The seven and a half years since I became director of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science have been amazing. As a team, we’ve made huge strides in building the School’s profile as a national resource for the public and profession. We’re excited to support the significant advances the profession has made towards increasing access to medical eye care through scope modernization, leadership in AI and teleoptometry, and doing our part to address the calls from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action. I could not be more grateful to the incredibly dedicated and talented students, staff and faculty at the School – time really does fly when you’re having fun.
The Waterloo Eye Institute is becoming a reality with state-of-the-art patient care, education and research. We’re grateful for the incredible support from everyone for this once-in-a-generation project. I would be remiss if I didn’t encourage everyone to think about the incredible opportunity to double your impact thanks to a generous offer from Dr. Victor Spear (OD ‘82). All donations supporting the Waterloo Eye Institute will be matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000 – and we're 70 per cent matched already. With only $6 million left to raise, we are closer than ever to making the WEI a reality. You can help us get there by making a pledge or donation today.
On July 1, I will be passing the torch to a new director. While the identity of the new director is not yet official, rest assured they will continue to build on our strengths in alignment with our strategic plan while charting new areas for growth and impact. We remain committed to exploring partnerships for new schools of optometry out west and east, building virtual infrastructure with a national eye data repository at UWaterloo, and continuing to champion the mantra of “education before legislation” in scope modernization.
With practicals complete and finals just around the corner, the students are excited to be wrapping up term. Skit Night is a highlight of the year – a showcase for an amazing range of talent and friendly competition between the classes. Our new fourth years are about to embark upon their first clerkship rotations – we’re thankful to the many talented and caring clinicians across the country who partner with us by hosting them. With a special emphasis on rural practice, we know they will have amazing experiences and learn more about their future in practice.
In the spirit of lifelong learning, I couldn’t be prouder of our continuing professional development team. Dr. Sarah MacIver and Melissa Santo have really done an incredible job in putting together opportunities for lifelong learning that are evidence-informed, relevant to today’s practice, and push our profession to embrace our primary eye care role. Whether it’s the Optometry 5in5 learning platform or the first mobile version of the Office-Based Laser and Minor Surgical Procedures course, the team, which includes an amazing group of faculty and adjuncts, really has delivered. The course in Saskatoon has already sold out, but you still have the chance to join the in-person session in Waterloo – register by March 31.
As the director, it’s been a privilege to visit optometrists and leadership at provincial AGMs across Canada. The warm and open discussion has helped me to bring back messages and ideas to the team at the School to fully realize our potential to help support the advocacy efforts of the profession. Everyone has been truly welcoming and supportive, which has made all the difference. While I often go over my allotted five minutes, I have appreciated the opportunity to share the great work being done at School. Rest assured, the School will continue to be very much engaged with even more faculty available to lend their support.
We are looking forward to hosting optometrists on June 6-7 for CE Weekend & Alumni Reunion, featuring 10 hours of continuing education along with fun activities, including a Hop-tometry Social (beer, bites and trivia). Register today to secure your spot! If you’d like to host a class reunion (whether a milestone year or not), we’d be happy to support you in planning and organizing a get-together for your class in Waterloo or another location – fill out our form to get help. Don’t forget to check on the latest from classmates in our Class Notes – and share your updates anytime through our Class Notes form.
It’s been a privilege and an honour to serve as the director of the School. The people behind the scenes have done the real heavy lifting to move us forward so that we can begin to realize our full potential with much more to come.
In closing, it seems fitting to bookend my role as director at the CAO Congress in Halifax. Before I started my term, I was fortunate to attend the Congress in Ottawa in 2017 as a U.S.-trained Canadian returning home and jumping in the deep end of getting to know optometry in Canada. I was particularly glad that Dad was a relatively well-liked faculty member, which made for a warm reception with alumni. I hope that you’ll join me at the UWOVS Reception in Halifax this Congress, when we’ll formally introduce our new director. I look forward to seeing everyone and thanking you in person for your interest in and support of our school.
Cheers,
Stanley Woo
Director, School of Optometry & Vision Science
