- Committee spotlight: AOA’s Meetings & Member Experiences Committee
- Making her dream a reality
- Student-centered initiatives promote optometry careers
- 1 year strong, Myopia Collective advancing a new standard of care
- Elevating optometry by advocating for dry eye patients
- Congratulations to the AOA’s 2025 award winners
- Inspiring optometry’s next generation
- A passion for grassroots
- Bringing the optometric community together
- Optometry finds voice in influential society
- Remembering Debbie Hettler
- Part of the solution
- ‘Changing the face of how we practice’
- On the radar: Emerging technologies
- Lessons in staff retention from a 50-year-practicing paraoptometric
- Remembering Virgil Deering
- Understanding the past to inform a better future
- 5 ways to center patient care
- AOA members help Olympians gain an edge
- ‘Advocacy is our history and our future’
- Putting the spotlight on optometry’s stars
- Tennessee Welcomes You to Optometry’s Meeting
- Member in Focus - Dr. Thuy Tran
- Intentional leadership
- Congratulations to the AOA’s 2024 award winners
- 115 years of family eye care
- Optometric foundation’s track record leads to $2.5 million grant for children’s eye care in Ohio
- Honoring Charlotte Ferris’ dedication to optometry
- Representation matters in optometry
- Remembering a true friend of optometry: Patricia Hopping
- AOA’s prestigious leadership program graduates another class
- Inspiring the next gen of contact lens leaders
- Seeing potential
- Taking eye care advocacy to a global scale
- Embracing the journey
- Born to serve: Active duty paraoptometric professionals provide critical care
- ‘Raising the ceiling’
- Why proper documentation is vital
- Change agent
- The power of ‘yes’
- AOA immediate past president: Our biggest challenges
- Optometry through Bubba’s eyes
- Congratulations to the AOAs 2023 award winners
- Andrew Kemp AOA’s 2022 Educator of the Year transitions students from talking in question marks to talking in period
- Distinguishing service
- Successes in diabetes care
- Shantia-Hinderlider-humanitarian-heart
- Glen Steele honored in retirement
- Art Epstein
- Next-level-Loretta-Eriks-CPOT
- Davidoff award
- Optometry’s Meeting 2022 is in the books
- Leader to leader
- Chicago things to do
- The next generation of optometrys leaders
- 2022 Hall of Fame
- Sullins Award Winner
- A great fit
- Ukrainian refugees find succor in AOA doctor executive director
- Candidates announce bids for Board of Trustees elections
- annual award winners
- women in optometry
- Care close to home
- Emerging leader
- How one doctor lives a life of service
- Jerald Combs Obit
- Connecting with patients as paraoptometrics
- Building relationships
- Persistence pays off
- Advocacy from academia
- Women make giant strides
- AOA Board of Trustee Resolutions 2020
- C Clayton Powell O.D. Obit
- James A Boucher Obit
- Irving Bennett O.D. leaves legacy
- Janet Millis finding her place
- Changing of the guard 2020
- AOA 2020-21 election
- AOA doctors frontline care
- 2020 hall of fame inductees
- members carry the message 2020EyeExam into the future
- When student becomes teacher
- Jeni Kohn Vision Quest Young Optometrist Year
- AOA Board resolves advocacy public awareness in New Year
- nominate Hall of Fame
- AOA honors active-duty sacrifice of Army doctor of optometry
- From small-town to big deal
- AOA Board of Trustee Resolutions 2019
- How doctors of optometry contribute to Air Force mission
- Kneib longtime AOA leader leaves legacy
- Morrow Optometric Family
- AOA member has a super role for NFL team
- Taking pride in what you do
- Longtime AOA volunteer member Frank Fontana OD dies
- a profession of their own
- Doctor of optometry on MasterChef
- Hawaii doctor takes volcano in stride
- A patient person
- Pick Up the Pieces
- Removing the barriers
- Another New Year happily practicing optometry
- 101 years all in the family
- Doctor Levin Obit
- Family tree blooms with doctors of optometry
- Reaping what we sow
- AOA offers condolences to family of Richard L Wallingford Jr OD
- Hollywoods eye experts
- Black History Month AOA doctors rise to occasions
- Longtime AOA California optometric leader and educator dies
- Civil rights leader remembered as heroic and selfless by one doctor of optometry
- All in the family The Castellanos
- All in the Family The Botwins
- War stories Retired doctor receives Frances highest military honor
- All in the family Three generations of eye care
- Opening doors
- Optometrys Family Portrait
- Optometrys eyewitness
- Teachable moments
- doctor of optomtery stays focused in Ferguson Missouri
- Opticals green makeover hits primetime TV
Honoring the profession’s finest at Optometry’s Meeting® 2023
July 6, 2023
When the AOA and AOSA gathered June 21-24 in Washington, D.C., for Optometry’s Meeting® 2023, the profession set aside time to recognize the outstanding contributions of its members.
Tag(s): Inside Optometry, Member Spotlight
Amid a whirlwind of ardent advocacy, student engagement, cutting-edge continuing education and professional networking, optometry took time to recognize the outstanding contributions of members to the profession and patients. Accolades ranged from outstanding advocacy to impact over a career.
“And to you, the many AOA and state volunteers,” AOA President Ronald L. Benner, O.D., said during Optometry’s Meeting. “We have the largest and most strategic volunteer group ever. Your service is not unrecognized. Your service is completely appreciated. Thank you for all the time you have given us.”
Dr. W. David Sullins, Jr., InfantSEE® Award
- Andrea Thau, O.D.
National Hall of Fame Inductees
Since 1998, the National Optometry Hall of Fame, administered by Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation, has recognized and honored doctors of optometry who are luminaries of the profession and imparted long-lasting contributions to optometry. Attendees gathered during the AOA Awards and National Optometry Hall of Fame ceremony to recognize the Class of 2023:
- Mitchell Scheiman, O.D., Ph.D.
- Siu Wong, O.D., MPH
- Joseph Shovlin, O.D.
AOA Distinguished Service Award
- Glen “Bubba” Steele, O.D. Watch Dr. Steele's award video.
Optometric Educator of the Year
- George Veliky, O.D. Watch Dr. Veliky's award video.
Optometrist of the Year
- Jon Pederson, O.D. Watch Dr. Pederson's award video.
Young Optometrist of the Year
- Amy Puerto, O.D. Watch Dr. Puerto's award video.
Student of the Year
- Caitlin Parks Watch Parks’ award video.
Apollo Award
- Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety. Watch the Apollo Award video.
Paraoptometric of the Year
- Brandy Yeack, CPOA Watch Yeack's award video
Paraoptometric Community Service Award
- Brianne Speaks, CPOA
Paraoptometric Lifetime Achievement Awards
- Roberta Beers, CPOT
- Beverly Roberts, CPOT
- Erlinda Rodriguez, CPO
President’s Awards |
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AOA Advocacy Awards
- Michael Mittelman, O.D., MPH, MBA (federal advocacy)
- Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (state advocacy)
- Jason Ortman, O.D. (payer advocacy)
- Meghan Elkins, O.D. (media advocacy)
- Viola Kanevsky, O.D. (media advocacy)
AOSA Optometry Student Bowl™ XXXI crowns champ
Zachary Ney, of the University of Houston College of Optometry, raised the winner’s trophy at the AOSA Optometry Student Bowl™ XXXII powered by EssilorLuxottica. Second place went to Nicholas Keinath, Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University, and, in a tie, third place to Sakshi Vasiu, State University of New York College of Optometry, and Sammy Haskins, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. The University of Houston College of Optometry also earned the Spirit Award.
5K Run winners
Competitors laced up their shoes for the Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation 5K Run, supported by Allergan, Tarsus and Neurolens. This year’s top 5K female finishers were Erin Hudson, Shannon Kirchmer, O.D., and Mora Boatman. This year’s top 5K male finishers were Justin Vo, Matt Valdes, O.D., and Kevin Harris, O.D. View the full Optometry Cares 5K race results.