OPT Visionary - Winter/Spring 2015

PAGE 2 I t is remarkable to realize that 25 years have passed since the establishment of NSU’s College of Optometry. In many ways it seems like just yesterday that we moved from North Miami Beach to the world-class facilities in Davie. What tremen- dous growth and success we have seen in this past quarter century in many areas at the college. In September, the college held its 25 th An- niversary Celebration, and it was an out- standing occasion with aerial artists entertaining the attendees at the transformed Alvin Sherman Library. My many thanks go to Dr. Michael Bacigalupi and the 25 th anniver- sary committee for organizing the event. I am very proud of the reputation for clini- cal excellence we have established with fac- ulty members who have become renown in their specialty areas. Services provided by our faculty members and students in primary care, low vision, contact lens, pediatrics/binocular vision and specialty care in glaucoma, retinal disease electro-diagnos- tics, and nutrition have generated referrals from all over Florida and the United States as well as out of the country. Additionally, The Eye Care Institute has grown to five locations—Davie, North Miami Beach, Broward Boulevard, Lighthouse of Broward, and Kids In Distress. These clinics provide our students with excellent opportuni- ties to experience an extremely diverse pa- tient population while providing eye care services to the underserved. Through our didactic and clinical efforts, we are able to educate and train some of the finest optometric physicians in the world whose successes define our success. This is evidenced through feedback from our grow- ing alumni both directly and through college events held at professional meetings. Although the national applicant pool is flat, the college continues to maintain its high standards for admissions and recruit the best and brightest students. The college’s admis- sions office, under the supervision of Dr. Bacigalupi, is continuously making personal contact with applicants through social media as well as through the many recruiting trips to undergraduate pre-health clubs in the United States and Canada. With mixed emotion, I want to inform you that Fran Franconeri, who was involved with recruiting many of you, retired in January 2015. I am sure you want to join me in offer- ing Fran our best wishes in her retirement. In another sign of strength, research has grown significantly at the college, with a num- ber of current and new faculty members re- ceiving grants from several sources, including the National Institutes of Health. Posters, presentations, and publications from the faculty members at professional meetings have increased the visibility and productivity of the college. As we continue to celebrate our first 25 years, we reaffirm our commitment to our mission: To prepare, educate, and train opto- metric physicians to practice at the highest level of proficiency, integrity, and profession- alism, and to provide a multidisciplinary envi- ronment that encourages and supports scholarship, community service, and lifelong learning. We hope you will continue to support and nurture our College of Optometry into the next 25 years. By David S. Loshin, O.D., Ph.D., FAAO, Diplomate ean’s Message “I AM VERY PROUD OF THE REPUTATION FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED WITH FACULTY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BECOME RENOWN IN THEIR SPECIALTY AREAS .”