The Visionary Fall 2009

The Visionary – Fall 2009 • Page 21 It is my pleasure to extend greetings to you as I begin my term as president of the College of Optometry Alumni Chapter of NSU’s Alumni Association. First and foremost, the officers of the alumni chapter would like to congratulate the college’s recent graduates from the class of 2009 and welcome them to our alumni family. One of the most exciting accomplishments this year is that our college is celebrating its 20 th anniversary. Our college has undergone a tremendous amount of growth throughout the years: from our years at Southeastern University of the Health Sciences in North Miami Beach to our merger with Nova University and relocation to Davie. Our college was the first optometry school to incorporate an interdisciplinary model of educating our students, allowing them to interact with other health professionals. Many of us remember taking classes with either the pharmacy, dental, or osteopathic students. Our graduating class has also grown significantly in the past 20 years from less than 30 students in the very first class, which graduated in 1993, to up to 100 in the newest classes. Throughout the years, our alumni have made major contributions to the optometry profession on the both the local, state, and national levels and, most importantly, in their communities. Many have served as officers in their local and state optometric societies, while others have been active in various organizations in their communities. Several have been recognized as Young O.D.s of the Year by their state associations, while others have been recipients of the NSU Distinguished Alumni Award. While we will certainly celebrate the past, we look forward to significant growth in the future. As president, my goal is to raise awareness of our alumni chapter. We are in the process of developing an alumni Web page so you can stay better connected with your fellow graduates. I would also like to encourage you to attend the College of Optometry’s alumni reunion. The dates are May 14-16, 2010, so please mark your calendar. We’d like to see you come back and visit the campus, network with friends and classmates, and attend continuing education courses. On behalf of the College of Optometry Alumni Chapter officers Drs. Jackie Rodena ’04 (vice-president), Arnie Patrick ’94 (treasurer), Maria Mandese ’92 (secretary), and Annette Bade ’93 (immediate past president), we look forward to serving you. W. Zack Bartels, O.D., FAAO (’03) opened a new office in Rock Island, Illinois, on January 13, 2009. His son, Ethan Frederick, was born on June 1 of this year. Alan S. Bishop, O.D. (‘98) is president of the Eastern Shore Optometric Society and received Maryland’s Young Optometrist of the Year Award in 2007. Jan Boehringer, O.D., Ph.D (’97) has been appointed to the faculty of the B.Sc. in optometry program at The University of the West Indies at Trinidad. Katie Brauss, O.D. (’06) and Andy Jensen, O.D. (’06) were married on October 18, 2008. Justin Chen, O.D. (’96) and Ryan Hargreaves, O.D. (NECO ’97) will welcome their first baby, a boy, in March 2010. Marlon Demeritt, O.D. , FAAO (’04) became a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and mentors current candidates. He also is a National Board of Examiners in Optometry Part III examiner. Donald Ellison, O.D. (’06) and Jilma Ellison, O.D. (’06) became Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry. Michelle Gonzalez, O.D . (’03) joined CorrectVision Laser Institute in Broward County, Florida, in 2008. The practice specializes in Lasik and premium cataract implants. Dr. Gonzalez practices full-scope optometry with an emphasis in the management of refractive surgery patients and contact lenses. Karina Marcovitch, O.D. (Resident ’09) was named Resident of the Year by the NSU College of Optometry Class of 2009. Parres Harris-Roberts, O.D. (’07) completed a residency in geriatrics and low vision at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Optometry, Birmingham Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham. Andrea Scott Keele, O.D. (’06) is a member of the Missouri Optometric Association Affiliated Organizations Committee as well as an active member of the Greater Kansas City Optometric Society. In March, she began providing vision therapy services at Insight Eyecare Specialties in Kansas City, Missouri, and is an InfantSee provider. Adrienne Manzo, O.D. (‘04) works for a large ophthalmology/optometry group practice in Buffalo, New York. She got married in October 2009 at a wedding ceremony overlooking Niagara Falls. John Marcev, O.D. (’02) and Deborah Marcev, O.D. (’02) have been very busy in their respective practices at Eye Examiners, Inc. and Vision Works. They have three boys, Nathan (age 5) and twins Aaron and Andrew (age 2 ½). Elizabeth Carroll McMunn, O.D. (Resident ‘01) of East Lyme, Connecticut, was recognized at the Vision Source North American Meeting for achieving the largest column percent increase in practice growth for the previous year. alumni pages Alumni News By N. Scott Gorman, O.D., M.S., Ed.D., FAAO Professor of Optometry and Director of Development, Alumni Relations, and Continuing Education Alumni Chapter President’s Message Sherrol A. Reynolds O.D., FAAO Associate Professor of Optometry and President College of Optometry Alumni Chapter of the NSU Alumni Association