College of Optometry - The Visionary Fall 2015

22 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY “My husband and I entered private practice imme- diately following graduation in 1986,” said Wagner, who served in a variety of academic and clinical capacities after joining the NSUCO faculty in March 1993. “While building our prac- tice, I worked part time in various practice settings, including a rural private practice, a health mainte- nance organization, and as a clinical instructor at my alma mater. I particularly enjoyed practicing in an academic health center, and this experience motivated me to pursue a full-time position in optometric education. Nova Southeastern Univer- sity—then Southeastern University of the Health Sciences—provided me with a full-time position and the opportunity to grow with a new institution.” “Initially, I saw my tenure at the institution as a stepping-stone in our transition to Florida,” said Woodruff, who joined the NSUCO faculty in June 1994. “However, I soon realized that working in an academic setting was a good fit for me, because I found a different dimension of indepen- dence. Looking back, I had always enjoyed student interactions and classroom teaching.” Because of their myriad abilities, the scope of their responsibilities was equally as broad. As a professor of optometry, Wagner served as the department chair for clinics from 2001 through 2011 and as the educational coordi- nator for the cornea and contact lens portion of the Primary Care with Emphasis in Cornea and Contact Lens Residency Program for 15 years. Other NSUCO highlights for Wagner included serving as a clinical preceptor in the Primary Care as well as the Cornea and Contact Lens Service and being an instructor for numerous courses in both the optometric professional program and in the Master of Science in Clinical Vision Research Program. Woodruff, an NSUCO associate professor, served as interim assistant dean for student services in 2002 and worked as a clinical preceptor in the Primary Care as well as the Cornea and Contact Lens Service. He also served as an instructor in both the opto- metric professional program and in the Master of Science in Clinical Vision Research Program. Their popularity as instructors was evidenced by the fact that they received numerous awards for their teaching prowess. In 2012–2013, Wagner received the NSUCO Professor of the Year Award and a Golden Apple Award in 2006. Woodruff was even more prolific, winning an astounding 20 teaching awards in categories ranging from Golden Apple and Professor of the Year to Best Lab Instructor. The husband and wife team of Heidi Wagner, O.D., M.P.H., FAAO, left and at bottom, and Christopher Woodruff, O.D., M.B.A., FAAO, below, spent a combined 43 years at NSU’s College of Optometry.