Innovator’s Award

Annual Innovators Award

Innovation is one of SUNY College of Optometry’s core values. We work hard to foster an environment that encourages and supports innovative thinking.

The Student Innovator Award was initiated by Jobson’s Rick Bay Foundation for Excellence in Eyecare Education to reward ingenuity, creativity, and innovation around ideas and concepts to improve eye care. Take your interest and develop change in everything from clinical eye care, research concepts, and practice management to optometric education, health care policy, and technology – or any combination of these areas and more. Innovations are not limited in scope but should relate to eye care or vision.

Timeline

Information on the schedule for submissions and presentations is sent out to the student body in the fall. Students are invited to submit abstracts related to innovations or improvements in clinical eyecare, research, practice management, optometric education, health care policy, community education, technology, social media and more. Submissions are reviewed by committee at the College and only 3-5 finalists are selected to develop their ideas further and present them before a judging panel that takes place in the spring with the award winner receiving a $5,000 scholarship prize.

Idea Checklist

• Why is your idea necessary? What customer problem does your idea solve?
• What are the benefits of your idea?
• What is the market share and market need for your idea?
• Are there similar or alternative solutions in the market? How is your different/better?
• How will it be produced?
• How much does it cost to be produced?
• How will your idea generate money?

For more information, please reach out to Vito Cavallaro, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, at vcavallaro@sunyopt.edu.