STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE - Alumni Success Dr. Tristan Barrueco ’18 Dr. Barrueco received the 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. He entered SUNY Optometry after serving as an officer in the United States Navy. He flourished academically and clinically and placed at the top of his class. Dr. Jennifer Nguyen ’18 Dr. Nguyen received the 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She received a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and excelled academically while pursuing an optometry degree and a master’s degree in vision science. Dr. Sarah Gleason ’18 Dr. Gleason received the Abram A. Hubal, OD Student Service Award for her service as president of the Student Society of the New York State Optometric Association. Dr. Ayah Ahamed ’18 Dr. Ahamed received the 2018 Johnson & Johnson Vision Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care. The award recognizes outstanding student clinicians who demonstrate excellent overall knowledge of the contact lens field and skillful, considerate and professional care of contact lens patients. 8 SUNY OPTOMETRY Dr. David Damari ’93 The dean of Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and current president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry focuses on how technology impacts the profession—and how students and schools can best meld the demands of optometry with the rapidly changing tech world. Dr. Diane Russo ’10 As an associate professor of optometry at New England College of Optometry, she trains the next generation of optometrists. And as the instructor of record for NECO’s public health course, she flexes her newly acquired Master of Public Health degree—which she earned from Harvard University while working full-time. Dr. Matt Geller ’13 and Dr. Antonio Chirumbolo ’13 The classmates started OptometryStudents.com during their first year at the College. After being acquired by the American Optometric Association, it is the largest online publication for optometry students. New Grad Optometry is the next chapter of their digital publishing careers and is the top-ranked eye care publication on Alexa. Dr. Cheryl G. Murphy ’04 The mother of preteen triplets divides her time between working at Sachem Eye Care and North Island Ophthalmology and writing freelance science-focused articles to serve her mission of patient education. She is contributing editor for Review of Optometry and 20/20 and was honored with the New York State Optometric Association Communications Award.
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