NSUCO - The Visionary Fall 2017

COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY • 19 Rachel A. (Stacey) Coulter, O.D., M.S.Ed. , FAAO, FCOVD, professor, received the Ameri- can Academy of Optometry’s (AAO) prestigious William Feinbloom Award at a cere- mony held November 11, 2016, at the Anaheim Con- vention Center in California. Each year, the AAO recognizes distinguished indivi- duals who have made countless contributions to advancing the profession of optometry. Established in 1983, the William Feinbloom Award is presented annually to an individual who has made a disting- uished and significant contribution to clinical excel- lence and the direct clinical advancement of visual and optometric service. “The individuals nominated for awards this year were all exceptional individuals, which made it a difficult, but rewarding, task to come up with leading candidates,” said Chris A. Johnson, Ph.D., D.Sc. , FAAO, Awards Committee chair. “The high quality of candidates is an indication of the success, improvement, and influence of the American Academy of Optometry, the American Optometric Foun- dation, and its members.” According to the AAO, Coulter demonstrates the link between her clinical research expertise while raising the standards of routine clinical optometric practice and is an outstanding role model for individuals aspiring to combine research and clinical practice in their career goals. Throughout her career, Coulter has gained signifi- cant research experience in the areas of autism and vision, convergence insufficiency, preschool vision screening, and ocular motility and attention. c Professor Receives National Award Michael J. Au, O.D., FCOVD, assistant professor of optom- etry, completed the require- ments to become a College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) Fellow at the organization’s annual meeting held April 24–29 in Jacksonville, Florida. Au, who is a 2012 NSUCO alumnus, also completed a residency in pediatrics and binocular vision in 2013. The COVD is a nonprofit, international membership as- sociation of eye care professionals including optometrists, optometry students, and vision therapists. Established in 1971, the COVD provides board certification for eye doctors and vision therapists who are prepared to offer state-of-the-art services in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy, and visual rehabilitation. The COVD International Examination and Certification Board process includes a rigorous evaluation of the eye care professional’s knowledge and abilities in providing developmental and behavioral vision care for patients. Optometrists who successfully complete their certification process are board certified in vision development and vision therapy and are designated fellows of the COVD, earning the designation of FCOVD. For more information, visit covd.org . c Assistant Professor Attains Fellowship Faculty Highlights