Excellence takes center stage at Optometry's Meeting®

Optometry's Meeting®, held June 17–20 in Phoenix, honored individuals whose exceptional achievements have made a lasting impact on the profession. 

The honorees—doctors of optometry, AOA affiliates, paraoptometrics and optometry students—were recognized for their unwavering dedication, distinguished service, leadership in educating and mentoring future doctors of optometry and shared commitment to advancing the profession and improving patient care. 

The AOA congratulates the following awardees:    

Dr. W. David Sullins, Jr., InfantSEE® Award   

Michael Earley, O.D.    

National Hall of Fame Inductees   

Since 1998, the National Optometry Hall of Fame, administered by The AOA Foundation, has recognized and honored doctors of optometry who are luminaries of the profession and have imparted long-lasting contributions to optometry. Attendees gathered to recognize the Class of 2026:   

• E. LeRoy Ryer, O.D. 
• Richard Soden, O.D. 

Optometrist of the Year   

David Parker, O.D. 

Young Optometrist of the Year   

Mahsa Masoudi, O.D. 

AOA Distinguished Service Award   

Douglas Morrow, O.D. 

Optometric Educator of the Year   

Gregory Nixon, O.D.   

Student of the Year   

Amy Ngo 

Apollo Award  

iSee Ohio (The Ohio Optometric Foundation)   

Paraoptometric of the Year 

Kimberly Pickle, CPOA 

Paraoptometric Community Service Award   

Brandie Duncan, CPO 

Paraoptometric Lifetime Achievement Awards   

• Susan Laskowski, CPOT 
• Carol Lovell, CPOT, CPOC 

President’s Awards

David L. Parker, O.D.

Paul C. Jacobs, O.D.

Mark W. Shirey, O.D.

Carl W. Newton, O.D.

Gregory S. Koenig, O.D.

AOA Advocacy Awards   

Raymond Pirozzolo, O.D. (federal advocacy) 

David Redman, O.D. (federal advocacy) 

Annabelle Storch, O.D., MA (federal advocacy) 

American Optometric Student Association (affiliate advocacy) 

Kansas Optometric Association (affiliate advocacy) 

Optometry Association of Louisiana (affiliate advocacy) 

Minnesota Optometric Association (affiliate advocacy) 

Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians (affiliate advocacy) 

Vermont Optometric Association (affiliate advocacy) 

Patients Rising (media advocacy) 

Pennsylvania Optometric Association Eyebot Public Advisory (media advocacy) 

Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D. (media advocacy) 

Steve Girisgen, O.D. (payer advocacy) 

Kenneth Kopolow, O.D. (payer advocacy) 

Steve Nguyen, O.D. (payer advocacy) 

Jon M. Christiansen, O.D. (payer advocacy) 

Dr. Jerry P. Davidoff Vision Care Award   

Tamara Petrosyan, O.D. 

Inaugural AOA EyeQ Championship crowns historic champion 

Bentley St. Peter of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, College of Optometric Medicine, won the first-ever AOA EyeQ Championship, supported by AOAExcel®. The new and reimagined high-speed test of optometric clinical knowledge pits champions from each of the 27 optometric schools and colleges of optometry across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. Southern California College of Optometry also won the competition’s first-ever Spirit Award for most energetic supporters. 

5K Run winners   

The 5K, supported by AbbVie, Tarsus and the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety, benefits AOA Foundation programs, such as InfantSEE®, Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief, Opportunities in Optometry grants, the Optometric Historical Society, student scholarships and more. 

This year’s overall men’s winner is Santiago Ruiz Villegas and overall women’s winner is Mariah Wehrle. 

The generous support of the AOA's industry partners makes it possible to honor its outstanding members.