Earlier this month, the newest cohort of optometrists, the class of 2028, entered the doors in Waterloo and began their journey into the profession. This class may be the first class of optometrists to begin their clinical practice within the Waterloo Eye Institute, set to open in 2026.
Over the summer, several of our faculty members who you may remember from your time as a student, announced their retirement and concluded their teaching and clinical careers. Read each of their stories of impact on teaching and research: Dr. Murchison Callendar, Dr. Jeffrey Hovis, Dr. Elizabeth Irving, Dr. Daphne McCulloch and Dr. Trefford Simpson.
Dr. Victor Spear (OD’82) is helping us bring our vision for the Waterloo Eye Institute to life with a generous $250,000 matching gift. As construction on the Waterloo Eye Institute advances, we’re in the final stretch to reach our $35 million goal. With $7 million left to raise, now is the time to act. Every dollar you donate will be matched, doubling your impact and helping us achieve our vision. Together, we can make this dream a reality!
In this section of the Insight alumni newsletter, we invite you to share your personal updates with other Optometry & Vision Science alumni, up to a maximum of 100 words, with an optional photo. We’d all love to hear about your weddings, babies, retirements, achievements, milestones and anything else you’d like to share.
Dr. Afua Asare (MSc '13) is a University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science alum who’s now working in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her journey to where she is today has been filled with ups and downs.
Dr. Ehsan Zare Bidaki, a postdoctoral fellow, has been working to effectively measure ocular surface temperature since he started his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Paul Murphy of the School and Dr. Alexander Wong of Engineering. Now Zare Bidaki and Murphy are working to commercialize the device they have developed as a screening tool for dry eye and, in future, other ocular surface diseases.
A range of VIPs, including The Right Honorable David Johnston, University President Vivek Goel, Dean of Science Chris Houser, Stan Woo and members of the Seeing Beyond 20/20 campaign steering committee put shovels in the ground to ceremonially mark the start of construction on the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI), which will be Canada’s premier centre for optometric patient care, education and research.
For more than 40 years, Stephen Tait (OD’79) wore two optometric hats: owner-optometrist at Ingersoll Optometry and part-time clinical supervisor at the School. He recently hung up both hats – but we couldn’t let him go without giving him a chance to explain why he kept being both a small-town optometrist and a beloved mentor to students for so long.
Some 300 people participated in our events during Alumni CE Weekend, which featured the WEI groundbreaking. In addition to the evidence-informed learning, there were opportunities to connect at the Oktoberfest in June dinner and the Saturday social, which brought together CE and Eye Data & AI Summit participants. The Class of 1974 also held its 50th reunion.
Learn what your old friends have been up to and get inspired by the activities of alumni from other cohorts!