By Staff
Monday, August 10, 2020 12:15 AM
BOSTON—The
New England College of Optometry has announced that Dr. Angela Abraham, OD, has been appointed as the school’s first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Liaison. In this role, Dr. Abraham will work with NECO’s new Alliance for the Advancement of Diversity and Inclusion, which includes faculty, staff and students. The goal of the group is to “promote a culture where individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experience feel they belong, are able to contribute, and can thrive academically and professionally. A primary role of this Alliance is to connect D&I activities to a broader set of data-driven, results-oriented strategies, and to promote campus-wide communication on progress,” NECO said in a statement.
By Staff
Friday, July 24, 2020 12:21 AM
NEW YORK—A second part of the webinar series on Race in Optometry "Seeking Solutions: An Honest Conversation on Optometric Education" has been set to take place on July 29, from 7:00 p.m. ET to 9:00 p.m. ET, an event organized by the
SUNY College of Optometry. The discussion will focus on diversity, inclusion, and mentorship, which help lead the way to career pathways. The July 29 panel participants include:
• Dr. John Flanagan - Dean and Professor, School of Optometry, University of California Berkeley
• Dr. Joy Harewood - Attending Optometrist, Bronxcare Health System|Adjunct Professor, SUNY College of Optometry
By Staff
Thursday, July 23, 2020 12:36 AM
NEW YORK—
Black Eyecare Perspective is launching a new initiative, IMPACT HBCU, to bring more awareness of the vision care field to Black students, educate them about the opportunities in optometry and cultivate more involvement from students in Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the U.S. To support the program, several leading eyecare and optical retail companies have stepped up to be the initial three supporters of the program:
America's Best,
MyEyeDr., and
Warby Parker.
By Staff
Thursday, July 23, 2020 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—The
State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry has taken immediate steps to address racial and social disparities on campus and in the optometric profession with the formation of the President’s Task Force on Race and Equity (TFRE). Made up of a 12-member team of faculty, students, and staff, the TFRE is charged with evaluating current efforts to advance diversity and inclusion and identifying areas for improvement while opening up the conversation about race, ethnicity, and bias throughout the College community.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 12:18 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—
VSP Global and the
National Optometric Association (NOA) announced the recipients of the 2020 Dr. Marvin R. Poston Leadership Award. The eponymous award is named in celebration of the late Dr. Poston, an icon in the field of optometry and the only Black co-founding member of VSP. The award recognizes outstanding optometry students in each cohort who uphold Dr. Poston’s commitment to leadership, service and diversity. Award recipients receive a $4,000 scholarship toward their education.
By Staff
Monday, July 20, 2020 12:21 AM
SAN RAMON, Calif.—In support of the education of future eyecare professionals,
CooperVision and the
National Optometric Association (NOA) have awarded three $1,000 scholarships to exceptional optometry students with a high interest in contact lenses.
By Staff
Thursday, July 16, 2020 12:27 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—
The Vision Council and
Vision Expo will host "Open Your Eyes! What Allyship of Diversity & Inclusion Looks Like" as part of the
Virtual EYE2EYE Series, a weekly series of virtual panels and interactive conversations inspired by Vision Expo’s EYE2EYE educational series. This Coffee Talk session will be hosted on Wednesday, July 22 at 12:15 p.m. EDT. The session will be moderated by Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, president of
New England College of Optometry.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 12:18 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council is pleased to announce that the organization’s
Open Your Eyes Frame Vendue auction has raised $38,100 for the
Equal Justice Initiative and
My Brother's Keeper Alliance The week-long virtual auction featured frames with special significance, including one-of-a-kind or never released designs; high demand but discontinued designs; and iconic frames that speak to a moment in eyewear history, designed by leading independent designers. Additionally, several of the participating designers have pledged their intent to match the winning bids with their own donation.
By Staff
Monday, June 29, 2020 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—The
State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry will be hosting a timely discussion, "Race in Optometry: An Honest Conversation," a live webinar covering the issues and obstacles that impact Black optometrists. It will be held on Wednesday, July 1, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is being organized by the College’s Office of Continuing Professional Education who noted that this webinar is the first of a two-part series. Part I will discuss the problem; Part II will seek solutions.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 12:27 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Open Your Eyes Frame Vendue, an
auction presented by The Vision Council and featuring frames with special significance designed by leading independent designers to support the
Equal Justice Initiative and
My Brother's Keeper Alliance, is accepting bids until Friday, June 26 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
By Staff
Friday, June 19, 2020 12:18 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. and PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—On the occasion of
Juneteenth and a growing awareness of the need to recognize Black Lives Matter and encourage action in the vision care profession and industry, the members of
Black Eyecare Perspective (BEP) are initiating a 13% Promise today.
By Staff
Monday, June 15, 2020 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—A growing number of companies, individuals, groups and organizations across the optical industry and vision care profession are starting to more openly address the issues of racism and institutional prejudice and to support diversity as part of their stated mission. As sustained civil protests became very visible and vocal across major cities, suburbs and local towns throughout the U.S., executives, owners and individuals in the optical and eyecare field are grappling with a complex issue that has heightened awareness, mirroring concerns in many sectors, business, cultural and political. The communications have taken different forms, from internal statements to employees and associates to formally posted letters of support and principle.