Michael Bacigalupi, OD, MS, FAAO
PIKEVILLE, Ky.—The University of Pikeville has appointed Michael Bacigalupi, OD, MS, FAAO, as dean of the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). The appointment is effective July 1, according to the university’s announcement. “Dr. Michael Bacigalupi was selected after an extensive search that brought four qualified candidates to campus,” university president Burton J. Webb said in the announcement. “He brings a unique mix of leadership and experience that make him a great choice to lead KYCO at this moment in our history. Scope of practice laws in Kentucky will allow KYCO, in cooperation with the Kentucky Optometric Association, to continue reshaping optometry for years to come.”

Bacigalupi has 13 years of experience in optometric education and previously served as the assistant dean for student affairs and admissions at Nova Southeastern University (NSU)-College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he also was assistant professor of optometry. During his tenure, he worked to enhance the college’s curriculum, establish partnerships within the institution, and form articulation agreements in the U.S. and China, according to the Pikeville announcement.

“I am honored to begin my role as dean of the Kentucky College of Optometry,” Bacigalupi said. “Through collaboration with the University of Pikeville, the KYCO faculty, the KYCO students, the Kentucky Optometric Association and the community, I will strive to help KYCO achieve its mission of becoming a leading center of optometric education in the country. Rural communities in Appalachia and across the country will benefit from the care, skills and training of our future doctors of optometry.”

Bacigalupi, a graduate of the University of Houston-College of Optometry, earned a MS degree in business management with emphasis in leadership at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at NSU. Early in his optometric career, Bacigalupi worked in private practice in rural Texas, where he was the only ECP in a medically underserved area. He served on the Texas Optometric Association board of directors in multiple capacities and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and clinical examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.