Media contact: Savannah Koplon
Andrew Pucker, O.D., Ph.D.Andrew Pucker, O.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, has been recognized with the Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award as an outstanding young scientist from the American Academy of Optometry.
The award is given to a scientist or clinician scientist who has shown exceptional promise to conduct independent research directly related to etiology, prevention, detection, diagnosis or management of clinical ocular disorders.
“It’s a tremendous honor to receive the Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award, as this award has recognized some of the most prominent leaders in the optometric field,” Pucker said. “This recognition will certainly help me make new academic connections, and it will likely help me obtain new research contracts and speaking engagements and help continue to attract bright graduate students to UAB.”
Pucker earned his O.D., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University. He is the principal investigator of a National Eye Institute-funded project related to myopia development, and he manages other projects related to refractive error, dry eye and contact lenses. Pucker is a contributing editor for Contact Lens Spectrum. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and he has received a number of others honors, which include winning two William C. Ezell fellowships, receiving Ohio State’s Outstanding Professional Student Award, receiving the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s Rising Star Award, and being named an Emerging Vision Scientist by the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.