Andrew Buzzelli, OD, MS.

PIKEVILLE, Ky.—The University of Pikeville board of trustees president James Hurley announced the appointment of Andrew Buzzelli, OD, MS, as the founding dean of the Kentucky College of Optometry on April 3, 2014. Currently serving as dean and professor of the Rosenberg School of Optometry, Buzzelli will begin in his new position in July. The creation of the Kentucky College of Optometry, to be the 22nd school of optometry in the U.S., was announced by the University of Pikeville on Wed., Feb. 26, 2014, as reported by VMail. 

“After conducting a highly competitive national search we concluded that Dr. Andrew Buzzelli is the perfect fit and has all the values that we expect in our founding dean,” said Hurley. “Dr. Buzzelli has the experience, knowledge and passion to build the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry into a national leader in optometric education. We look forward to Andy joining our UPIKE family.”

Buzzelli received his doctorate in optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, Ill. He holds a Master of Science degree in child development and visual perception from the State University of New York. He has practiced in the private health care sector as a specialist in dysfunctions of binocular vision and visual information processing disorders. Academic appointments include the State University of New York, Salus University, where he was also appointed to the board of trustees, and Georgian Court University. 

“The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry will combine three key ingredients in establishing a unique, stellar college of optometry, practicing full scope optometric care, providing access for rural Appalachia and Kentucky and continuing its tradition of being a faith-based institution,” said Buzzelli. “The school will evolve the great full scope of optometric care that has been gifted to us by the Kentucky Optometric Association, the Kentucky State Board of Optometry and the legislators of the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.”