NSUCO - The Visionary Fall 2017

18 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY The National Academies of Practice (NAP) honored Janet Leasher, O.D., M.P.H., FAAO, professor and direc- tor of community outreach, with a medallion of honor and induction as a distinguished practitioner and fellow at the organization’s confer- ence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leasher was one of seven optometrists in the nation rec- ognized as a 2017 inductee. Membership in the National Academies of Practice is an honor extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering practice, scholarship, and policy in support of interprofessional care. The NAP’s central purpose is to ad- vise public policymakers on health care issues using NAP’s unique perspective—expert practitioners and scholars joined in interdisciplinary dialogue. The 14 academies of practice within the NAP include audiology, dentistry, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, podiatric medicine, psychology, social work, speech-language pathology, and veteri- nary medicine. Leasher, who joined NSUCO as a professor in 2003, spearheads community health education and promotion projects in visual health. She teaches public health didactic courses in community health promotion, economics, eth- ics, health systems, and policy, and is a clinical preceptor for third-year students in the binocular, pediatric, and pri- mary care clinics. Additionally, Leasher is a 2007 Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and has coauthored more than 40 papers in high-impact journals, which have been cited internationally more than 8,200 times. c Professor Receives National Recognition Meeting new people and being exposed to the country’s diversity has enhanced Tyler’s life. “The great thing is that after many years of teaching, we know people in almost every state who we can visit,” she explained. The most recent and memorable U.S. traveling experience Tyler enjoyed was a visit to Newport, Rhode Island, in 2016. “We had a great time in Newport walking and enjoying the small seaside city,” she said. “We had an amazing sunset at dinnertime on the evening before the Fourth of July and then woke up the next day to see historic cannons firing and witness a reading of the Declaration of Independence near the city square. It was very patriotic and a lot different than what we do on the Fourth of July in South Florida.” In terms of a life axiom, Tyler believes “things happen for a reason. I try to keep that in mind when things in my life aren’t working the way I’d like them. If you asked me 25 years ago where I’d be and what I’d be doing now, I’d likely still be an optometrist,” she said. “But, I would not have had so many chances to explore the world, educate students, care for a huge variety of patients, meet so many new people, and do most of it with a great husband. A change in plans and working at NSU have afforded me these great opportunities and this wonderful life.” c Julie Tyler, third from right, attended the college’s 25th anniversary celebration in September 2014. Pictured (from left) are Lori Vollmer, O.D., FAAO; Nicole Patterson, O.D., M.S., FAAO; Heidi Wagner, O.D., M.P.H., FAAO (former faculty member); Alexandra Espejo, O.D., FAAO; Diana Shechtman, O.D., FAAO (former faculty member); Laura Falco, O.D., FAAO; Tyler; Erin Jenewein, O.D., M.S., FAAO (former faculty member); and Jamie Althoff, O.D. Continued from previous page Faculty Highlights