by Matt Windsor and Satina Richardson 

Kristine Hopkins, OD, MSPH, has been selected to receive the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which honors those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in teaching. She has been selected for this honor three times.

A professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Optometry, she joined the school’s faculty in 1998, one year after she graduated from the school herself.

“There are so many things I love about teaching,” she said. “I love sharing the stories of my patients with my students. I love showing them how our profession can so dramatically improve the quality of life of the people we care for. I love sharing my love for kids. They’re brilliant, joyful, and hilarious! I also enjoy learning from my students. UABSO attracts the brightest, coolest people into our profession, and I enjoy playing a part in their future success.  The future of our profession is in really great hands.”

Dr. Hopkins started the Vision Therapy Clinic at UAB Eye Care in 2004, which has grown from 150 patients per year at its inception to more than 2,400 currently. She is the coursemaster of the Anomalies of Binocular Vision course series and “a natural educator,” according to a nominator, who went on to describe Hopkins as “an exceptional instructor with rigorous scientific method, a tremendous heart for students and a significant service contribution to the school.” As further proof, the nominator noted that Hopkins had received the 2008 and 2018 President’s Excellence in Teaching awards.

“Students describe Dr. Hopkins as ‘one of the most captivating professors there is at UABSO,’” another nominator wrote. “As a member of the curriculum committee, I am tasked with reviewing the SETs [students’ evaluation of teaching] each semester, and I have never read a negative student evaluation of her courses or as a clinical and didactic instructor.” Her research expertise, including leading a major multi-center randomized clinical trial that has had national impact, serves as an inspiration for students and faculty alike. “Her research background helps challenge us all,” the nominator said.