Distinguished Service Award

The American Optometric Association’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes a doctor of optometry for their long-term dedication and outstanding accomplishments that have had a meaningful and lasting impact on the practice of optometry. Rather than celebrating a single achievement, it acknowledges a sustained commitment to advancing the profession through leadership, innovation, and service over time.

WHO CAN NOMINATE?

Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award can be submitted by any AOA member, AOA committee, councils, sections, groups, affiliated associations, societies, or other optometric organizations.

ELIGIBILITY

• Nominees must be AOA members in good standing.
• The nominee may or may not be in active practice currently.
• Current AOA employees, consultants, Board members, and Awards Committee members are not eligible.

JUDGING AND SELECTION

The recipient will be selected by the AOA Awards Committee, consisting of the five most recent AOA past presidents, and honored at Optometry’s Meeting®.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All nominations must include the following:

1. Individual Resume: Include the nominee's resume or biography describing their background.

1. Nomination Statement: A statement 2000-word or less outlining the nominee’s contributions to the profession (considering their entire career, not just the past year).
2. Photo: A current headshot must be included.
3. Supplements: Supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation or a CV, may be attached, but they cannot replace the nomination statement, which must clearly detail the nominee’s accomplishments.
4. Nominations must be submitted online, below.

 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Nominees will be evaluated for long-term or lifetime achievement according to a point system allocated to two principal areas: 

• SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (80 point maximum)

Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession’s advancement, in such areas as:

• Leadership roles within the profession
• Organized optometry at national, state and local levels
• Continuing education, as a writer and/or lecturer
• Education as a teacher or administrator
• Legislation furthering the advancement of optometry
• Research 

• SPECIAL SERVICE (20 point maximum)

Involvement on behalf of the profession, in such areas as:

• Interprofessional health care organization, committees, boards or groups
• Interprofessional organizations, committees, boards or groups outside of the health care area
• International health care or other organizations, committees, boards or groups
• Standards, i.e., as a representative of optometry with standards organizations and committees
• Public health, in a leadership role
• The military, in a health care leadership role

*Approved change by AOA Board of Trustees March 5, 2020.