Visions_07Summer

Summer 2007

President Phillips shares his vision for the college.

Summer 2007

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Shannon Reynolds Torbett, MHP

EDITOR Jim Hollifield

DESIgNER Susan M. Doyle

PhOTOgRAPhER Phillip V. Ridings

Mission stateMentTo Educate Men and Women in the

Art and Science of Optometry

In this Issue…Q&A with Dr. Phillips .....................3

Dr. Cochran Retires .........................8

75th Anniversary ..............................9

Commencement 2007 .................... 10

Philanthropy In Action ...................12

Class Notes .....................................13

In Memoriam ................................. 15

Faculty and Staff Highlights ........... 18

News Briefs .....................................20

Visions is published through the Office of Institutional Advancement. Copies are available without charge to

alumni and friends and online at www.sco.edu/visions

Correspondence should be sent to:

SCO Visions Editor 1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104

Phone: (901) 722-3264 Fax: (901) 722-3340

Email: [email protected]

2 SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

inperspective

by Dr. Michael Gerstner, Chief of Advanced Care ocular Disease

Leadership transitions: sco charts new territory

As a faculty member who served on SCO’s Presidential Search Committee, I’m pleased to report that the recent presidential transition has gone very well. Dr. Cochran’s leadership is a tough act to follow for anyone, but our new leader is up to the challenge of continuing the tradition of SCO. In addition to enjoying the support of faculty and staff, Dr. Phillips also has strong support from our students. They fully understood that selecting a new president was

a huge decision to make. The decisions that Dr. Phillips makes will not only impact them as students, but certainly as alumni.

Most regional optometrists are probably familiar with Dr. Phillips and his involvement with SECO and the Tennessee Optometric Association and his service as past president of both organizations. Non-regional optometrists recognize Dr. Phillips through the AOA and other national optometric organizations. Those who haven’t had the privilege of meeting Dr. Phillips will have the opportunity to get to know and support him at our upcoming Homecoming/CE weekend in September. It is my perception that Dr. Phillips is well aware of the importance of engaging and connecting with SCO’s alumni.

As a former student, an alumnus, and now a faculty member, I have a vested interest in seeing the college continue to excel under Dr. Phillips’ leadership. We are now at the peak of optometric education in terms of our faculty, students, clinical and teaching facilities, and The Eye Center. However, these are not reasons to take a rest, but an opportunity to continue to move forward. There is a tremendous amount of growth possible.

SCO’s reputation continues to impress at all levels. From graduation rates to national board scores, we’re able to measure the progress of our students, and those numbers have been very positive. We talk to extern directors and preceptors who understand that the quality of our students is at a high level. That’s an attribute of the good job we do recruiting quality students. Even as the bar continues to be raised, SCO is able to enroll top-notch candidates.

Dr. Phillips will need our alumni’s support in:• Embracing technology that constantly evolves and changes. We have the

mechanisms to utilize it not only for patient care but as a teaching tool. Students need exposure to technology in order to be successful. Electronic medical records that are currently being introduced into The Eye Center, for example, represent the future.

• Providing our students with a strong knowledge of different modalities of practice. It gives them a more balanced approach to choosing a particular modality of practice. The Hayes Center for Practice Excellence will assist our alumni in this area as well.

• Supporting our clinical facility. Finding and retaining patients, dealing with third-party payers, and understanding scope of practice issues with optom-etry will always be challenges.

• Controlling the costs of education. The college has done an excellent job in keeping education costs low but quality high. Today’s students have a broader knowledge of optometry than perhaps when I applied 15 years ago. They’ve spent time in a practice. They understand what optometry is, what we do, and our place in healthcare delivery.

• Encouraging our faculty. More than ever before, faculty are involved in re-search, presentations and posters, and we’re active in the AOA, the American Academy of Optometry, SECO, TOA, and organized optometry.

Optometry is doing a good job of marketing itself as a great profession. With our scope of practice expanding, that’s very attractive to college students who are thinking about a career in healthcare. U.s. news and World Report and other publications have consistently ranked optometry as one of the top ten professions in the U.S. When you look at income level and satisfaction in your chosen career, those are favorable factors.

We’ve seen a lot of big changes over the last decade in optometry and at SCO. Without a doubt, these changes have been a step in the right direction, and Dr. Phillips will continue this progress with our support.

VISIONS • SUMMER 2007 3

Although Dr. Richard W. Phillips

officially took office on Monday,

May 14, 2007 as SCO’s sixth presi-

dent, a formal inauguration will

be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday,

October 6 at Lindenwood Christian

Church in Memphis. The venue is

somehow fitting; as an SCO stu-

dent in the 1970s, Dr. Phillips was

an active member of Lindenwood.

His first few months in office

have been busy; Dr. Phillips has

already met with alumni at three

different state association meet-

ings and at the AOA in Boston.

He plans to continue his listening

tour as he spends his first year re-

newing old acquaintances and

meeting the college’s constituents.

Dr. Phillips recently took time to

discuss more about his life and ca-

reer and his aspirations for the col-

lege’s future. u

Looking to our future


A Conversation with SCO’s New President, richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, FAAO

Dr. Phillips, tell us about your background and early life.

I was born in Illinois…my father was a minister and a graduate student. We moved to Indiana when I was two. When my father completed his Master’s in Divinity and began a PhD program at Vanderbilt, we moved to East Tennessee, where he was a professor at Milligan College. Other than my years at SCO, I lived in East Tennessee since 1967. I enjoyed high school football and wrestling. I commanded a “Drill Team” in ROTC. I was also very active in music and theatre from junior high through my adult years. My mother was a teacher, so I took education courses in college with a possible teacher career as “Plan B.”

How did you choose optometry as a career?

As with many others, my family optometrist served as quite a role model. He was a perfect gentleman, very well-respected. I was best man at his daughter’s wedding. I knew that I wanted a career in health care, and optometry appealed to me more than medicine or dentistry…his enthusiasm for what he did on a daily basis was probably key.

Share with us some of your memories of SCO when you were a student.

I think that this is probably universal among alumni…my stron-gest memories are of the camaraderie enjoyed with classmates. The faculty members were very dedicated, despite some difficulties that the college was going through at that time. But it was that feeling of “oneness” with your classmates that kept us going. Sweating over a physics or neuro test, and having a classmate reassure that “We are all in the same boat” eased the pressure. Heading en mass across the street after a tough final exam to share a “Pepsi” with classmates is probably a stronger memory than the test itself! The first patient I saw was an aphakic patient who had been wearing -16.00 corrective lenses instead of +16.00 for two years since his cataract surgery. After the initial fear of seeing a patient like that, being able to demonstrate clear vision in trial lenses to an elderly man who had assumed that his vision was beyond hope gave me a feeling of accomplishment that reaffirmed I had made the correct career choice.

Did you ever dream that you would one day be SCO’s president?

It honestly didn’t occur to me until later in my career. I enjoyed private practice a great deal, but my private practice was primarily supported by a single industry that left the area. I merged practices, forming the first optometry/ophthalmology partnership in Tennessee. We developed into what was essentially a referral center, and in 1995, my friend and mentor, David Sullins, OD ’65, called and wanted me to go to Canada to see what was going on in refractive surgery. I was quite fascinated with laser vision correction, particularly because of what I thought it would mean to co-management as a model of eye/vision care.

With my partners’ support, I left the partnership to deve-lop and lead a refractive surgery referral center in Johnson

City, later developing similar center activity in Knoxville and Chattanooga. This required a great deal of “networking/education” with my colleagues. During this same time, I served on several AOA committees, went through the “chairs of leadership” with the Tennessee Optometric Association, Tennessee Academy of Optometry and SECO International.

As I began to be more and more involved as an advocate for my profession, whether in terms of promoting the co-management model, going to other professional organizations with “optometry’s story” and interacting with my colleagues in various states, my interest in working with optometric education increased. I was active on the lecture circuit, and through the various involvements became more aware of the value of optometric education. I became involved in the development of our profession in other countries, and saw how important the education process would be world-wide.

I suppose that in many ways, the various activities that I was involved in, the evolution of my career pointed in the direction of leadership in academic optometry, but I didn’t fully realize it until the past few years. My interest developed until I began to make inquiries about two years ago, and formally announced myself a candidate last June. As I settle into the position, I am more convinced than ever that this was the direction for me.

How has the transition phase gone between Dr. Cochran’s retirement and the start to your succession?

If you had the ability to design the perfect way to work with your successor and transfer knowledge, you would design it Dr. Cochran’s way. From the time of the announcement of my appointment, he has been diligent in providing me information, insight and guidance during the process. He indoctrinated me with his knowledge of the school, but perhaps more importantly, he has infected me with his love of SCO. He is always ready to answer questions I have regarding historical perspective on issues, yet is perhaps overly careful not to overstep.

I told him, “I’ve certainly inherited a lot better situation than you did.” He thought and said, “Dick, it’s my sincere wish that your successor will tell you the same thing.” I am very pleased that

At June’s AOA meeting in Boston, Dr. Phillips attended the Optometry Super Bowl and joined the cheering section with SCO students, including AOSA Trustee-elect Meghan Elkins, ’10.

the Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to name him “President Emeritus.” He will be able to participate in official ceremonies/activities of Southern College of Optometry in that role.

What are some of your early goals and vision for the college?

The goals are and will remain rather abstract, for the most part, as I go through a full year listening and learning. There are some changes to be addressed, of course. Change is a fact of life; however, change for the sake of change is not a philosophy that we embrace. Southern College of Optometry has emerged as one of the outstanding programs in the world, with graduation and board passage rates that many would envy. Yet, I am pleased that both faculty and staff agree that we need to continually look for ways to improve…for opportunities to serve our students and our alumni at a higher level. We will be moving forward with a Strategic Plan that will look forward a minimum of five years, with annual sessions to revisit all areas of planning, and update as appropriate. Budgets will begin to be based on five-year expectations.

Where would you like to see the college in five years?

SCO has always had a history of providing outstanding clinicians to the field. In recent years, under the leadership of Dr. Cochran and the fine faculty/staff he assembled, test scores and the overall quality of admitted students has steadily improved. We cannot lose that momentum, but we also need to look at the optometric practice as it will most likely be in 5-10 years. Board examinations are only a sampling taken of the overall knowledge base a student has gained.

We need to be committed more than ever to that overall know-ledge base, ensuring that our graduates have the academic tools and resources to be successful for many years into the future. We will investigate the newest technology, expose our students to proven methods while introducing them to current developments and future probabilities. We can be extremely proud of our history, and as long as we concentrate on our graduates’ future, our history will be maintained as a leader among the colleges/schools of optometry.

Are there challenges faced by optometry or optometric education in general?

Recruiting the best students and the best faculty has always been an issue, and will continue in the future. The quality of our students seems to only improve; however, the applicant pool nationally ap-pears to be rather flat. Our faculty are academically strong and enthusiastically supportive, but to maintain and attract the best, it behooves us to expand programs that allow current faculty to continue to expand their abilities through faculty development, facilitating graduate programs and encouraging professional activities in local, state and national associations and encouraging clinical research appropriate to the practice of our profession.

How has your early interaction gone with the students?

I took a trip to Nashville with a group of students for a meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent together. Where my generation may have been a little more focused on how to get through school or pass a neuro test, today’s students want to know more about the future.

“”

I am pleased that both

faculty and staff agree

that we need to continually

look for ways to improve…

for opportunities to serve our

students and our alumni

at a higher level.


A former Tennessee Optometry Association President, Dr. Phillips welcomed executive council members of the TOA when SCO hosted a meeting of the organization in July.

A number of well-wishers, including six other optometry school presidents, congratulated Dr. Phillips on his new title at the college’s 75th Anniversary reception held in Boston during the AOA meeting in June. Joining Dr. Phillips are (left) William Hendrix, OD ’55, and Southern California College of Optometry President Les Walls, MD, OD, and his wife, Mary Ann.


I’ve told students that we would like to increase the endowment funds to where we are able to not just keep tuition in check but to actually lower net tuition that a student has to pay. If we can increase our endowments 10 percent a year and hold growth and tuition to 3-5 percent, we would be lowering net tuition costs. We want to be able to allow students to access the latest in technology and be pre-pared for the practices of tomorrow, but we’re going to keep the costs down in the process.

What today’s professional colleges and universities have to decide is sometimes referred to as the “inter-generational” decision. We obviously want to have reserves and build for the next generation and have the financial stability, but we also want to make sure that this generation is exposed to the best technology and has the best professional training possible, so trustees and administrators have to decide where to draw the line. Most, unfortunately, don’t have the financial strength that Southern College of Optometry has,

thanks in no small part, to Dr. Cochran and Eugene Bagaglio, the college’s Vice President for Finance and Administration. We have the financial stability so we can now look to divide our emphasis in continuing to build that financial strength for the future but also to explore and expand our current programs made possible by the generosity of our alumni. There are so many possibilities. I feel like we’re definitely at a crossroads.

Will you be looking to alumni for their input as to how the college proceeds?

Absolutely. I’ve already traveled to three state associations and I’ll be at two more this year, as well as being at the Academy meeting. We’re asking, “How do you see the optometric practice in five to ten years?” in terms of technological advancement and in the use of ancillary personnel. Optometry struggles between the balance of providing high-touch, individual care with high-tech, maximally efficient care. Optometry does not delegate to ancillary personnel as much as other professions. The strength in that is patients have a much more individual experience. You spend much more time one on one with your optometrist than you do with your family practitioner, your dermatologist, your allergist or your dentist. When you have ophthalmologists seeing eighty or ninety patients a day and optometrists seeing 20-23 a day, and there’s a shortage of optometrists, perhaps the schools and colleges of optometry can assist with that by giving optometrists the skills to teach their staff how to do more basic testing similar to other healthcare disciplines.

How do you see the profession in 10 years?

The future of optometry has to be closely integrated with the overall healthcare consortium. We have been moving away from the

direction of looking at the eye as an isolated organ system, particularly since we became more involved in primary care optometry. It’s only natural that the integration continues and expands.

Technology in the past 10 years showed that the healthcare revolution is really a healthcare/technology revolution. Our schools and colleges of optometry have to maintain the art of optometric care while embracing technological breakthroughs. There are lasers used in eye surgery that were originally designed for utilization elsewhere in the body. There are diagnostic equipment applications that have been developed with specific applications to eye and vision care. Some of the refractive surgery devices and instrumentation were developed by our optometric colleagues.

So, we have to integrate vision science, medical technology and physical optics into the art and science of optometry completely. We have to embrace future technology and provide full scope eyecare while not losing the traditional optometric viewpoint that

safeguards a patient’s visual welfare. That’s the beauty of optometry, really, the diversity.

For 10 years I was involved in several volunteer organizations of optometry and got a good cross section of where the profession was going, but my specific vocational focus was developing refractive surgery services. For the six months prior to accepting the position at SCO, I became involved, once again, in private practice optometry. And I remembered the professional diversity of it in the same day, putting on a pair of glasses and watching the expression on the child’s face when he looks out in the distance and sees what he’s been missing. Then I was treating an eye infection, performing continuing care by keeping a patient’s glaucoma in check, considering developmental vision concerns of a child struggling in school, providing surgical counseling to a patient trying to choose between corneal-based or lens-based refractive surgery – all of these are optometry!

At the same time that I was re-experiencing the general practice of optometry and remembering how rewarding it can be, I became aware that the general public is increasingly aware of what a reward-ing field the practice of optometry is. Various publications have identified optometry as one of the top ten professions for the fu-ture. From newborns and InfantSEE™ to the aged patient with macular degeneration, we serve the entire gamut. Other healthcare professions are more openly embracing our profession as a valuable component of the overall healthcare consortium. Our graduates refer to and receive referrals from pediatricians, endocrinologists, neurol-ogists, rheumatologists as well as family practices. I hope to involve SCO’s students and faculty in multidisciplinary information ex-change and community projects to allow better understanding of how the cooperative approach benefits all of us, but especially the patient.

“ ” We have to embrace future techology and provide full scope eyecare while not losing the traditional optometric viewpoint that safeguards a patient’s visual welfare.

What are some of the things our alumni can do to ensure that SCO’s successes continue?

Independent news agencies/accrediting agencies have been pointing to our profession as one of the best fields to enter in the coming years. Our alumni must continue to maintain the high standards of our profession by encouraging young minds to explore optometry as a potential profession. More students enter the field because of the role model/advice of a practicing optometrist than any other reason. We would ask our alumni to help their profession by continuing to send us the best candidates for entrance into SCO.

More than ever before, students graduate with significant indebtedness. We have been extremely successful in holding tuition costs to approximately 3% increases; the next step is to increase the level of scholarship endowment giving so that we can actually de-crease the “net tuition” our students must pay. Graduates should be free to choose the type of practice they wish to enter based upon their professional goals and aspirations, rather than be limited by what they may be able to afford.

The school looks to the future. Our profession looks to the future. We need the best men and women in professional practice to come into optometry, and we need to graduate the best. That reflects on our profession. If you keep the indebtedness as low as you can, students are more enabled to make a choice, based on what they want to do and how they want to practice.

So the two most significant things our alumni could do would be to 1) send us the very best to keep the professional level of optometry at the high level it has been, and 2) contribute generously to help keep the cost of tuition affordable while allowing the college to present the very best technology in our clinic and in our classroom.

It’s very uplifting to see the support that our institution enjoys from those who no longer practice. The love of our profession doesn’t end with retirement. We have trustees on our board who are retired. We have endowments started by retired board members. We even have retired optometrists come to our continuing education events simply because they love the profession, they love the school, and they want to maintain a current knowledge of what we’re accom-plishing and where we’re going. At the same time, we have more sup-port from our recent graduates – and even students – than ever before in the history of the college.

what others are saying about dr. phillips’ appointment:

He is smart, has great ideas, and always managed people with the utmost respect and kindness. He will dedicate every ounce of energy to the position. He will be a good listener, a great leader, and an even better friend to all who get to know him!

Paul C. Ajamian, OD, FAAO

He has always surrounded himself with leaders who can get the job done. I look forward to working with him in his new role as SCO president.

Glen T. Steele, OD ’69, SCO Professor

I can not think of another optometrist who has more of a passion to see the profession advanced than Dr. Phillips. He is an exemplary leader who will ensure that SCO stays at the forefront of optometric education.

Susan Keene, OD President, Virginia Optometric Association

Dick and I started optometry school together in 1974. He’ll be out pushing the school’s agenda and making sure it’s on the front burner for a lot of folks. I know we have someone who we can call on anytime we need him.

David Mills, OD ’78, classmate

Dr. Phillips has a tremendous sense of humor. It appears that it is also a part of his management style. He seems to use humor to put people at ease. I think this will serve him well as President.

Joe Hauser, MBASCO Vice President for Student Services

SCO should find Dr. Phillips approachable, compassionate, and dedicated. Billy left some big tracks. Dick will pick up that trail where he left off and keep it blazing brightly.

Doug Clark, OD, SECO President

I have a great deal of respect for his knowledge of optometry and certainly in managing an organization of people. He has good organizational skills, he’s a good straight shooter and I think he’ll be a great president.

Barry Winston, OD ’74

As a student, Dr. Phillips always impressed me with his eager questions and desire to learn, beyond what was

simply asked of him. I have great confidence in his manner of managing people, his interpersonal skills, and his vision for carrying SCO into greater years ahead.

Dr. James E. Newman III, OD ‘73

Based upon my work with Dr. Phillips, I am con-fident that through his management experience and leadership skills, SCO will continue to excel in optometric education. The college has an excellent management team, dedicated faculty and staff and rich tradition. As a successful alumnus of the college, Dr. Phillips understands and is committed to that tradition. I wish him and the entire SCO family the very best!

Dr. William E. Cochran, OD’68, President Emeritus

I think you’re very fortunate to have someone like Dr. Phillips. He’s a fantastic person and a gentleman and an extraordinary leader.

Mel Shipp, OD Dean, Ohio State University College of Optometry


In an effort to get to know the SCO com-munity better, Dr. Phillips has spent time this summer meeting with faculty and staff, including an afternoon of outdoor work with members of the Physical Plant staff.

WILLIAM E. COCHRAN RETIRES FROM SCO’S PRESIDENCy WITH HONORS

Surrounded by his family, friends, colleagues, faculty and staff, William E. Cochran, OD ’68, officially retired on Saturday, May 12, 2007 after nearly 24 years of service as the college’s fifth president.

Nearly 400 guests joined in saluting Dr. Cochran upon the occasion of his retirement at a special dinner roast held at the Memphis Botanic Garden.

Roasters included Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD ’74, T. Joel Byars, OD ’63, Glen Steele, OD ’69, SCO attorney J. Martin Regan, Vice President of Student Services Joe Hauser, and Dick Powell, OD ’68, Board of Trustees member.

Board of Trustees Chair Howard Flippin, OD ’59, presented Dr. Cochran and his wife, Carolyn,

with retirement gifts and led the invocation.Bernard Sparks, OD ’77, Professor, served as emcee and

added to the good-hearted humor in the spirit of the evening’s

roast. A 30-minute biographical film featuring highlights of Dr. Cochran’s personal life and career was also screened.

Earlier in the week, Shelby County Mayor and SCO Board of Trustee member A C Wharton, Jr., had proclaimed May 12 as William E. Cochran Day in the county. The Tennessee Legislature also unanimously passed a resolution, signed by Governor Phil Bredesen, honoring Dr. Cochran as well.

The event capped an emotional week as the college bid farewell to its president. SCO’s Social Committee

hosted a retirement reception for faculty and staff earlier in the week. The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal covered the reception with a substantial feature and retrospective of Dr. Cochran’s service.

The accolades continued the following week, when Dr. Cochran was named Rotarian of the Year by the Memphis Rotary Club. Professor Emerita Lisa Wade, OD ’84, made the presentation.

Later in the month, the newly retired president delivered the commencement address at Southern

California College of Optometry and received SCCO’s Award for Professional Distinction.

And at the college’s alumni reception held at the AOA Congress in June, SCO President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, made the surprise announcement that the Board of Trustees had conferred the title President Emeritus upon Dr. Cochran, entitling him to participate at college functions and events.

Congratulations to President Emeritus William E. Cochran, OD ’68, for serving his college, community, family and profession with honor and distinction.


A Heartelt Farewel

Nearly 1,000 alumni, graduates, their families, students, faculty and staff members assembled to celebrate SCO’s 75th Anniversary at a special reception held immediately following this year’s graduation ceremony.

Twinkling lights illuminated a series of tents set up across SCO’s patio plaza behind the tower at 1245 Madison Avenue.

With a jazz combo providing the entertainment, the event saw one of the largest gatherings in SCO history as the celebration continued past midnight.

Attendees each received champagne flutes embla-zoned with the college’s 75th Anniversary logo and tagline. Toasts to the new graduates and 75 more years of outstanding success could be heard throughout the evening.

June brought the next event in the year-long celebration, as alumni and invited guests joined President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78 and President Emeritus William E. Cochran, OD ’68 at the college’s 75th Anniversary reception held at the AOA Congress meeting in Boston.

In toasting the college’s history and its new leader, Dr. Cochran noted, “I want to offer a toast to the next 75 years at SCO and to Dr. Phillips, who is the right person to initiate the start of the next 75 years.”

Dr. Phillips also was pleased with the Boston event and noted that six other optometry school presidents attended and wished the college well on its special anniversary.

The celebration continues later this year when the college marks the milestone anniversary during Fall Homecoming and CE Weekend, to be held September 13-16 in Memphis.

For more information about upcoming events and to see photo galleries from these recent festivities, visit the college’s website at www.sco.edu.


A TOAST TO75 years OF SUCCESS


Commencement 2007 marked a number of significant milestones for the college, as President William E. Cochran, OD ’68, delivered the commencement address to 116 graduates, their families, and other guests assembled on Friday, May 11.

President-elect Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, also made his first appearance at an SCO graduation since his own commencement ceremony 29 years earlier. He introduced his soon-to-be retiring predecessor to a standing ovation.

In his address, Dr. Cochran encouraged the graduates to grow and embrace lifelong learning as healthcare professionals. He also shared a special thought about the significance of graduation.

“My best day in optometric education is, without a doubt, the day of graduation, and I have been blessed to experience that best day 24 times,” Dr. Cochran told the assembly.

The graduating class honored Dr. Cochran in the commencement program with a special message honoring his dedication and service. Dr. Cochran was awarded the honorary Doctor of Ocular Science degree.

After presenting diplomas to optometry’s newest practitioners, Vice President of Student Services Joe Hauser delivered one last message of gratitude to the institution’s retiring leader:

“Dr. Cochran, on behalf of the faculty, staff and 3,111 students past and present you have served as president, I’d like to simply say, ‘Thank you,’ and best wishes upon your retirement.”

Megan Baureis, OD ’07, was named class valedictorian and Colby Curtis, OD ’07, salutatorian.

The night before graduation, the college hosted the 22nd Annual Student Awards Banquet for the graduating class and their families.

FOllOwing iS A l iST OF ThiS yEAr’S AwArd rECip iEnTS. COngrATUl ATiOnS TO All OF ThiS yEAr’S grAdUATES.

Alcon Case Study Scholarship Award ($1,000 Scholarship) ................................Tim Courtney, OD

American Optometric Association Award ($1,450) ........................................... Lisa Russell, OD

American Optometric Foundation “VISTAKON Award of Excellence in Contact Lens and Patient Care” ($1,000 and Plaque) .....................................Bill Pugh, OD

The Bays Family Service Award ($300) .............................................................. Nicole Irick, OD

Drs. Fred and Charlene Burnett Award ($1,000) ....................................Matthew Morrison, OD

COVD Excellence in Vision Therapy Award (Plaque) ....................................Karen Johnson, OD

Designs for Visions, Inc.The William Feinbloom Low Vision Award (Plaque and Clear Image II Diagnostic Set, $2,000 value) ..........................................Emily Skibo, OD

Eagle Vision Award (Super Eagle Practice Builder’s Kit, $485 value) ..............................Mark Smith, OD

Eschenbach Low Vision Student Award (Tray of Stand Magnifiers, $800 value) ............Erika Cox, OD

Essilor CRIZAL Award of Excellence (Digital Corneal Reflex Pupillometer, $500 value) ...................................................... Wes Sands, OD

GP Lens Institute GP Contact Lens Clinical Excellence Award ....................... Jayme Fose, OD (Fitting Set and Plaque, $500 value)

G.T. Laboratories, Inc. Award (GP Fitting Set, $250 value) .................................Crystal Franklin, OD

Dr. Bernard L. Kahn Memorial Endowed Scholarship ($2,000) .................... Lindsay Moran, OD

LS&S GROUP Product Presentation Gift ($450 value) ................................Kendra Ridgeway, OD

Marchon Eyewear Practice Management Award ($500 Grant and Plaque) ........Bradley Grant, OD

National Board of Examiners in Optometry Award ($1,000) ..............................Colby Curtis, OD

commencement milestones to remember

Legacy graduates and their alumni parents included (front, L-R): Chad Smith, OD ’07 and Mark P. Smith, OD ’76; Brittany Burks Boyette, OD ’07, and Ronald Burks, OD ’80; Laura Bannister Pittman, OD ’07 and Ron Bannister, OD ’77; (rear, L-R): Ryan Halpern, OD ’07, and Joel Halpern, OD ’74; and Stephen Mullins, OD ’07, and Ralph Mullins, OD ’77.

President-elect Phillips addresses the assembly.

Dr. Charles Haine presents the honorary Doctor of Ocular Science degree to President Cochran.


FOllOwing iS A l iST OF ThiS yEAr’S AwArd rECip iEnTS. COngrATUlATiOnS TO All OF ThiS yEAr’S grAdUATES.

Alcon Case Study Scholarship Award ($1,000 Scholarship) ................................Tim Courtney, OD

American Optometric Association Award ($1,450) ........................................... Lisa Russell, OD

American Optometric Foundation “VISTAKON Award of Excellence in Contact Lens and Patient Care” ($1,000 and Plaque) .....................................Bill Pugh, OD

The Bays Family Service Award ($300) .............................................................. Nicole Irick, OD

Drs. Fred and Charlene Burnett Award ($1,000) ....................................Matthew Morrison, OD

COVD Excellence in Vision Therapy Award (Plaque) ....................................Karen Johnson, OD

Designs for Visions, Inc.The William Feinbloom Low Vision Award (Plaque and Clear Image II Diagnostic Set, $2,000 value) ..........................................Emily Skibo, OD

Eagle Vision Award (Super Eagle Practice Builder’s Kit, $485 value) ..............................Mark Smith, OD

Eschenbach Low Vision Student Award (Tray of Stand Magnifiers, $800 value) ............Erika Cox, OD

Essilor CRIZAL Award of Excellence (Digital Corneal Reflex Pupillometer, $500 value) ...................................................... Wes Sands, OD

GP Lens Institute GP Contact Lens Clinical Excellence Award ....................... Jayme Fose, OD (Fitting Set and Plaque, $500 value)

G.T. Laboratories, Inc. Award (GP Fitting Set, $250 value) .................................Crystal Franklin, OD

Dr. Bernard L. Kahn Memorial Endowed Scholarship ($2,000) .................... Lindsay Moran, OD

LS&S GROUP Product Presentation Gift ($450 value) ................................Kendra Ridgeway, OD

Marchon Eyewear Practice Management Award ($500 Grant and Plaque) ........Bradley Grant, OD

National Board of Examiners in Optometry Award ($1,000) ..............................Colby Curtis, OD

NoIR Low Vision Award (Low Vision Filter Evaluation Kit, $600 value) ........................Seema Bhula, OD

Ocular Instruments, Inc. Award of Excellence ($400 in Retinal

Lens Product) ............................................................................................ Amanda Higdon, OD

Odyssey Medical Partners in Optometry Award (Dry Eye Management Kits, $325 each) ....................Emily Bain, OD and Michael Hausmann, OD

Ooh La La de Paris Award (12 starter frames and a cash award) ...................................John Neal, OD

Optelec Low Vision Award ($1,500 value) .............................................................Serena Virji, OD

Dr. David P. Sloan Memorial Award ($200) ....................................................... Matt Brooks, OD

Southeast Optometric Vision Forum Sam H. Horner, Jr., OD Award ($500 gift certificate and Plaque) ........................................................................Colby Curtis, OD

SCO Outstanding Clinician Awards (Plaques) .................. Megan Baureis, OD; Colby Curtis, OD Cayce Davis, OD; Amanda Higdon, OD; Erika Mish, OD; Lindsay Moran, OD

Matt Morrison, OD; John Neal, OD; Derrick Pierce, OD; William Pugh, OD Lisa Russell, OD; Emily Skibo, OD

Southern Council of Optometrists Clinical Excellence Scholarship ($1,000) ....Cayce Davis, OD

Southern Optical Award ($400) ......................................................................Jared Hadlock, OD

Southwest Contact Lens Society ($2,000) ....................................................Megan Baureis, OD

The Spirit Award ($750) ................................................................................. Steve Kasprzak, OD

Stereo Optical Co., Inc. (Borish Vectrograhic Near Point Card, $175 value) .................Karmen Jones, OD

Wal-Mart Scholarships ($1,000 each) ..............................Erika Mish, OD and Derrick Pierce, OD

X-Cel Contacts Outstanding GP Fitting ($250) ......................................Cortney Waycaster, OD

commencement milestones to remember


by shannon Reynolds Torbett, MHP, Vice President for institutional Advancement

Times of transition are always challenging for any organization, but SCO alumni should be heartened by

the recent transfer of leadership from William E. Cochran, OD ’68, to Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78. Many of us among the college’s staff and faculty have marveled at just how well these two leaders worked together in the months leading up to this historic moment.

During his first remarks to an assembly of faculty and staff, Dr. Phillips spoke about some of his early expectations for the college. He shared how the state of the institution he inherited is a strong one, and that he will rely upon the support of the faculty and staff who work daily to implement his vision and the mission of the college. I’m happy to report that alumni can take confidence in the fact that the college’s foundations are stable.

One of his first goals as president has been to get out and meet our alumni and allow you to get the opportunity to know him better. I’ve been privileged to accompany him to several early stops along the way, including the optometry association meetings in Virginia, Georgia, and Louisiana. It’s been encouraging to hear from our alumni who have enjoyed meeting Dr. Phillips, or as more often is the case, to hear their wonderful words of support as they renew old friendships with someone who has gone to bat for optometry so many times when it counted.

The Office of Institutional Advancement is committed to fulfilling one of our new president’s preliminary goals. We intend to strengthen the relationship with our alumni by working to better serve you. My office is currently working on redesigning the college’s Placement Services to provide you with relevant and current methods of communicating with other alumni and our students about practice opportunities, intentions to retire or sell a practice or to allow us to facilitate this service in the process. Look for a revamped web presence later this fall.

Another early goal that Dr. Phillips has been emphasizing is the importance of technology, not only in the education of our students, but the role technology can play in keeping in touch with our alumni. I would encourage you to email us or register for events via our website. We intend to provide more information via this important communication tool, as well as using email to provide a vital form of lifeline to our constituents as we strive to serve our alumni and students.

Communication is a two-way street, though, so let me take this opportunity to encourage you to keep in touch. Let us know when you have news or information to share. Whether you’re planning on selling a

practice, looking for a new partner, hoping to retire, announcing a wedding or the birth of a new child, the college is interested in what’s important to you, and your fellow classmates will no doubt enjoy hearing the latest about your news and accomplishments.

Equally important is our goal of securing the resources to meet our mission of educating men and women in the art and science of optometry. During this crucial time of transition, your support is needed more than ever to ensure the college’s continued success. For SCO to keep its edge as a leader in optometric education, we need to count on you as a supporter as Dr. Phillips takes the reigns of leadership.

This year’s historic change of leadership has also seen the college’s 75th year of existence, and our alumni have played an important part in securing the future of the institution when it counted most. Because of your generosity, today’s students benefit from endowed scholarships that enable them to pursue their optometric education. The college is on its way to meeting its financial goals set forth as part of our 75th Diamond Anniversary Campaign. If you’ve not yet made your pledge during this important timeframe, I encourage you to do so without delay.

Internally, SCO’s faculty and staff will soon be making their pledges of support during this equally important phase. The past few years have seen remarkable increases in the rates of giving from staff and faculty. Their generosity is a validation of the day-to-day belief they have in SCO’s mission and purpose. Many of these employees support the college in just their first and second year of working at the college. For those of you who have embraced our mission for a lifetime of service to the profession, what better way to show your support than joining the men and women whose daily mission it is to fulfilling the college’s purpose?

More than 30 percent of our students receive some sort of scholarship. With your continued support, we can grow that number. I’m happy to report that the SCO Board of Trustees recently showed its commitment by pledging a significant allocation to the creation of the William E. Cochran Endowed Scholarship. If you’d like to show your appreciation to our newly retired president, please consider supporting the college’s newest endowed scholarship.

Our alumni are our lifeline to the past, present and future. With your continued interest and support, SCO is well situated to start the next step of the journey toward our 100th anniversary.

philanthropy in action

enhanced Placement Services Soon to Launch on SCO Web Site

Aside from holding reunions, alumni gatherings and raising money for endowments and scholarships, Institutional Advancement is thrilled to be launching a revamped Placement Web page in September.

This exciting service will allow our students and alumni locate the practice opportunity that best suits their individual needs. The SCO Placement Services site is designed to allow current students and alumni search the many opportunities posted and then directly contact those in which they have an interest.

Additionally, this new service can put providers in touch with seekers who choose to release their contact info.

If you are looking for someone to purchase or become a part of your practice, please make sure you register.We look forward to your feedback and want to provide the best Placement Services Web site in the optometric community. Questions should be directed

to Beth Gitz, Alumni Relations Associate at (901) 722-3285 or [email protected].

placement

sco placement services

whether you are looking for a position or have one that you

need to fill, SCO’s placement Services can help. Just answer

a few questions, and after your information is verified by our

Office of institutional Advancement, you’ll be listed in our

placement database and able to access or add to our listings.

To protect their privacy, only SCO students and alumni who

are seeking a position may search our listings. please note

that SCO does not provide lists of current or former students,

therefore any information provided is totally secure.

Any provider can list O.d. positions on this service, and

we encourage providers to submit detailed information

about their open positions. SCO students and/or alumni may

directly contact providers about an opportunity; likewise, pro-

viders may communicate with those seekers who have given

their consent to be contacted.

› › ›Opportunity Seeker›› ›Opportunity provider

Questions about this service? E-mail [email protected]

Problems using this service? E-mail [email protected]

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1947…Jack Runninger, OD, recently took home a second place award in the Humorous Column category from the Georgia Press Association’s 2007 Better Newspaper Contest. Dr. Runninger’s column regularly appears in the Rome news-Tribune.

1951…Belvin G. Dollins, OD, reports that he and his wife, Sylvia, are 78½ years old and retired in Amarillo, Texas. Dr. Dollins spends much of his time caring for his wife, who is being treated for cancer.

1956…Arthur Queen, OD, was recently honored as an emeritus member of the Kansas Optometric Association during the organization’s annual convention in Wichita. The association created the new membership category to honor ODs who have remained active in the profession, the association and their communities during retirement.

1967…C. Ellis Potter, OD, of Iola, Kansas has assumed the volunteer post of Rotary International District Governor for Rotary District 6110. As governor, Dr. Potter coordinates the community and international service projects of the 77 Rotary Clubs in District 6110. Rotary District 6110 is the second largest district in North America with more than 5,100 members and covers parts of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He assumed office July 1, 2007 and will serve through June 30, 2008. Dr. Potter is one of 532 Rotarians worldwide serving as a District Governor this year. He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Iola, Kansas for 27 years.

1972…Herman Ginger, OD, recently received the Arkansas Optometric Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Harry Harrell, OD, was recently named the Arkansas Optometric Association’s OD of the Year.

1974…Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD, was profiled in an article entitled, “Optometry Runs in the Family,” in the June 2007 issue of Women in optometry. Her daughters, MindaBeth Jacobs, OD, and Dana Biederman, OD ’05, were also interviewed as well.

1976…John Garber, OD, is providing vision care in an effort to fight eye disease among Native American tribal members in Oklahoma. An OD at the Chickasaw Nation’s Carl Albert Indian Health Facility in Ada, Oklahoma, Dr. Garber helped start a program about 10 years ago that has increased by 30 percent the number of patients who get annual eye examinations. Motivated by the fact that diabetes is more common among Native Americans than any other ethnic group in

the U.S., Dr. Garber and others are providing convenient eye care to tribal members living in rural areas. Under Dr. Garber’s program, 70 percent of Chickasaw diabetics are receiving eye examinations. The program has since spread to other Oklahoma clinics in Talihina, Paw-nee, Okemah, and to the Muscogee (Creek) and Choctaw Nation tribes.

Jeffrey Goldstein, OD, was recently profiled in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Dr. Goldstein practices at Eyes for You on Poplar Avenue in Memphis. Born in New York, Dr. Goldstein has been married 27 years to his wife, Debbie, and has two sons, Jay, 23, and Stephen, 19. He is a member of the American Institute of Refractive Surgery and the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology.

1977…Thomas Nadeau, OD, celebrated 30 years as a practicing optometrist on August 15. Dr. Nadeau’s practice is called Sheepscot Eye Associates, located on the Boothbay peninsula in Maine. In 1991, he moved his practice to an 1895 Victorian house next to the town’s Opera House. He also has a second office in Wiscasset, Maine. Dr. Nadeau’s milestone anniversary was featured in a local newspaper article in which he noted that the focus has shifted from eye care to eye health over his 30 years in practice.

1978…Jennifer Malpass, OD, was recently profiled in a newspaper feature about her life and practice in Batavia, Illinois. Dr. Malpass and her husband are members of a Rolls Royce club for vintage car enthusiasts. The author of two books entitled, Murder in the Big store and Murder at the Rolls Club, she is working on her third book, Murder at the Bentley Club.

SCO graduates are well represented on the newest slate of the Mississippi Optometric Association’s executive board.

David L. Parker, OD ’95, was installed as president-elect of the MOA at the organization’s summer convention in June.

Dr. Parker, who practices at Olive Branch Eye Care, has previously served as president of his local Optometric Society and as a board member representing Northwest Mississippi to the MOA Board of Directors.

He served as secretary-treasurer and vice-president of the Mississippi Optometric Association (MOA) before ascending to the role of president-elect. He is also actively involved with the Assistance to Graduates and Undergraduates Committee.

Dr. Parker will serve on the state executive board consisting of President Steven Reed, OD ’95, of Magee, Vice-President Susanne Cunningham, OD ’02, of Columbus, Secretary-Treasurer Philip Marler, OD ’94, of Carthage and Past-President Amy Ajax Crigler, OD ’80, of Starkville.

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2007, the MOA represents more than 500 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians in more than 80 communities across the state.

class notes


1979…Jean Anne Rogers, OD, AOA Keyperson, recently met with U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN) on Capitol Hill to discuss HR 1884, a bill that would end the exclusion of ODs from the National Health Service Corps.

1980…Scott Seller, OD, and Tom Dedman, OD, recently took First Place in the 7th Annual J.C. Beane Golf Tournament.

1983…Audie Teague, OD, AOA-Pac Board member, recently met with U.S. Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR) on Capitol Hill about the introduction of HR 2012, the Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act. Dr. Teague also recently received the Arkansas Optometric Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

1984…Lisa Wade, OD, Professor Emerita, earlier this year opened Graceland Harley-Davidson across the street from Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate. The Elvis Presley Enterprises-licensed store sells Harley-Davidson merchandise influenced by the late singer. Dr. Wade’s dealership has seen great success this year with its 30th anniversary Elvis bikes, exact replicas of the 1957 Harley that Elvis owned. Also the owner/dealer/principal of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson dealership in Horn Lake, Mississippi, Dr. Wade was recently profiled by Women in optometry magazine and the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

1986…Jim Davis, OD, and his wife, Gina, recently welcomed their first grandchild, a girl, Caroline Julia Davis, born April 17, 2007.

1991…Shelley Williams, OD, and associate Scott Hussey, OD ’03, recently opened side-by-side spots in a new retail center in Columbia, Missouri. Their eyewear and practice locations are called Eyedentity Eyewear and Williams & Hussey Eyecare. The 4,000 square-foot practice was previously called Georgetown Vision Center. Earlier this year Dr. Hussey joined Dr. Williams, who has owned her practice for 11 years.

1996…Michael D. Weinberg, OD, has been named to the Leadership Memphis (Tennessee) executive program.

1997…Michael S. Krimigis, OD, and Josephine G. Wiggins, OD, report the birth of their daughter, Kennedy Wiggins, born November 29, 2006.

Allyson Mertins, OD, practices at Mertins Family Eye Care in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her practice was recently profiled in At Home in Arkansas; the magazine focused on the notable architectural features and stylish design of her practice.

Rebecca St. Jean, OD, was recently profiled in a feature article for Women in optometry magazine. Dr. St. Jean owns a practice in Charleston, West Virginia and is planning to buy a larger building.

1998…Rebecca Sims, OD, married Michael Krauza on May 20, 2007 at the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico. Dr. Sims’ practice, Florida Eye Center, is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dr. Sims and her husband reside in Tampa, Florida.

1999…Darby Chiasson, OD, was recently named Louisiana’s Outstanding OD of the Year by the Optometric Association of Louisiana.

Amy (Mitchell) Knickerbocker, OD, and her husband, Kevin, announce the birth of twin daughters, Sarah Anne and Hannah Jo, born May 25, 2007.

Greg Hively, OD, was profiled in a front page feature article in the Leeds, Alabama newspaper after he was credited for saving the life of a 14-year-old patient. Dr. Hively sent the girl to the ER after noticing abnormal blood vessels in her retina. The patient’s blood sugar levels were in the 600s. The subsequent publicity led to an increase in first-time patients to Dr. Hively.

Jennifer Lesslie, OD, and husband, Grier, recently welcomed a new daughter, Virginia Noel, born March 23, 2007.

Kim (Starnes) Parr, OD, and her husband, Jim, are the parents of a new daughter, Siena Rachel, born March 29, 2007.

Jason Wilkerson, OD, and wife, Jenny, report the birth of their third child, a daughter, Abigail Marie, born August 29, 2006.

2001…Margo Ray, OD, and her husband, Chuck Boler, are the parents of a new daughter, Mayley Ray Boler, born February 21, 2007.

2002…Kelly Briggs Catino, OD, and Gilbert Catino, OD, are the parents of a baby girl, Sophia Lynne, born March 13, 2007.

class notes


Michael Smith, OD, and his wife, Kimberly Zimmer Smith, OD ’03, report the birth of a daughter, Maya Sidney, born February 28, 2007.

2004…Eric Helwig, OD, recently opened his own practice, North Georgia Eye Care on Main Street in LaFayette, Georgia. Dr. Helwig collects antique optometry equipment, some of which are on display in his new office.

2006…Alisa Pickering Brogden, OD, is practicing with her father, Mike Pickering, OD at Eye Care Inc., in Louisiana. Her husband, Neil Brogden, OD, is practicing with Charles Lyon, MD, at Vitreo Retinal Associates in Shreveport.

Chad Poole, OD, recently opened Elan Eye Boutique in Braselton, Georgia. The practice offers full-service eye care.

Kim Raharja, OD, was featured in a photograph published on page five in the 2007 Wal-Mart annual shareholders report. Available to Wal-Mart’s multitude of shareholders, the annual report showed Dr. Raharja assisting one of her patients at her practice in Atlanta.

2007…Kent Bennion, OD, is the optometrist at the new LensCrafters in St. George, Utah.

Cayce Davis, OD, is practicing at the Hughes Eye Center in Jackson, Tennessee, with Matt Hughes, OD.

Jeremy Diamond, OD, recently joined the practice of Jeff Foster, OD ’81, and Kurt Steele, OD ’95, in Newport, Tennessee. A native of Forest Hills, Kentucky, Dr. Diamond previously spent an externship working with Drs. Foster and Steele.

Rebecca Johnson, OD, married Wayne Bills the day after her graduation.

Hal Phillips, OD, is practicing with Tom Hyde, OD ’76, at Hyde EyeCare Associates in Morristown, Tennessee.

Eric Stamper, OD, is planning to open a practice later this year in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Cortney Ferguson Waycaster, OD, is practicing at Athens Eye Associates in Athens, Tennessee.

1946 — Willis P. Miller, OD, Pawhuska, OK

1947 — Murray Miller, OD, Pinecrest, FL

1949 — F. Milton Greenwood, OD, Pensacola, FL

1950 — Gordon Noel Graham, OD, Easley, SC

1951 — James W. Link, OD, Sarasota, FL

1954 — Frank B. Grimes, OD, Greeneville, TN

1957 — Edward A. Robbins, OD, Belle Haven, VA

1959 — Robert L. Schoof, OD, Dodge City, KS

1960 — John R. White, OD, Baldwyn, MS

1962 — F. Lindford Abernathy, OD, Murphy, NC

1972 — William S. Holliday, Jr., OD, North Myrtle Beach, SC

1978 — Jeffrey Blustin, OD, Duluth, MN

Henry Nathaniel Peters, Jr., OD ’56, died July 21, 2007 in Memphis. Dr. Peters served on the SCO faculty from 1965 until his retirement as professor in 1985. His teaching experience also included appointments at the University of Tennessee and Southwestern at Memphis (Rhodes College) in fields of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ophthalmic Diagnostic Principles, Physiological Optics and Advance Ophthalmic Clinical Procedures. While serving as National Executive Director of the American College of Optometric Physicians, he established and for five years edited and published the American Journal of optometric Medicine. Dr. Peters was a graduate of Southwestern at Memphis, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1952. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree and the Doctor of Optometry Degree from SCO in 1956. He was a member of numerous organizations and professional groups associated with optometric medicine. There were no reported survivors.

Alison Lindorfer, OD ’03, died July 1, 2007 in Pryor, Oklahoma. A native of Texas, Dr. Lindorfer graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M even though she had battled cancer her senior year. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from SCO in 2003, Dr. Lindorfer devoted a one-year residency with the Veterans Administration in Muskogee, Oklahoma. At the time of her death, she was an Assistant Clinical Professor at Northeastern State University and worked at the Salina Indian Clinic through NSU. She is survived by her parents, Arno and Linda Lindorfer, who wrote the following about their daughter in a letter shared with her friends and colleagues: “For 30 years God blessed us with the perfect love of a perfect daughter. she spent her life preparing to serve others by entering the medical profession…she truly loved optometry.”


“”

2008 graduating class

Ginny L. Ahrenswest point, nE

NE, MO

Jenny Alsopwebster Springs, wV

WV, VA, NC

Rachel AughneyFirth, id

ID

Andrea Beedlesrose hill, KS

KS, MO

Phil BeggsWichita, KSKS, CO, AZ

Kiley A. BerryFairmont, wVCA, WA, OR

Kathleen BiggsJackson, MS

TN

Ashley Bishoplawrenceville, gA

TN, GA, NC

Ashley Blasiwichita, KS

KS

Steven CodnerOrem, UT

UT

Wayne ConnellMemphis, Tn

TN, KY

William Conradrichwood, wV

WV, PA, VA

Josh Davisidaho Falls, id

ID, MT, UT

Mark DavisBatesville, Ar

AR

Kristin DeHavenhoisington, KS

KS, MO

Amanda Dellingerdublin, gA

TN, GA

Sarah Denmandewitt, Ar

AR

Katie DowdyCarriere, MS

MS

Marc HelmyCocoa Beach, Fl

GA

Lauren Denae HensonSweetwater, TX

AZ, TX, MO

Sarah Herleynorfolk, nENE, MN, CO

Kyle Hiattpayson, UT

UT

Lesley K. HoranManson, iAIA, MO, IL

Alette P. HowardMemphis, Tn

TN, TX, FL

Claire Hunterdavidson, nCNC, TN, VA

Nadine HynesSt. philips, newfoundland, CAn

CAN

Becca Jacksonwynne, Ar

AR

Lynn Lowellwatauga, TX

TX

Jill L. MagargeeBrandon, MSMS, NM, KY

Jennifer MalloryColumbia, TnTN, KY, OH

Alyssa MarkowitzOntario, CAn

TN

Dustin Martinwitchita, KS

KS

Miranda Wood MaynardTupelo, MSMS, TN, AL

James McDanielhouston, TX

KS

Shemeeka McFaddenFlorence, SCSC, NC, FL

Rob McGarveyVero Beach, Fl

GA

Ryan W. NelsonMarion, iA

TN

Dao NguyenMemphis, TnGA, VA, TN

Lisa NivenMilan, TnTN, SC, LA

Elizabeth NordtvedtBrownsville, Tn

TN

Kimberly L. Oncavagewhiteville, nC

NC, SC, TN

Matt OwensSt. Augustine, Fl

FL, GA, TN

Cara PattersonForrest City, Ar

SC, AR, NC

Will PentecostMemphis, TnCO, OR, CA

Tracy Phillipsphiladelphia, MS

MS

Kevin A. RogersBaton rouge, lA

LA

Matt SchekirkeBellevue, nENE, CO, TX

Amir Mohamed Shamalos Angeles, CA

CA

Ann ShawBaton rouge, lA

LA

Shannon Franklin ShelleyCrossville, Tn

TN

Lindsay L. SlempChurch hill, Tn

TN, FL, CA

Christopher Smithparsons, KSKS, MO, AR

Jordan SmithJamestown, Tn

TN

Susan Andrea WallerCookeville, Tn

TN, AR, IL

Brandon WalleyMadison, MS

TN

Casey WellsManila, ARAR, TN, MO

Stephen M. WetickMemphis, TnTN, MS, SC

David Whitemarshpuyallup, wA

WA

Jeff Wiedrichlincoln, nE

NE

Justin C. Wilkinsglen, MS

TN, KY, MS

Lauren Parrish WilliamsSanford, nC

NC

Southern College of Optometry is pleased to introduce the graduating class of 2008.


Dylan BondurantUnion City, Tn

TN

Cory Boudreauxparadis, lA

LA

Rebecca Bowersparagould, Ar

TX, OK, AR

Ashley R. BrooksBentonville, Ar

AR, TN, LA

Kristen Overman Bryantplainfield, nhNH, VT, ME

Blake BushArdmore, OK

OK, TX

Ehryn Beth CartwrightCincinnati, Oh

OH, KY

Pete Charrongorham, ME

RI, CT, NY

Christy Clark-Neeley Jonesboro, Ar

AR, TN, AL

Matt DuggerMadisonville, Ky

SC, TN, KY

Melissa Farleywayne, wVTN, VA, WV

Jaclynn H. FisherMuenster, TX

TX

Alisha M. FreybergerJasper, in

TN, IN

Aaron Bishop GlassElon, nCNC, TN

Brian GuiceConway, Ar

AR

Emily HalburAmes, iA

IA

Tressie HallBogue Chitto, MS

MS, LA

Jennifer W. Haverkampwichita, KSND, MN, MT

Erin JacksonBurlington, nC

NC

Melinda JohnsonShreveport, lA

LA

Narges KasraieJonesboro, Ar

AR

Marzuka Khan-Jalalnew Britain, CT

TN, MI, CT

Will KimmerBatesville, Ar

AR

Kyle Klikagreenleaf, wi

WI

Sara LangerSyracuse, nyTX, GA, TN

Lana LewisCorinth, MS

MS

Alissa LongEssex, iA

IA, NE, GA

Robin Stevenson McKeelnew Bern, nC

TN, NC

Jerad Meinkelincoln, nEAZ, TX, MO

Amanda L. Millerwellington, KS

KS

Janet MonacoColumbia, SC

SC, TN

Michelle MumfordKnoxville, Tn

NC, TN

Emily NailTupelo, MS

MS, TN

Emily J. NaugleMarshalltown, iA

ID

Aarti NayarCalgary, Alberta, CAn

Alberta, GA, TX

Jaymini NayeeAtlanta, gA

GA

Sam PresleyTulsa, OK

OK

Alicia Pricedeville, lA

LA

Craig J. Quintalnew Orleans, lA

LA, FL

Ionut RaduTuscaloosa, Al

TN, GA, NC

Dorian Max RammellBlackfoot, idID, MT, WY

Daniel ReamesCharlotte, nCNC, SC, CA

Michael ReedForest, MSMS, TN, FL

Carolanne Hope RoachOklahoma City, OK

OK, KS, TN

Lee RobertsonEly, nV

CO, NV, TN

Andrea SteeleFairbury, nE

NE

Jodi Hayley StreichArcher City, TX

TX

Ann Morgan TarterCampbellsville, Ky

KY, FL, MO

William TeagueTobaccoville, nC

NC, TN, SC

Christopher Testarochester, nyNY, VA, CA

Amy Lynn Thomasnewton, nCNC, VA, TN

Amanda T. TownsendSallisaw, OK

OK

Melissa D. TurnerMuskogee, OK

TX, MO, OK

Melinda S. WilliamsJunction City, Ar

AR, TN

Benjamin WintersSpokane, wA WA, OR, ID

Bret WiseEmporia, KS

KS

Dina WitkoSt. Catharines, Ontario, CAn

Ontario, NY, PA

Lauren Woodworthraleigh, nC

NC, TN

Please note: In order to make our students aware of your placement opportunities, please post your infor-mation on SCO’s Web site at www.sco.edu by clicking on Placement Services. This newly revamped service is utilized by students to review all placement opportuni-ties, i.e., those ODs considering an associate or selling a practice. Students may opt to be contacted by ODs about possibilities that most interest them..

The information listed below each photograph includes name, hometown, and any preferred practice location(s).


Faculty Appointments

Michael D. Gerstner, OD ’97, Associate Professor, has been named Chief of Advanced Care Ocular Disease Services for The Eye Center at SCO. Dr. Gerstner joined the SCO faculty in 1998.

Ralph Parkansky, OD, MS, MBA, Professor, has been appointed Director of Preventative Health.

Faculty Promotions, effective July 1, 2007

From Instructor to Assistant Professor: Janette Dumas, OD

From Assistant Professor to Associate Professor: Robin J. Drescher, OD, MS

Michael D. Gerstner, OD ‘97

From Associate Professor to Professor Frank Gibson, OD ’68

Ralph Parkansky, OD, MS, MBA

Faculty Accomplishments

Kristin Anderson, OD, Associate Professor, represented SCO’s Residency Program at the AOSA Optometric Residency Forum held during the AOA Congress in Boston.

Tressa Eubank, OD, Professor, recently attended the inaugural meeting of the new Memphis chapter of the Foundation for Fighting Blindness. She also attended the 38126 Collaborative, an organization providing resources to individuals within the 38126 zipcode in Memphis.

Michael Gerstner, OD ’97, Associate Professor, co-authored an article for the July 2007 issue of Clinical and Experimental optometry entitled, “Evaluation of some factors affecting the agreement between the Proview Eye Pressure monitor and the Goldmann applanation tonometer measurements.”

H.S. Ghazi-Birry, MS, MD, PhD, OCS, OD ’01, Associate Professor, recently delivered a lecture and training on “Effective Coding & Reimbursement Strategies” at The Cooper Specialties Clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Dr. Ghazi-Birry also participated in Alcon’s Expert Panel on Dry Eye Syndrome at the Arkansas Optometric Association Annual Conference and conducted CE lectures in Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Texas.

He also reviewed an extensive manuscript on “The Management of Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid with CellCept Therapy” and additionally participated as a reviewer for Lippincott's illustrated Review of immunology, one of the major textbooks used in U.S. medical and dental schools.

Dr. Ghazi-Birry additionally served on the advisory board for the newly approved topical antibiotic “AzaSite™ (1.0% Azithromycin ophthalmic solution).”

Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD, Assistant Professor, and Charles L. Haine, OD, MS, Professor, co-authored an article entitled, “Analysis of Atypical Retardance Pattern RNFL Estimates Using Shape-Based Analysis to Identify Glaucomatous Eyes” in optometry and Vision

science 2006 ; 83: E-abstract 060049. The research was done in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary and Alcorn State University Engineering Department.

Charles L. Haine, OD, MS, Professor, and Charles Connor, OD, MA, PhD, recently were named to the Scientific Advisory Board of arGentis™, the biomedical firm currently marketing the dry eye syn-drome treatments created and patented by Drs. Haine and Connor.

John Mark Jackson, OD ’99, MS, Assistant Professor, is serving as a contributing editor of Contact Lens spectrum. His articles regularly can be found in the publication.

Alan Landers, OD, MS, Assistant Professor, attended a Contact Lens Educators’ Meeting sponsored by Bausch & Lomb in Ontario, Canada.

W.C. Maples, OD ’68, MS, Professor, has recently authored a number of articles. His editorial entitled, “The Accessibility of Behavioral Optometry” appeared in the Journal of Behavioral optometry, Volume 18, Number 2, 2007. In the same publication, of which Dr. Maples serves as associate editor, he co-authored an article entitled, “Norms & Test-Retest Reliability of The Davis Scan Test.”

Dr. Maples authored an article on behavioral optometry that was translated and published in optometria, a Polish publication. Dr. Maples also has been contributing his expertise to ongoing Mexican research into infant vision; he recently wrote a chapter for a monogram that was translated into Spanish and published this summer. The article was entitled, “Infant and Toddler Strabismus and Amblyopia,” published in Behavioral Aspects of Vision Care, Volume 41/Number 2.

Last, one of the articles Dr. Maples published last year recently was ranked in the top 10 articles downloaded or accessed from the AOA’s optometry website.

Erin Nosel, OD ’01, Assistant Professor, recently reviewed two man-uscripts, “Treatment of Strabismic Amblyopia with Refractive Correction,” in British Journal of ophthalmology, and “Treatment of Bilateral Refractive Amblyopia in Children 3-9 Years Old” in the American Journal of ophthalmology.

As a member of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG), she participated in the development of two manuscripts: “Stability of Visual Acuity Improvement Following Discontinuation of Amblyopia Treatment in Children 7 to 12 Years Old” in the Archive of ophthalmology, and “Factors Associated with Recurrence of Amblyopia on Cessation of Patching” for ophthalmology.

She also was interviewed about amblyopia by Fox 13’s “Health Matters” segment that aired in March.

Glen Steele, OD ’69, Professor, provided background information about infant vision used for an article in the June/July 2007 issue of Baby Talk magazine.

Dr. Steele recently led a seminar for occupational therapists in Pocahontas, Arkansas on the development of vision and its impact as children attempt to progress in school.

He also conducted a well-received infant seminar for the Optometry Association of Louisiana in June in which he demonstrated examination techniques with two babies for the audience.

faculty&staff highlights


At the AOA Congress, Dr. Steele represented the AOA and provided public comments on Part C of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), which is in the process of revision. His input was heard by the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and staff.

Scott Steinman, OD, PhD, Professor, reports that his textbook, Foundations of Binocular Vision: A Clinical Perspective, has been listed by users of the Wikipedia website as a key reference on stereopsis and binocular vision.

Marc Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, is temporarily serving as Coordinator of the Community Service and Outreach program at the college in the absence of Cheryl Ervin, OD, Assistant Professor, who is away in the military reserves.

Dr. Taub recently authored an article in the Review of optometry entitled, “Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Primer for the Optometrist.”

James E. Venable, OD ’89, Assistant Professor, represented the college at the largest ever AOA Congressional Advocacy Conference held in Washington D.C. Briefings included a review of optometry-related legislation pending in Congress and recognition of 45 pro-optometry legislators.

SeCO Atlanta, February 2007

poster:

Erin Nosel, OD ’01, Assistant ProfessorVisual Rehabilitation of Children with special needs: A Case series

ArVO Ft. Lauderdale, may 2007

poster:

Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom. PhD, Assistant Professor, Freddy Chang, OD, MS, PhD, Professor, Charles L. Haine, OD, MS, Professor

Diagnostic Accuracy of Polarimetry images with Atypical Retardance

Pattern in Diagnosing Glaucoma; investigational ophthalmology Vision sciences 2007 48: E-Abstract 502; research was done in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

AOA Boston, June 2007

LectUres/presentations:

Erin Nosel, OD ’01, Assistant ProfessorThe Pediatric ExaminationMedical ocular Procedures Workshop

Christopher W. Lievens, OD, MS, Assistant ProfessorWhy Am i testing ioP in Pre-Testing? Glaucoma Basics and intraocular

Pressure MeasuringMeet Your Patient! Taking and Documenting a Comprehensive and

Valuable Case HistoryThe Ever-Evolving Pre-Examination Workup

posters:

H.S. Ghazi-Birry, MS, MD, PhD, OCS, OD ’01, Associate Professoroptometric Management of Macular Disease: oCT Utilization

Betty Harville, OD, ProfessorA Perfect Candidate for Bioptic Telescope Fitting

Marc Taub, OD, Assistant ProfessorAarskog syndrome: A case study and literature review

Staff Appointments

Michael N. Robertson has been named Director of Admissions and Enrollment Services. He previously served as SCO’s Director of Records and Admissions from 1987-1994. He also served as Director of Admissions for The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati. A graduate of Mississippi State University, he earned his master’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi.

’07 reunion • fall ce • homecoming september 13-16

Celebrating our 75th Diamond Anniversary and honoring the Classes of 1947, 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1997

sco Board of trustees

howard F. Flippin, OD ’59 – Chair Searcy, Arkansas

Donna Abney, MBA Germantown, Tennessee

Larry h. Bryan Memphis, Tennessee

John A. gazaway, OD ’67 Eagle Grove, Iowa

A. Thomas hyde, OD ’76 Morristown, Tennessee

James B. Jalenak, Esq. Memphis, Tennessee

Linda D. Johnson, OD Jackson, Mississippi

Christopher B. King, OD ’83 Englewood, Florida

Kenneth L. Mulholland, Jr. Germantown, Tennessee

Richard L. Powell, OD ’68 Lincoln, Nebraska

Wayne W. Pyeatt Memphis, Tennessee

Robert W. Smalling, OD ’74 Warren, Arkansas

F. Mason Smith, OD ’76 Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Mary Thornley, EdD Charleston, South Carolina

Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., JD Memphis, Tennessee

Michael D. gerstner, OD ’97 Faculty Representative Memphis, Tennessee

Kimberly Oncavage, ’08 student Representative

Whiteville, North Carolina

1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104-2222

RetuRn SeRvice RequeSted

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAIDMemphis, Tennessee Permit Number 151

newsbriefs

SCO ranks Well in ASCO DataDr. Dave Damari, Chair of SCO’s Department

of Academic Assessment, recently demonstrated an analysis of SCO's ability to deliver an excellent and cost effective education using 2006 Admissions Data compiled by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).

Dr. Damari used the data on selectivity (ratio of number of students offered admission to applicants), yield (number of students who matriculate to those of-fered admission), and total annual costs (tuition, fees, and equipment costs, averaged across all four years) for each institution to determine the value delivered.

With a 28.27% selectivity rate that yielded 123 students from 665 applicants, Dr. Damari’s numbers showed that SCO ranks second of the 17 schools in quality of applicants per dollar of cost.

"The quality of an optometric education program is directly related to the quality of its entering stu-dents," Dr. Damari stated.

"Relating our admissions data and our costs and then comparing that analysis with all the other schools and colleges of optometry shows that we are among the finest values in optometric education to-day, and certainly provide the best educational value among the private institutions."

Dr. Damari was quick to point out that it was the efforts of everyone at the college – faculty, staff, and administration alike – that creates the excellent edu-cation and value that SCO provides its students.

Validation of Optometry as a CareerOptometry was second on the list of “7 Great

Careers for 2007” in the April 6 edition of Kiplinger’s magazine. Orthodontists topped the list. Positive attributes cited for optometry included: “…high cure rate, self-employment possibility, six-figure average compensation…and aging boomers mean increased demand for optometrists.”

College Seeks Low Vision DevicesSCO has launched a “share the Vision” program

to help obtain low vision devices for patients who other wise cannot afford them.

The college is working with Memphis area healthcare providers to obtain devices from patients or their families who no longer use or need the de-vices, as well as to obtain demonstration devices that cannot be sold.

The program benefits patients who are not grant qualified but who are in financial need.

“We want people in our community to know that SCO is giving back,” said Dr. Shilpa Register, Interim Chief of Low Vision and Rehabilitation Services.

The college is particularly looking for devices such as talking watches or jumbo telephones. Alumni who may have devices that they wish to donate can contact Dr. Register at [email protected] or (901) 722-3276.

Second Dry eye Treatment LicensedArGentis, LLC, a Memphis-based biopharma-

ceutical company, has licensed a second treatment for Dry Eye Syndrome developed by Drs. Charles Connor and Charles Haine.

The company’s patent application covers the use of transdermal progesterone. The license agreement follows the company’s earlier licensure covering the transdermal testosterone in the treatment of dry eye for menopausal women.

SCO’s fourth-year students scored a 99 percent passage rate on Part III of their NBEO examinations. Congratulations to SCO’s students and faculty for this impressive accomplishment.

The Hayes Center for Practice Excellence at Southern College of Optometry has partnered with the Mississippi Optometry Association in presenting an educational program on successful practice transitions. Joining the Generations was held August 17, 2007 in Raymond, Mississippi (near Jackson). The program provided a framework of financial considerations, common pitfalls to avoid and recommendations for ODs entering into practice negotiations. It addressed the needs and challenges faced by established practice owners, mid-career ODs and recent graduates. For more information, visit http://hayescenter.sco.edu/

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