Since graduating from the School of Optometry & Vision Science, Marta Witer (OD ’79) has made significant contributions to the School, the profession and our patients. Now she and the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation are helping to transform Canadian eye and vision care through a million-dollar leadership gift to the Waterloo Eye Institute, the largest in the School’s history.
In a speech at July’s Canadian Association for Optometrists Congress, Marta spoke about why she and her family foundation have chosen to support the Waterloo Eye Institute.
She described the impact the Institute will have on optometrists and researchers by embracing emerging areas of study, sparking new treatments and technologies, and building collaborative relationships with other healthcare professionals and disciplines.
“Most importantly,” she said,” the Waterloo Eye Institute will foster a strong and vibrant integrated eye care profession that always puts the patient first.”
She concluded by encouraging all Canadian optometrists, whether they are Waterloo alumni or not, to support the Institute in whatever way they can.
As a member of the Board Council of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, past member of the Board of the OAO and past president of the Vision Institute, Marta has helped to address issues facing the profession, built collaborative relationships with other healthcare professions, and advocated for vision care programs in underserviced areas. To recognize her contributions, Marta received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Vision Institute in 1997 and a Distinguished Service award from the Ontario Association of Optometrists in 2012.
Marta is also one of the School’s key fundraisers and volunteers as a member of the Waterloo Eye Institute’s steering committee. In 2006, she co-spearheaded an alumni campaign in support of the School’s expansion and was named a Distinguished Alumni the following year. She and her husband Ian Ihnatowycz also made a personal commitment of $500,000; in recognition, the School named the Witer Learning Resource Centre in her honor and in 2017, the University of Waterloo recognized her with a 60th Anniversary Alumni Award.
