Dr. David Heath, Dr. Richard Soden, Dr. Tamara Petrosyan & Dr. Raymond Pirozzolo Recognized for Leadership, Service and Advocacy Advancing the Profession
New York, NY — SUNY College of Optometry announced today that four members of its community have been recognized with national awards honoring their leadership, service and contributions to optometry, optometric education and patient care.
Dr. David A. Heath, former President of SUNY College of Optometry, received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). Dr. Richard M. Soden ‘79, Director for Health Care Development at SUNY Optometry and President of the SUNY College of Optometry Foundation was inducted into the American Optometric Association National Optometry Hall of Fame. Dr. Tamara Petrosyan, ‘09, Associate Clinical Professor at SUNY College of Optometry and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, East New York, received the Dr. Jerry P. Davidoff Vision Care Award from the American Optometric Association. And Dr. Raymond Pirozzolo, ‘09 received the American Optometric Association’s 2026 Federal Advocacy Award.
“These honors reflect the extraordinary impact SUNY Optometry leaders and alumni continue to have across the profession,” said Dr. David Troilo, President of SUNY College of Optometry. “Dr. Heath helped shape the future of optometric education nationally and led SUNY Optometry through a period of remarkable growth and progress. Dr. Soden has devoted his career to expanding access to care, strengthening clinical education, and advancing the profession through service and advocacy. Dr. Petrosyan’s work in vision rehabilitation, pediatric care and international service reflects the very best of SUNY Optometry’s clinical and educational mission. And Dr. Pirozzolo represents the next generation of alumni leadership, bringing a strong commitment to public service and professional advocacy that started when he was a student. We are proud to celebrate each of them and the example they set for our students, faculty, alumni and colleagues across the country.”
Dr. Heath received the ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional leadership in connection with ASCO and in optometric education, as well as for his outstanding contributions to the optometric community. Dr. Heath served as the third President of SUNY College of Optometry from 2007 to 2024. During his tenure, the College strengthened its academic, clinical, and research programs and expanded its role as a national leader in optometric education and patient care. Before joining SUNY Optometry, Dr. Heath served in academic leadership roles at The New England College of Optometry, including as Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. He is widely recognized for his work in educational program development and international vision care. He served twice as President of ASCO, was a founding member of the American Board of Optometry’s Board of Directors and has received numerous honors, including the American Optometric Association’s President’s Award, the New York State Optometric Association’s Frederick A. Woll Award and the American Board of Optometry’s inaugural Visionaries Award for Volunteer Services.
Dr. Soden, a graduate of SUNY College of Optometry and nominated by fellow alumna, Dr. Denise Whittam ‘91, was inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in recognition of more than four decades of leadership as a clinician, educator, administrator and policy advocate. Administered through the AOA Foundation, the National Optometry Hall of Fame recognizes optometrists who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the profession.
Dr. Soden completed his SUNY Optometry residency at the Northport VA Medical Center, where he later served for 26 years as Associate Chief of Optometry Service while maintaining an active private practice. He returned to the College in 2005 as Vice President for Clinical Affairs and currently serves as Director for Health Care Development.
Throughout his career, Dr. Soden has advanced clinical service, public health and care for underserved populations, including children with special needs and patients requiring low vision rehabilitation. He has collaborated extensively with the Commission for the Blind and has been a longtime consultant to the New York State Optometric Association, lecturing widely on third-party reimbursement, practice management and health care policy. A past President of the New York State Optometric Association, Dr. Soden has been a leading voice in advancing optometric scope of practice, health care integration and professional policy development in New York State. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and has received numerous honors, including NYSOA Optometrist of the Year in 2006 and the American Optometric Association Distinguished Service Award in 2025.
Dr. Petrosyan ‘09 received the Dr. Jerry P. Davidoff Vision Care Award in recognition of her leadership in clinical vision rehabilitation, education and service. An Associate Clinical Professor at SUNY Optometry and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, East New York, Dr. Petrosyan has worked across primary care, contact lenses, ocular disease, pediatrics, children with special needs, and head trauma.
She lectures internationally, has developed more than a dozen vision therapy workbooks and has published articles and book chapters on a range of clinical topics. Dr. Petrosyan has also helped create and develop the profession of optometry in Armenia through the Armenian Eyecare Project, supporting free pediatric eye exams and glasses for more than 60,000 children. She developed a comprehensive school vision screening protocol that has been adopted by the Armenian Ministry of Health.
She has previously been recognized as Young Optometrist of the Year and Optometrist of the Year by the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians, Alumni of the Year by SUNY Optometry and Young Optometrist of the Year by the AOA.
Dr. Pirozzolo, a 2009 graduate of SUNY College of Optometry, received the American Optometric Association’s 2026 Federal Advocacy Award in recognition of his exemplary dedication to optometry and the advancement of the profession. He practices at South Shore Eye Care Associates on Staten Island.
As a SUNY Optometry student, Dr. Pirozzolo served on the Board of Trustees of the American Optometric Student Association and later as secretary. During his internship, he served as a civilian doctor at Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point and the Lyons VA Hospital in New Jersey. He received SUNY Optometry’s Morton I. Kimmelman Award for Student Leadership in Optometry and was named Young Optometrist of the Year by the New York State Optometric Association in 2013.
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About SUNY 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.
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