Women In Optometry (WO) will award nine women ODs with a Theia Award of Excellence on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. The ceremony will immediately follow the annual Women’s Leadership Conference at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the 10th year for this annual awards ceremony.
Each year, WO advisory board members vote for the winners from more than 150 submitted nominations of women. These nominees all have had a tremendous impact on the profession or their communities.
Meet the 2025 winners.
LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP |
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Andrea P. Thau, OD, FAAO, FOVDR, FNAP, of New York, New York |
For the 10th anniversary of the Theia Awards of Excellence, Women In Optometry added a special category: Lifetime of Leadership. Andrea P. Thau, OD, FAAO, FOVDR, FNAP, past president of the American Optometric Association (AOA), is being honored as the recipient.
In addition to her leadership at the AOA, Dr. Thau is a board member with the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety and a governing councilor with the American Public Health Association, among a series of other impressive accomplishments in the profession.
Dr. Thau says, “Optometry is a fantastic profession! We enhance and change the lives of our patients by protecting and enhancing their vision which, next to life itself, is God’s greatest gift. It’s up to every optometrist to use their gift to help advance our profession so we can further help our patients.
“It has been a privilege and joy to do this throughout my career. I am particularly proud of the work that I’ve done to mentor others into leadership; I have mentored countless pre-optometry students who are now my colleagues, taught hundreds if not thousands of students at SUNY and encouraged colleagues informally and through the AOA Leadership Institute to lead. Our future is bright!”
LEADERSHIP |
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Lisa Hornick, OD, MBA, FAAO, of Rocklin, California |
Dr. Lisa Hornick is a U.S. Navy veteran and military spouse. She has more than 20 years of experience in both hospital-based eye care and private practice. Her passions include ocular surface disorders, ocular disease, dry eye and aesthetics. She is enthusiastic about new advances in research and medical technology and is currently authoring a dry eye textbook. She is also a current WO advisory board member.
Dr. Hornick says, “What excites me the most about optometry as a profession is that there are so many different ways and opportunities to be involved. You don’t need to be the owner of a private practice or the CEO of a large eye care company to be a leader. Bloom where you are planted. In other words, do the most you can with where you are right now. You can lead a smaller team at your practice, lecture at a CE meeting, write for an optometric publication, post educational information on social media or get involved with your local optometric society. You can be a leader at any stage in your career—just find what you are passionate about and go for it!”
MENTORING |
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Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, FNAP, of Boston, Massachusetts |
Dr. Amy Moy is the senior director of community health initiatives and optometric compliance at the New England College of Optometry (NECO). She also serves there as associate professor of clinical optometry and instructor of record for patient care II and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. With more than 20 years of experience in community health optometry, she co-leads the NECO Clinical Network. She has spearheaded initiatives in culturally inclusive care, interprofessional collaboration and clinical compliance. Dr. Moy is a fellow of the National Academies of Practice and currently chairs the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Clinical Affairs Committee and the AAO Community Health Center Special Interest Group. She recently was honored as one of Vision Monday’s 2025 Most Influential Women in Optical.
She says, “What excites me most about education is witnessing the moment a student truly gets it—that spark when understanding clicks into place. I’ve seen it when students connect social determinants to health outcomes and in clinic when interns move beyond formulas to confidently build a differential diagnosis. These are the moments when learners shift from memorizing to thinking like clinicians. It’s deeply rewarding to help shape culturally inclusive, thoughtful and capable optometrists ready to meet the needs of diverse communities.”
EDUCATION (TIE) |
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Ruth Y. Shoge, OD, MPH, FAAO, of Berkeley, California |
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Lisa Ostrin, OD, PhD, of Houston, Texas |
Dr. Ruth Shoge
Dr. Shoge is an Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Chief Diversity Officer at UC Berkeley School of Optometry. She is the founder and CEO of RYS Consultants, LLC, specializing in strategic planning, leadership coaching and trainings on health disparities and bias awareness. She is also a member of the board of directors at Prevent Blindness. In her career as an educator, she has been committed to education on cultural competence and humility and advocating for its integration into curricula.
She says, “I have been an optometric educator for nearly 20 years, during which I’ve had the privilege of teaching more than 2,000 students. What continues to excite me most are those pivotal early moments—when students begin their journey in their first year and when they see their first live patients in clinic. Their nervous energy, curiosity and genuine enthusiasm for learning reignite my own passion for teaching. These experiences not only motivate me to be a better educator but also remind me of the importance of remaining a lifelong learner myself.”
Dr. Lisa Ostrin
Dr. Ostrin has been an associate professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry for over a decade. She completed her post-doctoral research at John Hopkins University and UC Berkeley School of Optometry. A gold fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, she has also published a book, “Anatomy of the Human Eye: A Coloring Atlas.”
She says, “As a professor of gross and ocular anatomy, I am driven by an appreciation for the structure and function of the human body, especially the intricacies of the eye. Teaching these topics allows me to share that enthusiasm while helping students understand the complexities and clinical relevance of what they’re learning. This foundational knowledge supports their future role as eye care professionals, and it’s incredibly rewarding to watch their engagement grow as they make these connections.”
BUSINESS |
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Janelle Davison, OD, of Smyrna, Georgia |
Dr. Janelle Davison is the founder and owner of Brilliant Eyes, a full-scope primary care vision center in Smyrna, Georgia. She also founded the Visionary Dry Eye Institute of Georgia, a referral and co-management center. Additionally, she co-founded Paradeyem, a web-based retail optical solution, where she serves as the chief visionary officer. She is also co-founder of S.C.O.R.E., a nonprofit organization for young women interested in optometry. She is a past WO advisory board member.
Dr. Davison says that it takes work to achieve each level of success. She’s created opportunities for herself through goal-setting. It’s a habit from her days as a student that continues to be critical. That helps her identify what’s worth her time in the immediate term and what might be a longer-term goal.
Additionally, goal-setting and formal planning also help to keep imposter syndrome at bay. “Imposter syndrome hits everyone, at every level. But I’ve worked hard; I put in my time. The fruits of my labor are coming into harvest.”
Even so, she’s not resting on her laurels. “I don’t want to be known just for being a great optometrist. When I look back, I want to see how I impacted the optometric industry, my community and my family and be known as a compassionate, caring, innovative visionary.”
YOUNG OD (TIE) |
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Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, of Rogers, Arkansas |
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Amy A. Puerto, OD, FAAO, ABO, of Covington, Louisiana |
Dr. Jade Coats
Dr. Coats graduated from Southern College of Optometry in 2016. She practices in an OD/MD setting and was named a Contact Lens Institute Visionary in 2023 and 2024. Dr. Coats is active in professional leadership, serving on multiple boards. She also contributes to the field as a speaker, writer and consultant through YoungODConnect and Women In Optometry. A member of the Intrepid Eye Society board and a director at the Arkansas Optometric Association, she was named the 2025 Young OD of the Year in Arkansas.
Outside of the profession, Dr. Coats is deeply committed to community service. She’s most passionate about her work with Hope Cancer Resources, Circle of Life Hospice and Caton’s Cubs—a nonprofit she co-founded to support pediatric hospice care. She says, “From advanced imaging to new pharmaceuticals and technologies for refractive care and ocular surface disease, optometry is rapidly evolving. It’s exciting to be part of a profession that’s always innovating and expanding its role in patient care.”
Dr. Amy Puerto
Dr. Puerto graduated from Southern College of Optometry in 2015, where she served as class president. She was then bestowed membership into the Gold Key International Optometric Leadership Honor Society. Dr. Puerto is newly elected to the AOA Board of Trustees and is a past president of the Optometry Association of Louisiana.
She says, “There’s no better time to be an optometrist! Our profession is on the move—bridging generations, expanding boundaries and embracing innovation across every setting. What excites me most is that there is space for everyone who puts patient care first and believes in moving the profession forward. Whether you’re advocating on Capitol Hill, caring for your community in the exam room, teaching our future colleagues or driving research behind the scenes, every eye care professional plays a vital role. As someone shaped by the relentless grit of our profession’s contemporary giants, and now in a position to mentor our emerging leaders, I’m inspired by the talent, curiosity and true heart I see in today’s students and new grads. Across our generations, the road ahead is wide—and with every new leader, we’re not just taking the high road, but paving it together!”
INDUSTRY INFLUENCER |
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Louise A. Sclafani, OD, FAAO, FNAP, Dipl. AAO, FSLS, of Chicago, Illinois |
Dr. Louise Sclafani graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in 1989. She served as an associate professor of surgery and director of optometric services at the University of Chicago from 1993 to 2017. Now, she leads the Specialty Lens Portfolio at CooperVision. Her clinical interests include contact lenses, corneal disease and surgery co-management. She continues to see patients at SoLo Eyecare in Chicago and as an associate clinical professor at Illinois College of Optometry.
Dr. Sclafani has held leadership roles in the AOA, including Illinois state president and chair of the Contact Lens & Cornea Section. She is a fellow of the Scleral Lens Society, an associate member of the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists and a diplomate of the AAO’s Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies. She’s been named one of Review of Optometry’s Top 10 Females at the Forefront of Optometry, a National Keratoconus Foundation Top Doctor, Newsweek’s Top 100 Optometrists in the U.S. and Vision Monday’s Most Influential Women.
She says, “There are so many roads that optometry can take, and for me, my final journey has led me to contribute via the industry route. My clinical experience and leadership roles in professional associations allow me to interact with trainees, colleagues and experts throughout the profession. These tools help guide future contact lens technology and discover the hidden talents of aspiring specialists.”
Click here to learn more about the 2025 Women’s Leadership Conference, happening Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. EST. Follow along on social media with #WOLC2025.
The Theia Awards of Excellence ceremony will occur immediately after the Women’s Leadership Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 4 to 4:45 p.m. EST.
Not attending the American Academy of Optometry but still want to attend the Women’s Leadership Conference and/or the Theia Awards of Excellence? Email Debby Corriveau here.
