Optometric Educator of the Year Award
AOA Annual Excellence Awards
The American Optometric Association’s Optometric Educator of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding member educator for exceptional service to optometric education, the profession, and public visual health.
WHO CAN NOMINATE?
Nominations can only be submitted by affiliated optometric associations.
ELIGIBILITY
- Nominees must be an AOA member in good standing and must hold a full-time, part-time, or adjunct faculty position at an accredited school or college of optometry.
- Nominees must be active in their communities and schools, demonstrating leadership and significant contributions to optometric education, the profession, and the community.
- Affiliated associations may nominate eligible educators for the national award, , with one nominee per association per year.
- A nominee may be resubmitted in future years if previously honored as an Educator of the Year by an affiliated association.
- Current AOA employees, AOA consultants, Board members, and members of the Awards Committee are not eligible.
JUDGING AND SELECTION
Affiliated associations can nominate eligible educators for the national award. The recipient will be selected by the AOA Awards Committee, which includes the five most recent past AOA presidents, and honored at Optometry’s Meeting®.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All nominations must include the following:
- Individual Resume: Include the nominee's resume or biography describing their background.
- 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).
- Photo: A current headshot must be included.
- 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.
- Nominations must be submitted online, below.
CRITERIA
Nominees will be evaluated according to a point system allocated to five principal areas:
- Service to Optometric Education (30 point maximum)
- Innovation in teaching
- Scholarly contributions
- Leadership in optometric education
- Service to the Visual Welfare of the Public (20 point maximum)
- With sight-saving groups
- Legislative activities beneficial to the visual welfare of the public
- Participation in governmental health care programs
- Participation in public service programs such as visual screening projects, etc.
- Service to Optometry (20 point maximum)
- Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession’s advancement such as service to non-AOA optometric organizations
- Service to the AOA or Affiliate Associations (20 point maximum)
- Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
- Promotion of the association’s goals and programs
- Activity in support of the association’s projects
- Involvement in public information activities of the AOA or affiliate.
- Public Service to Community (10 point maximum)
- The country, state or other political subdivision in any capacity
- Community outreach
- Religious or service institutions
- Charitable causes
*Approved change by AOA Board of Trustees March 5, 2020.
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