After years of planning, the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Optometry welcomes its inaugural class on Tuesday, Aug. 26, under founding dean Sulman Hans, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl. ABO.
FROM THE GROUND UP
The School of Optometry began as an idea planted by Dr. Mert N. Aksu, dean of the School of Dentistry at University of Detroit-Mercy about five years ago. Dr. Hans joined UD-Mercy as founding dean, along with other administrators who worked to design the program with the needs of both patients and students in mind.
The university purchased a building and invested several million dollars to transform it into an optometry-specific space, which now includes new classrooms, a library, two pre-clinical labs and the Eye Institute, an on-campus clinic that opened in July 2024. The clinic offers pediatrics, specialty contact lenses, ocular disease, low vision services and primary care. “We are prepared to provide comprehensive, quality care for a variety of patient needs,” Dr. Hans says.
The school will begin with an inaugural class of 36 students.
Most of the incoming students are from Michigan, aligning with the university’s initial feasibility study, which showed a need for more optometrists within the state. “The faculty and staff are excited to provide an education that is tailored to students succeeding at their boards and developing exceptional clinicians who are prepared to serve,” Dr. Hans says.
FACULTY AND STUDENT SUPPORT IN PLACE
The school has hired all the faculty to cover the full first-year curriculum, and some second-year faculty are already preparing for upcoming courses.
Among the early hires are specialists in each clinical area, including:
- Sulman Hans, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, Founding Dean
- Naureen Haroon, OD, MPH, FAAO, Assistant Dean of Academic Administration
- Robert Onofre, OD, MHA, Assistant Dean of Clinical Administration
- Pablo De Gracia, OD, PhD, FAAO, Dipl. AAO, Director of Research
- Amy Ferguson, OD, MS, Director of Student Success and Achievement
- Hady Srour, OD, FAAO, Primary Care and Ocular Disease
- Miranda Geisinger, Ocular Disease
- Brandee Nelson, Pediatrics, Binocular Vision and Vision Therapy
- Chawan Rasheed, Specialty Contact Lens, and Donna Wicker, Low Vision Rehabilitation, as adjunct faculty
LOOKING AHEAD
The first optometry class at UD-Mercy started classes Tuesday, Aug. 26, and Dr. Hans says everyone has hit the ground running, students and staff included.
“As a Jesuit and Mercy institution, our aim is to promote academic excellence, transformative learning and holistic well-being for everyone in our community,” he says. “Our students can expect to be trained to practice at the highest level of scope in their respective states and to have the tools necessary to serve and lead in their communities.”
