A UAB School of Optometry faculty member recently received national recognition for his work in optometric education.

Andrew Pucker, OD, PhD, assistant professor at the School of Optometry, is the 2018 recipient of the Rising Star Award, given by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, or ASCO.

The award, which is sponsored by Oculus, is presented each year to an outstanding faculty member or administrator with less than seven years of service who has made noteworthy contributions to fulfilling the mission, strategic objectives or programs of ASCO.

“It’s an honor to be nominated by UAB and selected by ASCO to receive the 2018 Rising Star Award,” says Pucker. “Life as a translational scientist and educator is rewarding, though not always easy, and awards like this one are an inspiration to keep pursuing my passion.”

Pucker earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Ohio State University, where he also earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in vision science.

He developed and now serves as chief of the Myopia Control Clinic at UAB Eye Care, which is the School of Optometry’s clinical operation, and is the principal investigator of an NEI-funded project related to myopia development. He also manages other projects related to refractive error, dry eye and contact lenses, and is a contributing editor for Contact Lens Spectrum and Contact Lenses Today.

Pucker is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and has received a number of other honors, including winning two William C. Ezell Fellowships, receiving Ohio State’s Outstanding Professional Student Award and being named as an Emerging Vision Scientist by the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.