When Ken Sorkin, OD, FAAO, graduated from SUNY Optometry in 1992, he received more than a degree—he also got what he calls a “professional parent.” And to nurture his end of the relationship, he has been an active alumnus, most recently speaking at this year’s orientation for the incoming class. “You thank your parents on a regular basis—or at least you should. You should also thank and appreciate your school in the same spirit,” says Dr. Sorkin, who served as class president for three years when he was a student. Now, to thank Dr. Sorkin for more than a decade of giving back, he is being honored as the 2017 Alumnus of the Year. The award has been granted since 1998, with members of the Alumni Association Board voting on who has shown outstanding service to the school. Dr. Sorkin is an associate at the two offices of Long Island Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus in Plainview and Port Jefferson, New York, where he focuses exclusively on eye care for children and adolescents. “I truly think it was the comprehensive and broad scope of the didactic and clinical experience that SUNY provided that best prepared me for my career,” he says. In addition to his work at the practice, Dr. Sorkin is president of the New York State Optometric Association. Alongside a team of executive officers and regional trustees, he works to ensure legislative protection for optometrists, as well as expansion of the field’s scope. He became president this year, following stints as treasurer and vice president. When Hurricane Irma hit Barbuda on September 6 with winds in excess of 180 miles per hour, it leveled the Caribbean island, damaging more than 90% of the homes, taking out the power grid, interrupting the flow of running water and forcing the mandatory evacuation of all 1,800 residents. SUNY Optometry alumna and 2013 Alumna of the Year Jillia Edris Bird, OD, MS ’89 is witnessing the impact of the storm firsthand in her native St. John’s, Antigua, where she is attending to the evacuated residents of Barbuda in the free clinic she opened at her office. There, she is doing everything from replacing lost glasses to providing glaucoma medication to removing foreign bodies from the eyes of children. “We are feeling eternally blessed in Antigua as we work to settle our displaced Barbudans,” Dr. Bird says. She lent her talents to the people of Barbuda, Antigua’s sister island, long before the storm, joining with her pediatrician twin sister, other medical community colleagues and a local Pentecostal church to host gratis vision and health screening clinics. And as the island has no resident eye care providers, she sees many Barbuda residents in her regular practice; they would take a ferry or plane to traverse the 39 miles to her practice in Antigua for care. As the president of the World Glaucoma Patient Association and founder of the Antigua and Barbuda Glaucoma Support Group, Dr. Bird has dedicated her life to service. “I was raised by parents who dedicated their lives to social work and service, so I grew up knowing nothing else. I’ve learned that giving back to the community that nurtured you enriches your life in unimaginable ways,” she says. Alumni Association president Dr. Denise Whittam congratulates Dr. Ken Sorkin 39 Alumnus of the Year: Dr. Ken Sorkin Alumna Dr. Jillia Edris Bird Helps Barbudans See Clearly After Hurricane Irma
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