Campus News

2007 News and Events

Posted 10/12/2007
Re-Dedication of the Schwarz Theater

Posted 10/12/2007
VisionNYC Meets Mon., Oct. 15 at SUNY Optometry

Posted 08/06/2007
ASCO Award Presented to Dr. David Heath

Posted 07/27/2007
OCNY Receives Grant for LDU Project

Posted 07/05/2007
Dr. Andrea Thau was elected to AOA’s Board of Trustees

Posted 06/26/2007
Graduate Students Receive Award

Posted 06/15/2007
SUNY Graduate Student Receives Yager Award

Posted 06/3/2007
SUNY State College of Optometry Graduation 2007

Posted 05/29/2007
SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence Announced

Posted 03/20/2007
SUNY Board Names Dr. David Heath President of the College of Optometry

Posted 03/20/2007

SUNY Board of Trustees Names 11 Distinguished Professors from Six Campuses

Posted 03/15/2007
Chancellor Ryan Recommends Dr. David Heath to be President of the College of Optometry

Posted 02/26/2007
VisionNYC Colloquium, Monday, March 5

Posted 02/13/2007
Presidential Search Updates

Posted 01/17/2007
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been fully executed

Posted 01/02/2007
Professor Zaidi to Lecture in England

Re-Dedication of the Schwarz Theater

The College's Joseph and Roberta Schwarz Theater was re-dedicated on Oct. 1 at a ceremony that included a reception and program. Dr. David Heath, College President, welcomed guests and remarks were given by Dr. Kim Kline, SUNY Vice Chancellor, Richard Feinbloom, President of the Optometric Center of New York; James Wilson, a friend of Joseph Schwarz and Ms. Lynn Trieu, a student.

Paul Bisaccia, reknowned pianist, who specializes in playing music by George Gershwin was the featured artist. The theater is the site of the former Aeolian Hall where Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was debuted.

The theater which holds 240 people will be used for cultural, educational and professional programs.

Newly renovated Schwartz Theater Re-dedication

Acclaimed pianist Paul Bisaccia plays Gershwin

Dr. Heath addresses concert audience

VisionNYC Meets Mon., Oct. 15 at SUNY Optometry

The first meeting of the year of the Greater New York Vision Scientists, VisioNYC, will be held Monday October 15 at SUNY College of Optometry

33 West 42 St (north side of street, midway between 5th and 6th Aves, opposite Bryant park), 2nd floor
New York NY 10036

6:00-6:30 - arrival and refreshments
6:30-8:00 - Talks - titles to follow
Systems:   Diego Contreras (Penn)
Cell/Molecular:  Jean Bennett (Penn)

7:45 -9:00 - light supper, drink, and conversation
NEXT MEETINGS:   Monday March 10, 2008
                             Monday June 16, 2008

Directions to SUNY College of Optometry

Take B, D train to 42nd street and stop at Bryant park ; entrance to SUNY is midway on 42nd street, betwe 5th and 6th avenues, opposite Bryant Park.

Take 4,6 train to 42nd street and stop at Grand Central Station
Take 1,2 train to 42nd street and stop at Times square
Badges will be issued for all names (not emails) on the listserv list that you pick up at the entry of SUNY/Optometry. If you do not update your listserv entry, you will have to wait longer to get a badge, bring an ID and otherwise be slowed down.

ASCO Award Presented to Dr. David Heath

Dr. Heath is one of two 2007 recipients of the Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award given last month. The other recipient is Dr. Janice Scharre, professor of pediatrics at the Illinois College of Optometry.

Dr Heath was a co-chair of ASCO’s first Faculty Development Institute held in July 2006 which brought together newer faculty from all the schools and colleges of optometry for four days of training in teaching and learning; scholarship; and academic culture/leadership. He also served as co-chair of this year’s Institute last month.

The award was presented by ASCO president, Dr. John F. Amos during ASCO’s annual  luncheon in Boston. The award is named for Dr. Bennett, who served successively as dean of three optometry schools before his premature death in 2000.

OCNY Receives Grant for LDU Project

The Optometric Center of New York was recently awarded a one-year grant of $129,000 from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind. The grant is an extension of an earlier three-year grant of $400,000 to support psycho-educational testing for learning disabled children. This part of the battery of testing is not covered by insurance.

During the initial three years of the grant, 340 children completed the entire battery of testing.

Dr. Andrea Thau was elected to AOA’s Board of Trustees

Dr. Andrea Thau, Associate Clinical Professor, was recently elected to the American Optometric Association’s 11- member Board of Trustees at the Annual AOA Congress in Boston, MA in June.

As a member of the Board, Dr. Thau serves as liaison to the AOA Clinical Care Group and Neurological Optometric Rehabilitation Association. She is also the Board liaison to the associations of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. She is the current and founding member of the AOA InfantSEE Committee and past chair of the Credentials Committee.

Graduate Students Receive Award

Zan Pan, M.D., M.S., a full-time graduate student at the SUNY College of Optometry, was recently awarded the prestigious William C. Ezell Fellowship from the American Optometric Foundation. Dr. Pan was awarded the $8,000 fellowship for his research,  “Activity of a Novel Ion Channel Receptor, TRP4 in Dry Eye Corneas”. His achievement will be recognized at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Tampa, Fl. this Fall.  Dr. Pan is conducting his research under the supervision of Peter Reinach, Ph.D., a research scientist at the College.

Yinan Wang, M.D., also a full-time graduate student, has been awarded $2,500 from the Minnie F. Turner Memorial Fund for Impaired Vision Research. Her research project was entitled, “ Effect of Chromatic Aberration in Normal Trichromats and Dichromats.” Dr. Wang has been working with Philip Kruger, Ph.D, a vision scientist at the College.

SUNY Graduate Student Receives Yager Award

Fan Zhang, a full-time SUNY Optometry graduate student, is the 2006-2007 recipient of the Dean Yager Award for best published research paper by a student. Congratulations to Fan Zhang and her graduate advisor, Dr. Peter Reinach. As the recipent, she will be awarded a plaque in about eight weeks as well as a check for $500 sponsored by the Schnurmacher Institutie of Vision Research (SIVR). The winning published paper was:

PURPOSE. To determine in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in mediating epidermal growth factor (EGF)–induced stimulation of store-operated channel (SOC) activity and capacitative calcium entry (CCE).

SUNY State College of Optometry Graduation 2007

June 3, 2007

On Sunday, June 3, 64 graduates received Doctor of Optometry degrees; five received Certificates of Completion of Postgraduate Fellowships; two received Certificates of Advanced Competence in Clinical Residency Programs; two received Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science; and six received Master of Science in Vision Science from the State University of New York, State College of Optometry at its 33rd Commencement.

Dr. Lewis, O.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., was the Commencement speaker. A former Professor at the SUNY State College of Optometry where he was a member of the faculty for 18 years, Dr. Lewis also served as the former Dean of Michigan College of Optometry and President of the New England College of Optometry where he now serves as Professor. Dr Lewis was as a Visiting Professor at The National Bureau of Standards and Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Foundation and has received numerous accolades from his colleagues in professional associations.

Dr. Lewis, was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Society Award and Scott J. Richter, O.D., Associate Professor from SUNY College of Optometry, received the 2007 New York State Optometric Associaton Distinguished Achievement Award. Katherine M. Mastrota, M.S., O.D. '89 was the recipient of Alumna of the Year Award. Honorary Degree recipients included Jacob G. Sivak, Doctor of Science, and David R. Williams, Doctor of Science.

Also congratulations to the following graduate students for receiving commencement awards.

Academic and Clinical Awards

BETA SIGMA KAPPA AWARD
For Academic Excellence
Sponsored by Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honorary Fraternity
Jia Lao

DR. FREDERICK W. BROCK MEMORIAL AWARD
For Outstanding Clinical Performance in Vision Therapy
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Jennifer K. Musial

COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS IN VISION DEVELOPMENT AWARD
For Excellence in Vision Therapy
Sponsored by COVD
Meredith Fehr Walburg

COLUMBIA CLASS OF 1936 AWARD
For Academic and Clinical Achievement in Ocular Pathology
Sponsored by the Class of 1936, Columbia University, School of Optometry
Liana Marie Lynskey

CLASS OF 1991 PACESETTER AWARD
For Excellence in Primary Care
Sponsored by the Class of 1991, SUNY State College of Optometry
Daniel P. McCann
Jessica Jung Yeon Choi-Lee

DR. STANLEY EISENBERG MEMORIAL AWARD
For Proficiency and Excellence in Practice Development and Administration
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Jennifer K. Musial

DR. WILLIAM M. EISENBERG MEMORIAL AWARD
For Excellence in Ocular Disease
Sponsored by Alcon
Stefanie Brooke Beyer

DR. WILLIAM FEINBLOOM MEMORIAL AWARD
For Outstanding Clinical Proficiency in Low Vision
Sponsored by Designs for Vision, Inc.
Desiree P. Lui

IRA GOLDFARB MEMORIAL AWARD
For Excellence in Low Vision
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Beth G. Harper

DR. LOUIS HERRMANN MEMORIAL AWARD
For Outstanding Compassion in Patient Care
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Ryan Justin Fernandez

DR. AND MRS. IRVING UNGER AWARD
For Excellence in Optometry
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Jessica Jung Yeon Choi-Lee

ESTHER J. WERNER MEMORIAL AWARD
For Academic Excellence
Sponsored by the Benjamin Franklin Society
Jordan S. Zinn

Special Recognition

CHANCELLOR’S AWARDS
Sponsored by State University of New York

For Student Excellence
Beth G. Harper

Service Awards

DR. MAX COHEN MEMORIAL AWARD
For Volunteer Commitment to Community Service
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
En Chieh Chen

MORTON L. KIMMELMAN MEMORIAL AWARD
For Student Leadership within Organized Optometry
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Beth G. Harper

NYSOA AUXILIARY AWARD
For Outstanding Service to the Class of 2006
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Michele Chase Maxwell

Professional Distinction Awards

ALCON AWARD
For Outstanding Case Report on the Fitting of an Alcon Product
Sponsored by Alcon
Jonathan Cho

GP LENS INSTITUTE CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
For Outstanding Clinical Proficiency in Contact Lenses
Sponsored by GP Lens Institute
Jessica O. Yu

DAVID J. KERKO LOW VISION AWARD
For Outstanding Clinical Proficiency in Low Vision
Sponsored by Winchester Optical Co.
David Evan Haddad

ESCHENBACH AWARD
For Excellence in Low Vision
Sponsored by Eschenbach
Mitchell Carney Wilkinson

MARCHON AWARD
For Excellence in Practice Management
Sponsored by Marchon Eyewear
Jennifer K. Musial

VISION SERVICE PLAN PRIMARY EYE CARE AWARD
For Excellence in Primary Care and Commitment to Enter Private Practice
Sponsored by the Vision Service Plan
Beth G. Harper
Jennifer K. Musial

VISTAKON EXCELLENCE AWARD
For Excellence in Clinical Contact Lenses Patient Care
Sponsored by Vistakon, Inc.
So Hyun (Sarah) Chung

Vision Therapy Residency Award

Dr. Martin H. Birnbaum Memorial Award
For Outstanding Knowledge and Skills in Behavioral Optometry
Sponsored by the Optometric Center of New York
Bunthay Chorn, O.D.
Resident Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation

SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence Announced

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 25, 2007
 
Albany -- State University of New York Chancellor John R. Ryan today announced the recipients of the 2007 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Teaching. Chancellor Ryan honored 236 SUNY faculty with this year’s awards.
 
At the SUNY College of Optometry, Barry Lee, Ph.D., received the Chancellor's Award for Scholarship and Creative Activity; Mitchell Dul. O.D., M.S., received the Chancellor's Award for Teaching; Mr. Bret Boudi was given the Chancellor's Award for Professional Service and Ms. Beth G. Harper received the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. These awards will be presented at the College's annual Scholars' Dinner in June.

“These awards acknowledge and honor SUNY faculty members who are truly the best of the best,” said Ryan. “The Awards for Excellence are particularly rewarding for those chosen because they have been nominated by their colleagues on campus and viewed as role models among their peers. It is my pleasure to join the SUNY campuses in honoring these individuals and thanking them for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.”
 
The Chancellor's Awards for Excellence are System-level honors conferred to provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.  These programs underscore SUNY’s commitment to sustaining intellectual vibrancy, advancing the boundaries of knowledge, providing the highest quality of instruction, and serving the public good.  Through these awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishment and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, librarians and professional staff across its campuses.

SUNY Board Names Dr. David Heath President of the College of Optometry

For Immediate Release: Tuesday March 20, 2007
 
Albany – The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name Dr. David Heath as the permanent president of the SUNY College of Optometry.
 
SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan said, “We are very pleased to have Dr. David Heath leading the College of Optometry and we welcome and congratulate him on becoming its president.  The College of Optometry Search Committee and the College Council’s outstanding performance in searching the nation and bringing us Dr. David Heath are most commendable.  We now look forward to President Heath leading the faculty, students and staff of the College to even greater national prominence, academic accomplishment and research excellence.”
 
Board Chairman Thomas F. Egan said, “Congratulations go to Dr. David Heath on becoming the president of the State University of New York College of Optometry.  During more than twenty years in New England, David Heath demonstrated his ability in the academic field of optometry, as an educator and as an outstanding administrator.  David Heath is another example of the ability of the State University to attract top academic and administrative talent from across the country.”
 
Dr. Heath said, "I am very grateful to the Board of Trustees for appointing me, and I want to thank Chancellor Ryan and the College of Optometry Search Committee and College Council for all their support. Leading the students, faculty and staff of the College represents the highest professional privilege and honor. I look forward to beginning our work together.”
 
Heath has served as the vice president and dean of Academic Affairs at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, from 1994 until the end of 2006.  He currently is serving the College as special advisor to the president on transition planning.
 
As chief academic officer and member of the senior management team for the past twelve years, Heath was responsible for the academic mission and leadership of the New England College of Optometry.  Among other areas, Heath was responsible for academic program oversight, which includes professional and graduate degree programs, residencies, research and international programs.
 
Additional responsibilities included strategic planning, assessment, institutional and specialized accreditation, faculty, student services (admissions, enrollment management, academic support services, counseling and registrar), an extended network of clinical education affiliates and library services.
 
Heath has earned the following degrees:
 
1992: Masters in Education. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Concentration: Administration, Planning & Social Policy
1984: Postgraduate Fellowship: New England College Of Optometry
1983: Doctor of Optometry: New England College Of Optometry
1976: B.A. Psychology: Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y.
 
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 417,500 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu
 
-30-

Contact: David Henahan, David.Henahan@suny.edu
Office of Public Relations
State University of New York
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246
518-443-5311
http://www.suny.edu

SUNY Board of Trustees Names 11 Distinguished Professors from Six Campuses

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 20, 2007
 
Albany - The State University of New York Board of Trustees today appointed 11 faculty members from six SUNY campuses to Distinguished Professorship, a tenured University ranking that is conferred for consistently extraordinary accomplishment.
 
“The Distinguished Professorship recognizes and rewards SUNY’s most preeminent faculty, reflecting the SUNY System’s pride in faculty accomplishment by promoting professors to a rank that is unachievable at the campus level,” said SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan. “I commend each of today’s recipients for this hard-earned recognition.”
 
“The talent, dedication and accomplishments of the faculty we honor today serve as models for others to aspire to and well reflect the high quality of the research and teaching available at the State University of New York,” said Board Chairman Thomas F. Egan. “The achievements of these professors serve as an inspiration to us all.”
 
“It is the faculty who are the basis of quality in any university,” said SUNY Provost Risa I. Palm. “It is a pleasure to recognize the accomplishments of the new SUNY Distinguished Professors.  Each of these individuals represent outstanding accomplishment, and we are very proud to honor each of them with this designation.”
 
Recipients are nominated for this honor by their respective campus presidents, for having achieved national or international prominence and an established reputation in their field of expertise. The recipients of this honor are:
 
Thomas Baroni, a professor of Biological Sciences at SUNY Cortland, is known both nationally and internationally as a leader in the field of tropical mycology.  He has made significant contributions to the area of systematics and biogeography of the mushroom-forming fungi.  He is one of the world’s leading experts on the diversity and systems of microfungi.
 
Stephen Cole, a professor of Sociology at SUNY University at Stony Brook, is an internationally respected sociologist whose work is marked by extraordinary depth and breadth.  He has made seminal contributions to the sociology of science and to understanding the dynamics of social stratification by race and gender.
 
Colin Drury, a professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is universally regarded as one of the foremost experts in the field of ergonomics, the study and design of “systems of people and machines.”  He has developed methodologies and tools that have led to substantially reduced lower back injuries in the work place and has reduced the chance for human error in aviation accidents and injuries. 
 
Alberto Rey, a professor of Art at SUNY Fredonia, has achieved a national and international reputation as an artist.  His paintings are included in major collections such as the Museo del Barrio, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Galeria Nina Menocal in Mexico City.  He has provided original and significant contributions to both American Art and Cuban American Art.
 
George Lee, a professor of Engineering at the University of Buffalo, is a pioneer in the fields of earthquake engineering research and structural engineering.  He has helped to build cross-national bridges in the field of earthquake research worldwide.  People around the world have reaped the benefits of his research.
 
Mark Lenzenweger, a professor of Psychology at Binghamton University, is a renowned researcher in the area of personality disorder.  His finding that personality disorder features show substantial variability over time strikes at the heart of prior assumptions.  He has made substantial contributions to understanding schizophrenia. 
 
David Mark, a professor of Geography at the University at Buffalo, is consistently named as one of the most productive, creative and integrative academics in Geography. His work in spatial cognition revolutionized the Geographic Information Science (GIS) field.  He has achieved unparalleled recognition in this area. 
 
Makau Mutua, a professor of Law at the University at Buffalo, is a world renowned scholar and activist.  He has made enormous impact in the area of human rights law.  His impact is truly global in scope, shaping human rights study and political practice throughout the world.
 
Thomas O’Connor, a professor of Romance Languages and Literature at Binghamton University, has achieved national and international recognition for excellence in the field of Spanish Golden Age studies.  He has been a major force in furthering and enriching the study of Spanish classical theatre.  He casts new literary and historical light on the period.
 
Stephen David Ross, a professor of Philosophy and Comparative Literature at Binghamton University, is an unusually talented philosopher with an international reputation.  He emphasizes complexity over reductive simplifications and a celebration of diversity over unification.  He brings a unified metaphysical and epistemological conception of human beings and the work they do.
 
Qasim Zaidi, a professor of Vision Science at the State College of Optometry, is a leader in the field of vision science.  He has made seminal contributions to scientific work in color constancy and 3-D perception.  He is also an expert in the field of visual perception.
 
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 417,500 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu

Chancellor Ryan Recommends Dr. David Heath to be President of the College of Optometry

For Immediate Release: Thursday March 15, 2007

Albany - State University of New York Chancellor John R. Ryan today announced that he will recommend to the SUNY Board of Trustees that Dr. David Heath be the permanent president of the SUNY College of Optometry.

Chancellor Ryan said, "Dr. David Heath's innovative approach and strategic focus to management, his rigorous training and education, as well as his demonstrated success as an academic leader make him the ideal choice to be the president of the College of Optometry."

The chancellor also praised the work of the College of Optometry Council and the search committee for the national scope of their efforts and the excellent result of the process.  Heath was the unanimous choice of the search committee and the College Council.

College of Optometry Council Chair and Search Committee Chair Gretchen Stone said, "We are very pleased Chancellor Ryan has forwarded Dr. David Heath to the Board of Trustees.  David Heath possesses all the excellent leadership and academic qualities the committee looked for in our national search."

Heath said, "I am honored by the confidence Chancellor Ryan, the SUNY Optometry College Council and the search committee have shown in me.  It would be a great privilege to lead the students, faculty and staff of the College of Optometry, and I look forward to meeting with the SUNY Board of Trustees."

Heath has served as the vice president and dean of Academic Affairs at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, from 1994 until the end of 2006.  He currently is serving the College as special advisor to the president on transition planning.

As chief academic officer and member of the senior management team for the past twelve years, Heath was responsible for the academic mission and leadership of the New England College of Optometry.  Among other areas, Heath was responsible for academic program oversight, which includes professional and graduate degree programs, residencies, research and international programs.

Additional responsibilities included strategic planning, assessment, institutional and specialized accreditation, faculty, student services (admissions, enrollment management, academic support services, counseling and registrar), an extended network of clinical education affiliates and library services.

Heath has earned the following degrees:

1992: Masters in Education. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Concentration: Administration, Planning & Social Policy

1984: Postgraduate Fellowship: New England College Of Optometry

1983: Doctor of Optometry: New England College Of Optometry

1976: B.A. Psychology: Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y.

The SUNY Board of Trustees will take up Chancellor Ryan's recommendation at its next regular meeting on Tuesday March 20, 2007.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 417,500 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu

-30-

Contact: David Henahan, David.Henahan@suny.edu

Office of Public Relations

State University of New York

State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246

518-443-5311

http://www.suny.edu

VisionNYC Colloquium, Monday, March 5

The second meeting of the year of the Greater New York Vision Scientists, VisioNYC, will be held Monday March 5, and hosted by the SUNY College of Optometry, 2nd floor classroom and lounge:
6:00-6:30 - arrival and refreshments
6:30-7:30 Talks

Systems: Patrick Cavanagh, Harvard University, 'Coordinates of Attention'

Cell/Molecular: Martha Constantine-Paton, MIT, 'Eye Opening Induced Plasticity in the Visual Pathway: Mediation by Synaptic targeting of PSD-95'

7:45 -9:00 - light supper, drink, and conversation

The series is sponsored by the NEI training grants awarded to Columbia, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York University.

The next meetings will be on June 4, 2007

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been fully executed

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) developed jointly by SUNY College of Optometry and SUNY System Administration has been signed. The MOU will provide guidance for planning the campus' future and a framework for gauging the achievement of its goals.  To view the fully executed MOU document, CLICK HERE (PDF)