Fall is one of the most exciting times of the year as we welcome the Class of 2028 to School for the first time. There is the fun of orientation events and rites of passage with 1st years sitting for 3rd years for their first comprehensive eye examinations “for real.” Fourth years are facing the bittersweet reality of 2/3 of their class away from the mother ship, and embarking on new adventures in practices all across Canada. Grad students are hosting welcome BBQ, and we recently celebrated post-doc appreciation. There is optimism in the air and enthusiasm for the year ahead.
And what a year it will be.... as construction begins on the transformative Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI), our clinic will temporarily relocate to 419 Phillip St., Unit C, only minutes down the road. This interim clinic will continue to offer comprehensive eye and vision care services without skipping a beat to deliver the exceptional patient care experience and care our patients seek.
The shovels are in the ground, but we have fundraising yet to complete. Thankfully, we have exciting news to share that Dr. Victor Spear (OD’82) has generously provided a $250,000 matching gift for every donation made to the Waterloo Eye Institute. We have raised $28 million of our $35 million goal, so every dollar helps to complete our visionary project. We are incredibly grateful to Victor, and look forward to a successful closure to the Seeing Beyond 20/20 campaign.
On a more bittersweet note, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Andrea Carthew, longtime Associate Director, Advancement whose dedication and hard work have been invaluable to our School and the optometric profession for the last 20 years. Andrea is pursuing a new opportunity at the University of Waterloo Faculty of Health as the new Director of Advancement. In her farewell note, Andrea reflects on helping the School succeed beyond its wildest imagination and making a “moonshot” project a reality. She will be an incredible leader in Health, and a great champion for the university.
This past term we also said goodbye to several esteemed faculty members who have been pillars of our institution. I encourage you to read each of their stories of impact on teaching and research: Drs. Trefford Simpson, Murchison Callendar, Daphne McCulloch, Jeffrey Hovis and Elizabeth Irving. It definitely feels like the end of an era. Their dedication and expertise have shaped the field of optometry, and they will be greatly missed.
Over the summer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, announced the University of Waterloo has been selected for the site of Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital’s new joint hospital, serving Waterloo-Wellington and beyond. This announcement of the state-of-the-art hospital, located on Waterloo’s north campus further strengthens opportunity for collaboration and innovation for the School. Although it’s a 10-year plan, it highlights the exciting direction for UW along with the Schools of Optometry & Vision Science and Pharmacy to be an integral part of the health system and medical innovation hub in the region.
During his visit, Premier Ford also took part in a health innovation showcase, where the School was invited to present to dignitaries including Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, Minister of Universities and Colleges Jill Dunlop and Minister of Red Tape Reduction Mike Harris. During the visit, Dr. Sarah MacIver and fourth-year student Mariam Bhatti talked to Ontario lawmakers about how we’re readying optometrists for the future. They demonstrated laser procedures for treating glaucoma and highlighted the opportunity to expand optometrists’ role in improving health outcomes and access to vision care for Ontarians. Scope expansion for optometrists to help increase access to eye care is very much top of mind in Ontario and across the country. “Education before legislation” remains the steadfast mantra as we support our associations in their incredible advocacy efforts.
While we have many updates from the School, there is always news from your classmates including clinic moves, births, awards and events. If you have an update to share, please use the Class Notes form and include an optional photo.
In this newsletter, we highlight a Masters of Vision Science alumna, Afua Asare, whose journey in vision science earned her four degrees, and moved from practicing optometry in Ghana to health services research for disadvantaged children.
Lastly, as we head into the fall, we are in the full swing of preparing for the Waterloo Eye Institute Fall Conference & Trade Show in Markham, ON, November 15-17, 2024. This event offers 20 hours of continuing education for optometrists, and some world leading award lecturers including Dr. Donald Hood and Etty Bitton. In addition, we’re committed translating research into practice and bringing forward some of the latest and greatest work of our colleagues – Drs. William Ngo, Jennifer Hunter, Krista Kelly, and KRistine Dalton. Register today to stay at the forefront of our field.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our vision. Together, we are making incredible strides towards a brighter future for eye and vision care.
Warm regards,
Stanley Woo
Director, School of Optometry & Vision Science
