Meet Dr. Keshia Elder, Editor of ASCO’s Online Journal Optometric Education
A Short Conversation with Dr. Elder
Dr. Elder chatted with ASCO’s Director of Communications, Kimberly O’Sullivan, to talk about her becoming the Editor of ASCO’s Online Journal, Optometric Education (OE).
ASCO: Dr. Elder, congratulations on becoming the Editor of our Journal, Optometric Education. Before we talk about the Journal, people may not know that you are the new(ish) Dean of UMSL, and more importantly you are the first Black/African American woman to be appointed Dean of an ASCO institution. Congratulations and what an historic achievement.
Dr. Elder: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Whenever someone makes the comment that I’m the first Black/African American female Dean of an optometry institution, it catches me by surprise. Surprised because it has taken until 2022 for this milestone to be met. Of course, I am grateful to be in this place and able to continue my journey in optometric education. As I have said before, I may be the first, but I will not be the last.
ASCO: Congratulations again on becoming Dean. Can you explain your journey to becoming the editor of OE? What interested you in the Journal?
KE: I think this journey has been a long time coming. I served on the Editorial Review Board for years when then-editor Dr. Aurora Denial sent out a call for associate editor. I was very interested in this opportunity and reached out to her. I come from a family of educators. My mom and dad were elementary school teachers. My undergraduate degree is in education. I taught high school math for a semester before I started optometry school. I consider myself a clinician-educator. The Journal is peer reviewed. It is the only Journal solely focused on optometric education and is very much aligned with my interests. I was thrilled to become an associate editor, and I learned so much that becoming the editor has been less daunting. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.
ASCO: You mentioned that OE is the only Journal dedicated to optometric education or academia. What do you think people should know about academic optometry that they may not know?
KE: The first thing that comes to mind is that most optometry professors are not trained teachers. We are mainly clinicians and subject matter experts. Just because you are a great clinician does not necessarily mean you are a great teacher. Most of us must work at it. People should understand that when you are in the optometric education space, you need to maintain clinical skills, but you also need to devote time to becoming a better educator. The pedagogy of teaching is very important, and Optometric Education addresses that.
ASCO: What is the process of getting an article published in OE?
KE: Optometric Education is an open access, peer reviewed journal that is available online free of charge. I recommend people review the Publication Guidelines online if they are interested in submitting an article. Prior to an article being processed, two or more people on the Editorial Review Board, who are subject matter experts on the manuscript topic, will review the submission. Two copies should be submitted, one blind and one unblind. The blind copy omits the name of the author(s), their institution(s), and any information that could reveal identifying features. Reviews usually occur about a month after submission and, if accepted, the paper will be published within the next 12 months.
ASCO: What would you say to someone who is interested in becoming a peer-reviewer and/or submitting an article for consideration?
KE: For people who are considering submitting – I say do it. Take a look at OE online at https://journal.opted.org to see the types of articles that are published. We publish Teaching Case Reports, Educator’s Podiums, special themed issues like the one we’re working on now regarding global optometric education, and, of course, peer-reviewed articles. I would also suggest potential submitters look at your peers at other institutions to see what they are researching and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
For those interested in becoming a peer reviewer – I would recommend they publish a peer-reviewed paper first. I have found that a good peer reviewer is typically also a good researcher. Feel free to reach out to the Journal staff as we periodically update our Editorial Review Board. Of course, also talk to the Dean/President at your institution and ask for any insight and suggestions they may have.
ASCO: Tell me more about you and your journey to optometry. I remember you saying once that you “found your people” in optometry. I love that. Can you expand on that a bit?
KE: I find that Doctors of Optometry are a dichotomy. Many of us are personally introverted but we talk to people all the time. I know many of us were drawn to optometry because we are caregivers who are very comfortable in one-on-one settings but may be less comfortable in larger settings. We are intellectuals who care for the greater good. When I reflect on myself, my personality, and other Doctors of Optometry, I see how we do a lot of great things to help patients quickly and I see how we are directly and profoundly impacting the lives of people.
I truly do believe I have found my people.
ASCO: Thank you. As we wrap up this interview, we must say a huge thank you to, Dr. Aurora Denial who was the editor of OE for 14 years! Her accomplishments and dedication to the Journal cannot be overstated.
KE: I concur and absolutely agree. Dr. Denial has been an outstanding editor, leader, and support system to me as we were navigating the outgoing and onboarding. When I think of Dr. Aurora Denial and all that she has done for optometric education and for me personally, I don’t have the correct words to fully describe all the gratitude I have.
ASCO: Thank you Dr. Elder. We look forward to seeing the future editions of OE.