vinita Henry, OD, FAAO, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Danica J. Marrelli, OD, FAAO, of Houston, Texas, won the Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education (AAO Foundation Award). |
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Ruth Shoge, OD, MPH, FAAO, of Berkeley, California, won the AAOF Excellence in Diversity Awareness and Education Award. |
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Stuti Misra, PhD, BOptom, FAAO, of Auckland, New Zealand, won the AAOF Outstanding Emerging Leader Award. |
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Barbara Caffery, OD, PhD, FAAO, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, won the Tony Adams Eminent Service Award and the Max Schapero Memorial Lecture Award. |
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Sidney Parks, of Columbus, Ohio, won the Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics (AAO Foundation Award). |
Also awarded: Dr. Nathan Efron; Dr. Geunyoung Yoon; Dr. Safal Khanal; Dr. Godwin Overseri-Ogbomo; Dr. Lotfi Merabet; Dr. Lyndon W. Jones; Dr. Andrew Rixon; Dr. Aglyamov Lan; Dr. Twa Larin; Dr. James Wolffsohn; Dr. Timothy A. Wingert.
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Maria Sampalis, OD, of Boston, Massachusetts, joined the member board of directors for Virtual Field. |
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Angelica Cifuentes, OD, of Miami, Florida, was appointed to the Latinos en Optometry Advisory Board. Read the full story here. |
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Sharon Klier, MD, MS, MPH, of Los Angeles, California, was appointed as Chief Development Officer at Oculis. |
National Vision Names National Optometric Student Association Scholarship Winners |
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Jerbrea Powell, Southern College of Optometry class of 2026, won $4,000. |
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Victoria Laws, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions class of 2026, received $2,000. |
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Crystal Wade, University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry, won the Dr. C Clayton Powell Georgia Student Award. |
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Delandsheere Jean Philippe, Rocky Mountain University, won the Dr. Charles Comer Award. |
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Dominica Dzakah, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus at Drexel, won the Dr. Robert Johnson Pediatric & Vision Therapy Award. |
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Jerbrea Powell, Southern College of Optometry, won the Dr. David White Mississippi Student Award. |
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Loveth Aleburu, New England College of Optometry, won the Los Angeles County Optometric Society Award. |
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Azalia Roach, NOVA Southeastern University, won The Associate’s Award. |
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The Walmart Academic Awards went to Charlene Ubah, Indiana University School of Optometry; Tsion Demissie, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus at Drexel; and Melanie Pham, Rocky Mountain University. |
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The Walmart Leadership Awards went to Sofia Alfaro, Midwestern University AZ; Sonia Patel, Ohio State University College of Optometry; and Faiza Hussain, Inter American University of Puerto Rico. |
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The Future Contact Lens Leader Awards went to Jabrea Powell, Southern College of Optometry; Charlene Ubah, Indiana University School of Optometry; and Darla Gropp, Inter American University of Puerto Rico. |
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The Dr. Marvin R. Poston Leadership Awards went to Abarnaa Arithas, University of Waterloo class of 2027; Melisa Philogene, Illinois College of Optometry class of 2024; Olivia Wynn, New England College of Optometry class of 2026; Emely Minino Soto, New England College of Optometry class of 2025; and Dominica Dzakah, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus at Drexel class of 2025. |
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The NOSA 2024 Executive Board Awards went to Taylor Greaves, SUNY Optometry; Lauren Jackson, Southern College of Optometry; and Chin-Yen Chou, SUNY Optometry. |
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Mary Saba, Rocky Mountain University, won the Dr. Henry Moore Memorial Scholarship. |
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Jamesha Hughley, MPH, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, won the Dr. Will Kelley Memorial Scholarship. |
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Lydia Smith, University of Alabama at Birmingham, won the Dr. Ollie Powe Scholarship. |
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Avia Dolberry, New England College of Optometry, won the Empowering Equity Scholarship. |
Also awarded: Baldemar Torres; Demetric Jones; Jeffrey Wilson, Sr.
See previous Women in the News from July, June and April 2024.
To view more newsmaker stories from WO, click here.
