Gift of Sight has become a beacon of hope and generosity in the community. Held at the Western Health Center, this annual event is now in its 11th year, continuing its mission to provide essential eye care services to those in need.

’Tis the season for holiday shopping and finding that special gift for friends and family. For those buying for children, picking out the perfect toy could prevent an unwanted trip to the hospital.

The UAB School of Optometry Alumni Association has named Howard Day, OD, the 2024 Alumnus of the Year. This award recognizes his contributions to the field of optometry and his dedication to advancing the profession in Alabama.

Patricia Fulmer, OD, FAAO, a distinguished optometrist at Legacy Vision Center and a 2012 graduate, has been awarded Young Alumnus of the Year by the UAB School of Optometry Alumni Association. Residing in Huntsville, AL, Fulmer has made significant contributions to the field of optometry, both locally and nationally.

Community Eye Care (CEC), the community service arm of the UAB School of Optometry, recently received a gift from HOYA Vision Care supporting CEC’s mission to provide comprehensive eye care to Alabama’s underserved communities.

Susan Cotter, OD, MA, FAAO, professor at the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B Ketchum University, a distinguished pediatric optometrist, was honored as the 2024 UAB School of Optometry’s Springer lecturer. A clinician-scientist, her presentation highlighted the advancements in amblyopia treatment, a vision disorder Cotter is passionate about.

Safal Khanal, OD, PhD, FAAO, was awarded a two-year R21 grant from the National Eye Institute to evaluate the efficacy of a novel, wavelength-based method in slowing the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children.

Candice Turner, OD, associate professor, has been named the Alabama Optometric Association Educator of the Year. 

Janelle Sventek, OD, has joined the UAB School of Optometry as an assistant professor after four years as a pediatric optometrist in private practice. Her interest in becoming an eye doctor started when she received her first pair of glasses at age eight.

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.

In 2017, Jermaine “Skull” Brown Jr. was on vacation with his family in Cancun when he realized his left eye’s vision was deteriorating. Although his family took him to eye clinics, his blurry vision worsened and soon affected his football career.

After a long day at work, Jamie Smith expected to have a normal night at home with her two sons. But when she noticed her youngest son’s eyes shaking, she knew something was wrong.

Screens are not avoidable, but eye strain is. As people spend more time in front of digital screens than ever, device usage and eye comfort have become competing priorities. Incessant screen usage causes digital eye strain, or DES, an eye condition also known as computer vision syndrome.

Read more on UAB News

There is an ongoing need for access to healthcare in rural Alabama. To help, the Alabama Board of Optometric Scholarship and Loan Awards (BOSLA) has established a scholarship for first to fourth year optometry students who want to practice in rural Alabama.  

by Satina Richardson

Safal Khanal, OD, PhD, FAAO, UAB School of Optometry assistant professor, was awarded the Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award from the American Academy of Optometry (AAO). This award recognizes an outstanding young scientist or clinician scientist who shows exceptional promise in conducting independent optometric research directly related to etiology, prevention, detection, diagnosis or management of clinical eye disorders. 

by Nathan Anderson

A few months before attending this year’s 2014 class reunion, Drs. David and Audrey Otto realized that their two sons, Henry and Peter, share their names with the UAB School of Optometry’s (UABSO) founding dean, Dr. Henry Peters.    

by Nathan Anderson

As students prepare to head back to school, make scheduling an eye exam for school-age kids a priority. Nicholas Onken, OD, recommends that parents schedule a comprehensive eye exam for their children to ensure they do not face any vision-related learning obstacles in the upcoming academic year.

Sandra Wang-Harris, OD, MPH, has joined the UAB School of Optometry as an associate professor. She has worked in numerous developing countries to ensure the availability of eye care to those in need and will now care for Alabama’s vulnerable populations as an educator and healthcare provider.

Mahmoud T. KhalafAllah, MD, MSc, Vision Science Graduate Program Student, has been accepted into the prestigious National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) Emerging Vision Scientist Program. This honor recognizes his contributions to vision research and provides an opportunity to advocate for the future of eye health.

by Nathan Anderson

Malia McDowell, class of 2026, was awarded the $10,000 VSP Premier Edge™ Student Business Challenge Scholarship at the Solution Conference in Nashville, TN. In collaboration with the Association of Practice Management Educators (APME) and Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLN), VSP Premier Edge awards this scholarship to optometry students interested in owning a private practice.