The Visionary Fall 2009

The Visionary – Fall 2009 • Page 14 time, really needed their dad to be at home,” he stated. “Consequently, when I was offered the position to become dean at NSU’s College of Optometry in late 1996, it was a family decision to move to Florida so we could all be together.” Analyzing the NSU Years Upon arriving at NSU, Dr. Loshin leapt into immediate action, tackling the college’s accreditation issues and working to modernize both the office and clinical equipment. “When I took over as dean, there were only two computers in the College of Optometry, so I worked with Ovid Lewis, who was president of NSU at the time, to help get us computers,” said Dr. Loshin, who also restructured the various NSU eye care clinics. “Now we’re cutting-edge, which is something I’m very proud of.” Because he believes in providing a variety of educational opportunities to students and working professionals, Dr. Loshin also expanded the college’s curricular offerings beyond the traditional O.D. program. One such program is the online Master of Science Program in Clinical Vision Research (CVR), which was designed to help optometrists, optometric educators, optometric students, and other health-care professionals extend their career opportunities by developing and enhancing their ability to perform clinical research. “I believed we needed a master’s program that would teach clinicians how to perform applied research,” said Dr. Loshin, who is working on a potential patent with Dr. Bai-chuan Jiang involving quality of images in the eye. “Nobody has ever developed an online program like this before. It can be completed at home or in the office at convenient times without compromising careers, families, and personal obligations. Several of our faculty members and graduates have taken the program, which teaches skills such as how to set up a research project with the appropriate experimental design and to report the results in a presentation or scientific paper.” Dr. Loshin also is extremely proud of the Extended Program, which allows an individual to complete the Doctor of Optometry degree over a period of five years instead of the traditional four. Students enrolled in the program, which was designed for individuals who have special circumstances such as small children, an ill spouse or parents, or other personnel obligations, complete the first two years of the traditional four- year program over a three-year time period, while the last two years of both programs are identical. “Another program we established was the Preparatory Optometry Program (POP), which is designed for students who have potential but don’t have the proper educational background or lack the necessary grades required to enter the College of Optometry,” Dr. Loshin explained. “I talked with Dr. Don Rosenblum, dean of NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, and we designed a one-year program where these students are considered undergraduates and take prep courses to prepare them for possible acceptance into our optometry program. If these students earn a B average by the end of the year, we accept them into our college. It’s proven to be extremely successful because 75 to 80 percent of the students in the program qualify for admission. Dr. Loshin also helped initiate an M.B.A./O.D. as well as a business certificate program in conjunction with NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. The certificate program, which was created with student input, allows current optometry students to take 30 contact hours of business training where they spend a week in class with various faculty members from the business school, who discuss issues related to practice management. “Last year, about 25 students participated in the program, which I believe is the only one of its kind offered at any other optometry school,” he proudly stated. Dr. Loshin also has been involved in international optometric education through the development of relationships with institutions in China, South America, and Spain. “Our students have the opportunity to see patients in hospitals in mainland China as part of their externship, which has become a valuable experience beyond the traditional clinic training,” stated Dr. Loshin, who has been a member of the World Council of Optometry for a number of years. “It is important to have insight into how other countries view the profession, especially with the United States having the most comprehensive program in the world.” As he approaches his 13 th anniversary as dean of NSU’s College of Optometry, this optometric visionary has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. “The exciting thing about working at NSU is that it’s always growing and changing,” said Dr. Loshin, who received the university’s Student Life Achievement (STUEY) Academic Dean of the Year Award in 2003. “There’s always an opportunity to try something new or collaborate with another school on campus. I came up with the idea for the POP program in May one year, and we started the program in July of that year, which is not something you can accomplish so quickly at most institutions. Thankfully, the administration here at NSU supports experimentation and positive change.” Due to the numerous academic enhancements that have been implemented during Dr. Loshin’s deanship, the College of Optometry has positioned itself as a true leader in the realm of optometric education. “Our national board scores this year were the highest in the country, which means we must be doing something right,” he said with a smile. “We’ve established a strong track record, which is why the caliber of students we are accepting is better than at any time in our history. Our faculty members are truly exceptional, and our Eye Care Institute (at all four sites) provides outstanding eye care for Broward and Miami-Dade counties. I am proud of what the college has become and look forward to an even brighter future.” Dr. Loshin and Dr. Lippman with a bevy of NSU beauties. Loshin family getaway. A family that plays together, stays together.