Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, UAB School of Optometry dean, has been elected secretary of the board of directors for each the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) for the 2021-2023 term.

The following board members are joining Nichols as newly elected officers:

• President: Paul Lee, MD, JD (Kellogg Eye Center/University of Michigan)
• Vice President: Iris Rush, CAE (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, ARVO)
• Treasurer: Greg Skuta, MD (Dean McGee Eye Institute/University of Oklahoma College of Medicine)

Nichols was elected to the NAEVR/AEVR boards in 2020 and few optometrists have held board positions.

“Being elected to serve on the board was an honor,” Nichols said. “Being elected secretary by peers who are well-respected in the vision science and optometry communities is an even greater honor. I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service to my profession in this way.”

NAEVR is a 501(c)4 non-profit advocacy coalition comprised of 50 professional, consumer, and industry organizations involved in eye and vision research. AEVR, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, conducts sustained educational efforts, such as its Research Saving Sight, Restoring Vision Initiative about the value of federally funded vision research.