by Caleb Jones

For Black History Month, the UAB School of Optometry profiled Black people who have made significant contributions to optometry and vision science. Dr. Rhea Magee, the first Black pediatric resident at UABSO, was recognized. Here, she discusses why she chose to complete her residency at the School, her passion for pediatric optometry, and what Black History Month means to her.

by Caleb Jones

Katherine Weise, OD, MBA, FAAO, director of the Pediatric Optometry Service at UAB Eye Care, was selected from among hundreds of optometrists and ophthalmologists from the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) to serve as co-chair of the international research network, effective January 2024. The appointment lasts for five years.

by Satina Richardson

Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice’s legal work celebrates second chances for incarcerated men ages 50-plus and getting a new lease on life after decades of incarceration for offenses without physical injury. A partnership with UAB Eye Care is eliminating the barrier of access to eye and vision care for those preparing to reenter society when people their age are typically preparing to leave the workforce.

Adam Sauls, class of 2023, has been elected to serve as treasurer on the 2022-2023 AOSA Executive Council. The Wendell, NC, native previously served as the first year representative for the UAB chapter, then trustee-elect for the AOSA Board of Trustees, then as a trustee. 

by Satina Richardson

UAB Eye Care, the clinical arm of the UAB School of Optometry, will see patients at the 1917 Clinic, the largest HIV health care unit in Alabama and one of the country’s leading HIV clinics. Eye care at the clinic begins on February 14.

by Satina Richardson

The education students receive at the UAB School of Optometry ex­tends beyond subjects related to op­tometry and vision science. It includes educational opportunities that will produce graduates who are prepared to build doctor-patient relationships that can yield better outcomes and decrease healthcare disparities.

by Satina Richardson

Constructed in 1974, the Henry Peters Building has undergone several renovations. This series of updates that began in 2015 included classroom, pre-clinic, locker room and lounge spaces being added or expanded. A new simulation lab was added on the fourth floor. Existing common areas throughout the build­ing were updated or made larger as well.

by Caleb Jones

Eye and vision care are vital to maintaining your health and wellness. Comprehensive eye exams are recom­mended at all stages in life and millions of people benefit yearly from the services offered by optometrists. Despite the logistical obstacles COVID has posed to eye care pro­fessionals, the reality is that people need comprehensive eye care to live healthy lives. That’s why at Community Eye Care (CEC), the goal has remained clear: provide quality eye care to the uninsured and underinsured.

By Caleb Jones

Drs. John and Catherine Amos, former UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) Dean and alumna, respectively, have established the Dr. John F. Amos Endowed Faculty Scholar in Optometry. This is the first named faculty endowment in the School’s 52-year history.

by Caleb Jones

UAB Eye Care has returned to UAB Student Health Services to provide eye and vision care to all UAB students, with or without insurance. UAB Eye Care optometrist Candice Turner, OD, will be providing care in the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Erika Morrow, MS, OD, opened the doors of ForSight Unique Eye Care and Eye Wear in The Historic District of Savannah on August 10th, 2019, 1500 miles away from home. Nearly three years later, the practice is thriving in part due to her civic involvement. Morrow, a 2016 UAB School of Optometry graduate, explains why she chose the practice’s location, her approach to business, and how her practice has benefited from being community-focused.  

by Satina Richardson

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the first, if not the first, academic centers in the United States to acquire a new, state-of-the-art microscope that will advance vision science discoveries at the university. This microscope is the only one of its kind in the southeast region and one of few available in the United States due to the newness of the technology. 

Dr. Rick Weisbarth, the UAB School of Optometry’s first Cornea and Contact Lens resident (1980-81), discusses how UABSO shaped his career path, his hopes for the future of the optometric profession, and gives insight to current students on how to be successful. Weisbarth currently serves as the Vice President of Professional Affairs-US Vision Care for Alcon.

by Caleb Jones

Two UAB School of Optometry class of 2012 alumni, Dr. Thomas Pinkston and Dr. Aimée McBride, are celebrating the completed renovation of their North Carolina optometry practice, Haywood Family Eye Care.

“For more than 60 years our office has been located on Main Street in historic downtown Waynesville,” Pinkston said. “It served us great for many decades, but we were running into two major problems: office space and parking. Our new facility will allow us to improve our patient experience and serve more patients.”

by Satina Richardson 

For the eighth consecutive year, Community Eye Care (CEC), the community service arm of UAB Eye Care, celebrated the holiday season by hosting Gift of Sight. From November 29 to December 10, CEC provided free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to people in need.

by Caleb Jones

UAB School of Optometry student Emily Platt, class of 2024, won the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) Logo Contest. The former art student’s design is now the official logo for the organization.

by Rick Lewis

Adam Gordon, OD, MPH, FAAO, attributes his nearly four-decades-long career as an optometrist and professor in the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) to his failing to find fame as a musician. As a fresh biology major graduate out of Washington University in St. Louis, Gordon had a guitar and his sights on the stage, but when “it became obvious [he] wasn’t going to pay rent,” he moved back to Baltimore and landed an entry-level job at The Johns Hopkins Hospital instead.

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Howard Day, OD, class of 1987, was named Optometrist of the Year by the 2021 Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA).

by Satina Richardson

Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD, delivered the 2021 Springer Lecture. This was the 23rd year for this esteemed event, which is supported by the Nathaniel E. Springer Memorial Fund established in 1999 by the Springer family and Donald Springer, OD, in memory of his father. Springer was instrumental in founding the School of Optometry.

by Caleb Jones

Former UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) resident Chandra Mickles, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, has been appointed to the newly created role of North America Professional Education Lead, Myopia, at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Vision.

Mickles will work to further strengthen J&J Vision’s education efforts to empower and train professionals about myopia, as well as create new ways of engaging customers through leadership and science. Mickles will be joining a motivated team of innovators and advocates who are all working to better understand myopia while partnering to find solutions. In this role, she will work closely with eye care professionals (ECPs)