News

2018 was a year of transitions for the University of Waterloo Association for Guide Dogs (UWAGD) -  formerly known as the Lions Club, we have a new name but the same mission: to raise money to purchase a guide dog for someone in need! By changing our name, we were able to expand our membership and open up our club to more students who want to participate, which we hope will translate into reaching our goal faster and being able to provide more for those in need in the community. 

As those of you who have been to the School know, our grounds are meticulously kept and maintained.  There’s one woman we have to thank for that – Sherry Bell.  Sherry has worked at the university for 40 years as a groundskeeper, and 18 years have been spent taking care of our Optometry grounds.

Faculty, staff, and students hit the ground running with a strategic planning exercise over the past year that has helped to crystallize our vision for the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science.  With stakeholder feedback, we identified a number of key strengths and opportunities that we have reviewed and discussed to help guide our future over the next several years.  A formal presentation of the plan will take place in the next couple of months, but I am happy to give you a preview of the highlights that we have shared during the year. 

Professor Dalton is one of the experts working with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to help redevelop classification rules for visually impaired athletes that reflect the unique visual demands of each Paralympic sport. Currently, she is focusing her efforts on both Alpine (downhill) and Nordic (cross-country) skiing. Dalton measures the functional impact of vision impairments on an athlete’s performance under real-world conditions in Alpine and Nordic skiing, conditions which are very different from those of rowers, runners, swimmers, and judokas.

According to a recent study by University of Waterloo and Western University, nearly 90 per cent of hospitalized patients have poor vision putting them at serious risk for falls. Other studies have found that falls are a significant problem as they are responsible for 40 to 90 per cent of accidents in hospitals, with severe fall injuries costing the Canadian health care system an additional $30,000 per patient.

Our newest continuing education course was developed by a team of experts from the University of Waterloo's Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), School of Optometry & Vision Science and School of Pharmacy. It was designed to bring you the latest in clinical and therapeutic information, while highlighting the importance of interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and optometrists in the management of their patients.

For over 50 years the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science has been working to enhance quality of life for our community through their vision.  With the knowledge that 80% of all blindness is preventable, the School makes it a priority to bring awareness to the importance of safeguarding their vision and addressing eye care needs. The Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation recognizes how important this is and has generously supported the School’s Seeing is Belonging program, which provides essential vision care and resources to identified at-risk groups within our community.

In honour of the School’s 50th Anniversary since moving to Waterloo in 1967, we are excited to present our Name Your Seat campaign to support clinic equipment and technology for the advancement of optometric education and research.

The School of Optometry and Vision Science held a retirement celebration for Dr. Murray Turnour on Tuesday, August 29th. Dr. Turnour has provided leadership and passionate support for the International Optometric Bridging Program (IOBP) over the past 5 years, in addition to teaching as a lecturer for the School, beginning in 1975. From 1975 – 1982, he was a Clinical Instructor and then continued on as an associate professor in undergraduate teaching, delivering a course in optometric jurisprudence to optometry students. The University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science is also pleased to announce that Dr. Jenna Bright has accepted the position of Director of the IOBP program.  She brings a wealth of experience to the position having served as IOBP Program Manager for the past 6 years.

The Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund (COETF) is a federally registered charitable organization supporting optometric research, education and professional development through unrestricted cash awards to individuals and institutions in Canada. The COETF has supported the University of Waterloo School of Optometry infrastructure and research programs through the provision of more than $1,000,000.00 in funding since 1980.