On June 24, SUNY Optometry’s 2015-2016 class of 35 residents celebrated the completion of their program and received Certificates of Advanced Clinical Competency at a ceremony at the College.
Dr. Valerie Quan Wren, a 1999 graduate of SUNY Optometry who completed a residency in Primary Eye Care at the College in 2000, was given the Distinguished SUNY Residency Alumni Award and provided the keynote address. She is the fifth recipient of the award.
Dr. Wren is known nationally for her work and expertise in the area of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation. As a primary care resident, Dr. Wren took advantage of the broad exposure to patient care that was offered and opted to participate in a rotation in the newly established Acquired Brain Injury Clinic at SUNY Optometry’s University Eye Center. This exposure set the foundation for a lifelong career in an area that, at that time, was in its optometric infancy. After her residency, Dr. Wren joined the staff at SUNY Optometry for a number of years and in 2010, she joined the staff of Western University of Health Sciences, College of Optometry, where she is currently an associate professor. She serves as chief of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation.
In addition, during the ceremony, the Dr. Martin H. Birnbaum Memorial Award, which is given annually to a resident in vision therapy and rehabilitation, was awarded to Dr. Lauren Strawn.
The complete list of members of the residency class are:
Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Caitlin J Morrison, OD
Residency in Family Practice/Ocular Disease Optometry, East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Brooklyn, New York
Sarah D. Zuckerman, OD
Residency in Family Practice Optometry, United States Military Academy at West Point, Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, New York
Sandra Lynn Griffin, OD
Residency in Ocular Disease, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Eva Tsui, OD
Luisa Prieto, OD
Abby Tang, OD
Mi Mi Lim, OD
Residency in Ocular Disease, Fromer Eye Centers, Bronx, New York
Anna Lange, OD
Residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Eye Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Hudson Valley Health Care System, Montrose, New York
Emily Ruth Hable, OD
Joseph Boos, OD
Lauren Feroli, OD
Manju Varghese, OD
Residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Eye Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York Harbor Health Care System, Brooklyn, New York
Mirjeta Abazaga, OD
Marcella Pipitone, OD
Shira Kresch, OD
Joanna Komar, OD
Residency in Primary Care/Ocular Disease, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, New York
Alanna Khattar, OD
Irene Choi, OD
Heema Desai, OD
Anna Wong, OD
Residency in Pediatric Optometry, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Elsa Sheerer, OD
Noelda Karen Fernandes, OD
Residency in Primary Eye Care and Ocular Disease, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey
Violet C. Ehiem, OD
Stella S. Lee, OD
Christine Ahn, OD
Residency in Primary Eye Care, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Maegan Sauer, OD
Amy Steinway, OD
Residency in Primary Eye Care/ Vision Therapy and Low Vision Rehabilitation, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Northport Medical Center, Northport, New York
Amy J. Lam, OD
Long Dao, O.D.
Sarah L. Arneal, OD
Jannette Hang, OD
Residency in Vision Rehabilitation (Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation) Optometry, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Rima G. Bakhru, OD
Dr. Irwin B. Suchoff Residency Program in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation, SUNY State College of Optometry, New York, New York
Kimberly Hamian, OD
Justine Simon, OD
Lauren Strawn, OD
To see photos from the event, click here or on the image below
To learn more about SUNY Optometry’s four-decade history of residency education, click here