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