IUSO student Elise Radcliffe (pictured in the first row, far right) won the IU School of Optometry’s 2024 Student Innovator Award. First-year OD student Elise Radcliffe is the winner of the IU School of Optometry’s 2024 Student Innovator Award. Elise’s winning project is “Tracking Tears: The Punctal Plug Monitoring System.” Elise’s presentation discussed her idea of a new and innovative punctal plug design. Through computer technology wired into the silicone plug, patients will be able to access an app that details the quality of their tear film in real time and throughout the day. By delaying ..read more

The mission of the Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society is to recognize optometry students who demonstrate outstanding leadership to their college and profession. Membership to Gold Key is limited to 10% of the graduating OD class. The American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) recognizes Gold Key membership as “the highest honor for leadership a student of optometry can achieve.” Students from the Class of 2025 are chosen for membership by current members based on contributions they have made to the profession and the school. New IU School of Optometry Class of 2025 Gold Key me ..read more

Dr. Elli Kollbaum (left) and Dr. Emily Hable (right) in the new Low Vision Clinic at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. On Feb. 20, 2024, the IU School of Optometry opened a low vision clinic on the campus of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) in Indianapolis. IUSO volunteers evaluated six students and made device and/or glasses recommendations for all of them. IUSO will be working through the details of getting the devices in the hands of the students by utilizing Medicaid benefits, IUSOCO grant funds, and Essilor Changing Life Through Lenses ..read more

Suresh Viswanathan, professor and chair of the Department of Biological and Vision Science and interim associate dean for optometric education at the SUNY College of Optometry, has been named dean of the IU School of Optometry, effective June 3, 2024, subject to approval by the IU Board of Trustees. “With his collaborative spirit, focus on innovation, and track record of research excellence, Suresh Viswanathan is a natural fit to lead the Indiana University School of Optometry,” said IU President Pamela Whitten. “As he returns to IU, I have no doubt that he will continue to expand the IUSO’s n ..read more

London — Founded in 1972 by the British industrialist and philanthropist Lord J. Arthur Rank, the prestigious Rank Prize is awarded biennially in the fields of nutrition and optoelectronics. The 2024 Rank Prize for Optoelectronics is awarded to four internationally leading scientists for the development of instruments that use adaptive optics technologies to capture high-resolution images of the living human retina. Their pioneering research has generated new fundamental insights into the structure and function of the human eye in both health and disease as well as new clinical interventions to ..read more

Here is the listing of courses and lecturers for the upcoming Malinovsky Ocular Disease CE Seminar, which will be held Dec. 2–3, 2023, at the IU School of Optometry. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023 8–9 a.m. Introducing Chalazion Injection and Removal to Your Practice Jane Ann Grogg, OD 9–11 a.m. From Anterior to Posterior: Cases with a Comprehensive Ophthalmologist Andrew Huck, MD 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Common Quotes in Glaucoma Care: Buy, Sell, or Hold (82772-GL) Andrew Rixon, OD 12–12:30 p.m. Lunch 12:30–1:30 p.m. OCTA Kaitlyn Sapoznik, OD, PhD 1:30–3:30 p.m. Retinal and Optic Nerve Head Rounds from the ..read more

BLOOMINGTON, IN — A group of researchers at Indiana University School of Optometry found individuals are at different risks for retinal damage from diabetes, with certain ethnic groups and males being at a greater risk. IU School of Optometry Distinguished Professor Ann E. Elsner, PhD, who was the lead researcher of the study, points out the retinal damage along with fellow researchers on the study Senior Scientist Thomas Gast, MD, PhD, and graduate student Vamsi Parimi, MSc. Courtesy IU School of Optometry “Complications to the retinas of diabetic patients are more likely in some groups, such ..read more

Name: Alexis Garcia Hometown: Belvidere, IL IUSO student Alexis Garcia Where did you do your undergrad education? What was your major, what degree did you earn, and what year did you graduate? I did my undergraduate education at Benedictine University. I was a biology major and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. I graduated in 2022. Describe the moment when you realized you wanted to become an optometrist. I realized I wanted to become an optometrist when my childhood optometrist told me about how the eye is the only part of the body where blood vessels can be directly seen and when he h ..read more

Name: Rafael Rodriguez Jr. Hometown: Barstow, CA IUSO student Rafael Rodriguez Jr. Where did you do your undergrad education? What was your major, what degree did you earn, and what year did you graduate? ASU: Biology degree, 2019 graduation Describe the moment when you realized you wanted to become an optometrist. I wanted to become an optometrist in the 10th grade when I got my first pair of glasses. I never knew I needed glasses, and am now amblyopic because I had gone so long without glasses. Why did you choose IUSO? I chose IUSO because it was a very nice school and everyone was beyond fri ..read more

Name: Liliana Gonzalez Hometown: Miami, FL IUSO student Liliana Gonzalez Where did you do your undergrad education? What was your major, what degree did you earn, and what year did you graduate? University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science with a Minor in Health Disparities, graduated December 2022 Describe the moment when you realized you wanted to become an optometrist. During my senior year of high school, my Spanish teacher informed me of a job opportunity that would help me earn some extra money to pay for all the festivities of senior year. W ..read more