Meeting Agenda Included Discussion of the College’s Mental Health Programming
New York, NY –SUNY College of Optometry President David Troilo welcomed State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr; Assemblymember Keith Powers (District 74); Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (District 67); Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos (District 72); and Senate Constituent Liaison Director Sabrina Ellis to explore infrastructure and capital funding for SUNY and the College’s New York City campus located on 42nd Street just across the street from Bryant Park.
The Chancellor and Assemblymembers toured the 114-year old building which encompasses a vertical campus for SUNY Optometry with classrooms, research centers, student lounges, a library, and the University Eye Center all housed in one structure. Since moving into the space in 2000, SUNY Optometry has made significant investments to improve infrastructure reliability, modernize the learning spaces, create cutting-edge research labs, and expand patient care facilities. Continued investment will enhance the College’s ability to educate future optometrists, advance eye and vision research, provide leadership in patient care, preserve a historic state asset, and serve New Yorker’s eye care needs.
The College has an estimated $45M backlog of critical maintenance and infrastructure repairs that need to be made over the next five years. “We are deeply grateful for the past support from the New York State legislature and the State University Construction Fund. The visit gave us an opportunity to demonstrate the value of past and future investments and the College's continuing need for infrastructure support,” said Dr. David Troilo, President of SUNY Optometry. “It is vital that our building meets the demands of our education, research, and vision care service mission.”
“New Yorkers are in good hands knowing that SUNY Optometry is safely and efficiently educating the next generation of optometrists, and advancing eye and vision research,” said Assembly Member Keith Powers. “I thank Chancellor King, the SUNY Government relations team, and the President & Dean of SUNY Optometry for their mentorship of New York’s specialized healthcare leaders.”
While Chancellor King was on campus, he also met with faculty and staff to highlight the campus’s mental health first aid training program. The initiative offers essential training and certifications to the campus community and expands support services for students, faculty, or staff facing mental health challenges. See SUNY release on Mental Health Initiative to Support Student Well-Being.
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State University of New York College of Optometry
Founded in 1971 in New York City, the State University of New York College of Optometry (SUNY Optometry) is the only school of optometry in the state and a nationally recognized leader in optometric education, vision research, and patient care. The College prepares the next generation of eye care professionals through its Doctor of Optometry program, residency programs, and advanced graduate degrees in vision science, including MS and PhD programs. As an academic health center in optometry dedicated to advancing eye and vision care, SUNY Optometry conducts a robust portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research focused on improving diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of visual disorders.
Clinical training and patient care are anchored by the University Eye Center, one of the largest outpatient vision care facilities in the region, which serves a diverse patient population and provides students with hands-on experience alongside expert clinicians. SUNY Optometry also maintains more than 65 affiliated clinical training sites across the country. Beginning in Fall 2027, the Doctor of Optometry degree will be offered in both New York City and Syracuse, providing students the opportunity to choose where they live and practice.
University Eye Center
As part of an academic health center in optometry, SUNY Optometry’s University Eye Center (UEC) is one of the largest academic optometric clinics in the country where outstanding patient care, education, and research align. Providing primary, specialized, and medical eye care services to more than 55,000 patients a year from the New York City metropolitan area and beyond, the UEC offers students hands-on training alongside some of the nation’s top optometrists in pediatric eye care, specialty contact lenses, myopia management, dry eye care, glaucoma management, ocular disease clinics, care for traumatic brain injury, vision rehabilitation, and more.