Women In Optometry regularly recognizes the awards and accomplishments of those in the profession and in their communities in the “Awards and Recognitions” series.
Have you received an award or acknowledgment for your contributions to optometry or your community? Send us a note.
Congratulations to all honorees.
| SECO 2025 Award Winners | |
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Jonathan Shrewsbury, OD, a past president of SECO, was honored with the President’s Award. |
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Paige Bush Foster, OD, received the Paul C. Ajamian, OD, Distinguished Service Award. |
| Mark Roy, OD, was named Optometrist of the South. | |
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Emily Eisenhower, OD, was named Young Optometrist of the South. |
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Russ Tolar, ABOC, was named Optician of the South. |
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Amie Robinson, ABOC, CPOA, was named Paraoptometric of the South. |
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Robert C. Janot, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, was honored with the Executive Director Award. |
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The Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS) was honored with the Associate Member Award. |
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Chandra Mickles, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, was named a member of the President’s Club at Alcon. |
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Parres Wright, OD, FAAO, was named Clinical Lead (Chief) of the Low Vision and Advanced Care Services at Midwestern University. |
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Cynthia Noorani Bailey, OD, MPH, Dipl. ABO, FAAO, was named the 2025 Doctor of the Year by the Atlanta Eye Group. |
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Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO, associate dean for university research at Marshall B. Ketchum University, was named Optometrist of the Year Award by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT). She was also named the 2024 University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry’s Springer Lecturer. |
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Paula Newsome, OD, was named the 2024 Optometrist of the Year by the North Carolina Optometric Society. She was also awarded The Queen City’s Award for Excellence by Pride Magazine in Charlotte, N.C. |
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Ed Bennett, OD, PhD, professor emeritus and the former assistant dean for student services and alumni relations at UMSL College of Optometry, received the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association Medal of Honor. |
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Vinita Henry, OD, FAAO, associate dean of clinical operations and clinical professor at UMSL College of Optometry, received the Dr. Edward S. Bennett GP Lens Institute Educator of the Year Award. |
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Stephanie Lew Veilleux, OD, was named Young Optometrist of the Year by the California Optometric Association. |
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Angelica Cifuentes, OD, was named Young OD of the Year by the Florida Optometric Association. |
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Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, the president and CEO of New England College of Optometry, was honored with this year’s Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award. |
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A poster by Mallory Wright, OD, entitled “Acute Horner’s Syndrome Leading to a Diagnosis of Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgia” won first place at the Heart of America Eye Care Congress. |
| The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition named its 2025 Board Members | |
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Bill Scott, President, Jobson |
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Elizabeth Lumb, MCOptom, FBCLA, Director, Global Professional Affairs, Myopia Management, CooperVision |
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Francois Couillard, CEO, Canadian Association of Optometrists |
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Lori Archer, CEO, United Healthcare Vision |
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Sandra Block, OD, MEd, MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, President, World Council of Optometry |
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Ada Noh, OD, joined Dompe as a Speaker Bureau and Consultant. |
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Beverly Bianes, OD, joined Oculogyx as a Professional Advisor. |
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New England College of Optometry Distinguished Alumni Awards |
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Karen Carrasquillo-Mirando, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, ’05 |
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Charles Mullen, OD, ’69 |
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Eli Peli, OD, MSc, ’83 |
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Andrea Thau, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, FNAP, joined the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety as an American Optometric Association representative. |
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Michelle Brehm Sweeney, OD, was named Regional Manager, West Coast at RxSight, Inc. |
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Steven Robins was named President, Americas, CooperVision. |
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The Facebook group “ODs on Facebook” was awarded with the first official American Optometric Association Advocacy Network Partner Badge. |
See previous Awards & Recognitions (previously Women in the News) from January, December, and November 2024.
To view more newsmaker stories from WO, click here.
