VSP Global® and the American Optometric Foundation (AOF), an affiliate of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), announced the recipients of this year’s Practice Excellence Scholarships. More than $165,000 will be distributed amongst top-performing fourth-year optometry students in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.
“Investing in our future leaders of optometry is a priority.” said Kate Renwick-Espinosa, incoming President of VSP® Vision Care. “Over the last 10 years, VSP has provided more than $1 million dollars in scholarship support to hundreds of optometry students. We believe in helping deserving students see what’s possible.”
David Kirschen, OP, PhD, FAAO, President of the American Optometric Foundation commented, “The collaboration with VSP and the schools and colleges of optometry is critical in advancing optometric education to help the next generation of optometry continue providing access to eye care and meeting the needs and choices of consumers. This year there is a travel grant included so that the scholarship recipients can attend the Academy 2015 New Orleans meeting. By interacting with Academy and AOF leaders, these students will be better able to take their place as leaders of the profession.”
Two students from each school or college of optometry were selected by nomination of their individual institutions to receive the scholarship.
The scholarships are funded through VSP Global‘s Eyes of Hope® Global Charitable Fund in collaboration with FYi Doctors in Canada and is administered through the AOF. Some of the key criteria for selecting the scholarship recipients included the student’s commitment to enter the independent practice of optometry, clinical performance, and academic performance.
The 2015 Practice Excellence Scholarship recipients are:
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Eva Patel |
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Brianne Scanlon |
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Indiana University School of Optometry - IUSO |
Michelle Brown |
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Christina Welling |
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Inter American University of Puerto, School of Optometry – IAUPRSO |
Alyssa Ng |
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Nicholai Perez |
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Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences |
Gloria L. Wu |
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Prathik M. Philip |
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Michigan College of Optometry – MCO at Ferris State University |
Elyse Kleifgen |
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Michael DeWit |
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Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry - MUACO |
Darren Phillips |
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Julie McCutcheon |
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New England College of Optometry - NECO |
Danielle Goldberg |
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Kathryn A. Hannis |
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Northeastern State University Oklahoma, College of Optometry - NSUOCO |
Kevin Tomasu |
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Ashley Zinser |
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NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry - NSUCO |
Shelly Lomax |
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Sophie Robinson |
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Ohio State University College of Optometry - OSUCO |
Janet Harawa |
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Whitney Territo |
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Pacific University College of Optometry - PUCO |
Kathryn Dailey |
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Brooke Harkness |
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Pennsylvania College of Optometry – PCO at Salus University |
Janelle Engel |
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Nicole Rist |
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Rosenberg School of Optometry – RSO University of the Incarnate Word |
Dmitriy S. Zike |
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Desirae Brinkley |
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Southern California College of Optometry – SCCO at Marshall B. Ketchum University |
Patty Durongwong |
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Bita Asghari |
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Southern College of Optometry - SCO |
Feyisayo Aworunse |
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Dahlia Haddad |
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State University of New York College of Optometry - SUNY |
Samantha Rao |
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Tracy Borst |
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University of Alabama at Birmingham - UAB |
Kayla Egner |
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Heather Cain |
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University of California-Berkeley, School of Optometry - UCB |
Catherine Huang |
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Alise Gentry |
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University of Houston, College of Optometry - UHCO |
Leanne Roach |
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Roberto Saenz |
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University of Missouri -St. Louis, College of Optometry – UMSL |
Shannon Niere |
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Jamie Weiser |
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University of Montreal, School of Optometry - UMSO |
Audrey Daoust |
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Carolyn Perugino |
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University of Waterloo, School of Optometry and Vision Science - UWSOVS |
Morgan Welburn |
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Wylie Tan |
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Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry - WUHSCO |
Clarissa Prieto-Ayala |
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Kaitlin Hash |
Academy 2015 New Orleans takes place October 7 through 10, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the New Orleans Convention Center. The VSP Global AOF Practice Excellence Scholarship reception will take place Thursday, October 8, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
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About VSP Global
VSP Global® unites industry-leading businesses to bring the highest quality eye care and eyewear products and services to help people see across the globe. VSP Global businesses include not-for-profit VSP® Vision Care, the largest vision care company with more than 75 million members and a network of 32,000 eye doctors in the U.S., Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland; Marchon® Eyewear Inc., one of the three largest global manufacturers, designers and distributors of quality fashion and technologically advanced eyewear and sunwear; Eyefinity®, the largest EHR and premier practice management software company for the eye care industry; VSP Optics Group, industry leaders in new lens technologies, production processes, service and logistics; and VSP Retail, delivering a memorable consumer experience through a variety of channels that meet the diverse needs of VSP customers. VSP Global businesses operate in 100 countries on 6 continents.
About the American Optometric Foundation
The American Optometric Foundation (AOF) is a philanthropic organization that develops and provides financial support for optometric research and education in vision and eye health to improve clinical patient care. The AOF is organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code. AOF is proud to be an affiliate of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO). The AOF offers many award, grant, scholarship and research opportunities including its flagship William C. Ezell Fellowships to encourage the pursuit of full-time careers in optometric research and education. Today, sources of support for the AOF include optometrists, corporations, other foundations, state associations, and private citizens interested in vision care.
About FYiDoctors
FYidoctors is a private, optometry-owned, eye care company with its home office located in Calgary, Alberta and a fully automated, freeform laboratory and distribution facility located in Burnaby, British Columbia and Quebec, QC. FYidoctors is currently one of Canada’s largest providers of ophthalmic products and services with over 450 optometrists servicing over 280 locations between its corporately owned locations and Vision Source Canada locations. FYidoctors also has Canadian distribution rights to multiple optical and vision products. To learn more please visit www.fyidoctors.com.
