by Nathan Anderson

Terri Call, OD, is the state’s 2023 Optometric Educator of the Year. The American Optometric Association (ALOA) granted the associate professor this honor. 

by Nathan Anderson

Tim Ansley, OD, class of 2014, is the UAB School of Optometry Alumni Association’s 2023 Young Alumnus of the Year. Ansley is recognized for his advocacy for the profession and service to his community.

Retinal degeneration in the disease retinitis pigmentosa is caused by a family of hereditary mutations that slowly lead to blindness over years or decades. A mouse model of one of these forms of retinitis pigmentosa, RP59, exhibits key biochemical and diagnostic features of human RP59, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers report in the journal Cell Death and Disease.

by Nathan Anderson

Shortly after graduating, Turner Altman, OD, class of 2021, opened his first practice, Altman Eye Center, cold in his hometown. In May 2023, he opened a second location in Prestonsburg, KY, his wife’s hometown.

by Nathan Anderson

Jason Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, senior associate vice president for research, provost faculty fellow, and UAB School of Optometry professor, was awarded the Max Schapero Memorial Lecture Award. The award is given by the American Academy of Optometry’s Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies.

Johndra McNeely, OD, graduated from the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) in 2009. As an optometry student, she received the Vision Service Plan (VSP) Excellence in Primary Care Award. McNeely practices with her husband, Ben McNeely, OD, class of 2007, at Greenville Eyecare, a long-standing private practice in Greenville, SC. They work alongside alumnus Ashley Smith, OD, class of 2018. An advocate for the profession, McNeely is completing her second term as president of the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Association (SCOPA) and serves as legislative chair for the state association. She also serves as chair of the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) State Government Relations Committee and on the AOA's Telehealth Council.

Community Eye Care (CEC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to communities. This year, the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) is recognizing those who have helped CEC provide vision services to underserved and underrepresented communities as faculty, staff or as a student. With this in mind, meet former staff member Scelelar (BB) Jefferson.

by Nathan Anderson

The UAB School of Optometry’s Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) trip team — including five students and two doctors — spent three days providing comprehensive eye exams to 290 people in St. Lucia.  This is the first time since 2019 that the student group has traveled abroad to provide care.

by Nathan Anderson

The UAB School of Optometry’s (UABSO) chapter of the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) chapter won chapter of the year at the recent National Optometric Association conference.

by Nathan Anderson

Katherine Weise, OD, MBA, FAAO, UAB School of Optometry professor, has been accepted into the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee as an Expert in Myopia. She will help assess the current mechanistic understanding of myopia pathogenesis and causes of its increased prevalence, to identify knowledge gaps and barriers to progress, and to develop a research agenda aimed at better understanding the biological and environmental factors that could explain its increasing incidence.

Karen Vanoy, OD, is happily married to Will Vanoy, PhD, for 19 years and is the mother of two amazing children, Brady and Julia. She graduated from the University of Mobile with a BS in Biology in 1992 and from the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) in 1997. Vanoy practices in Homewood, AL, with Eye Care Associates since 2016. She has served on the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA) board and is currently active as a legislative key person in Alabama's pursuit of scope expansion. 

AUGUST 21, 1939 - AUGUST 5, 2023

David R. Whikehart, Ph.D., UAB School of Optometry professor emeritus, has passed. A noted researcher in the biochemistry and molecular biology of the eye, Whikehart is among the few to have isolated and characterized stem cells that appear in the lining of the corneal endothelium. Whikehart retired in 2009 after 30-plus years of service and was appointed emeritus professor in April 2010.

by Satina Richardson

Three students from the Vision Science Graduate Program (VSGP) at the UAB School of Optometry have been awarded Ezell Fellowships from the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) for 2023. This is the largest number of VSGP winners in a single year.

On August 16, 10 am to 2 pm, shop the latest styles in eyeglasses and sunglasses at UAB Eye Care. Featured brands include Ray-Ban, Gucci, YSL and more.

by Satina Richardson

Yuqiang (Bob) Bai, PhD, UAB School of Optometry researcher, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Eye Institute (NEI) $1.8 million five-year R01 grant. Findings could improve dry eye disease diagnosis and monitoring.   

by Nathan Anderson

Being outdoors is a great way to spend the day. However, you can expose yourself to allergens such as pollen, pet dander, mold spores and dust mites that can affect your vision.

by Nathan Anderson

Sammy Haskins, class of 2025, placed third in the 32nd annual American Optometric Student Association Optometry Student Bowl powered by EssilorLuxottica at Optometry’s Meeting 2023.  A record crowd of more than 2,000 attended the competition at Echostage in Washington D.C.

It is predicted that, by 2030, some 39 million people in the United States will have myopia, or nearsightedness, according to the National Eye Institute. Earlier research suggests that the use of low-dose atropine drops plays a role in slowing the progression of myopia in children living in Asian countries. However, new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that the use of low-dose atropine eye drops was no better than placebo drops at slowing myopia progression and elongation of the eyes of a diverse group of children living in the United States.

Read more on UAB News 

by Nathan Anderson

Three alumni are winners of the Top 25 Excellence in Business award. The UAB Excellence in Business Top 25 program was created to identify, recognize and celebrate the success of the top 25 alumni-owned or alumni-managed businesses.