Future Faculty Program – It’s a Wrap

Future Faculty Program – It’s a Wrap

This year’s Future Faculty Program (FFP) ended on March 15th with the final session focused on the two topics: Publishing and Grant Writing and Breaking Bad News to Students.

ASCO’s FFP program is centered on the unique and important issues that graduate students face as they embark on a career in optometric education, and consists of formal presentations, workshops, small group discussions, one-on-one mentoring opportunities, and shared activities in the areas of teaching and learning, scholarship, and academic culture. Participants are mentored in this process by the program leadership and other participants.

This year, the program attracted 37 participants and seven mentors. Dr. Vakishan Nadarajah, Assistant Professor at Midwestern University Chicago College of Optometry stated, "This was my first time as a Future Faculty Program mentor, and it was truly an amazing experience! I loved getting to know each of my individual resident mentees as I remember being exactly in their shoes, eagerly waiting to see what the future holds. I am glad I got the chance to share my experience being a faculty member to better help them decide if that is truly the path for them. I am glad to say many of my mentees have decided that academia was in their future in one shape or form."

Dr. Anne Mika Moy from the University of California Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science and Dr. Heather Anderson from The Ohio State University served as co-chairs of the program.

Thank you to all the mentors and attendees that participated in this year’s program!

Mentors:

Kathryn Deliso - Chief of Vision Rehabilitation
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science School of Optometry

Amber Gaume - Clinical Professor, Director of the Dry Eye Center
University of Houston College of Optometry

Lindsay Sicks – Associate Professor
Illinois College of Optometry

Tawna Roberts - Assistant Professor
Stanford University Department of Ophthalmology

Sharon Keh - Assistant Clinical Professor
State University of New York College of Optometry

Vakishan Nadarajah – Assistant Professor
Chicago College of Optometry

Matt Valdes – Clinical Assistant Professor
University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry

Graduates from the 2023 Future Faculty Program are:

Ashley Bonneau
Cincinnati Eye Institute

Briza Brooks
Western University of Health Sciences

Anh Bui
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Lauren Butler
New England College of Optometry

Alyzbeth Caraballo Luna
Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry

Chisom Chukwumerije
Heritage Optical

Stephen Dellostritto
State University of New York College of Optometry

Aditi Deshpande
Pacific University College of Optometry

Lester Efianayi
Southern College of Optometry

Jacqueline Fiddler
Southern College of Optometry

Dominique Fulk
University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry

Emily Gottschalk
Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University

Hoda Irani
UAB Eye Care

Jay Jiang
Southern California College of Optometry, at Marshall B. Ketchum University

Beth Katz
Southern College of Optometry

Matthew Keller
Indiana University School of Optometry

Jordan Ladnier
University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Optometry

Sophia Lam
University of California at Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science 

Soo Jung Lee
Georgie Eye Partners

Xiaojing Li
University of Waterloo Optometry School

Courtney Luce
Illinois College of Optometry

Cedrick Mah
Northeastern State University, Oklahoma College of Optometry

Nitya Murthy
Indiana University School of Optometry

Frederick Neher
Illinois Eye Institute

Amber Nichols
University of Houston College of Optometry

Marija Novakovich
Southern College of Optometry

Araba Otoo
VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System

Poonam Panda
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Natalie Polk
Illinois College of Optometry

Madi Sachs
University of California at Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science 

Erica Shelton
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Jennyffer Smith
University Eye Institute

Julie Song
State University of New York College of Optometry

Tyler Spilman
State University of New York College of Optometry

Brian Steinmann
University of California at Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science 

Cole Sutherland
Northeastern State University, Oklahoma College of Optometry