Happy New Year to you! I hope you have been able to remain safe as much as possible by spending time at home with your families, your pets, and your laptops.
With the winter term underway at the School, our faculty continue to deliver lectures virtually. Our third- and fourth-year students are still regularly seeing patients in clinic while abiding by all public health guidelines. Students are heavily utilizing the WOVS FYidoctors Simulation Lab to augment their clinical learning, and we’re delighted to report that the latest posterior fundus modules for the slit lamps just shipped from Germany. In this newsletter, you will learn more about the newest addition to our lab.
For the first time in their studies, first-year students joined us on campus in early January for an in-person lab component after a compulsory quarantine period. First-year class president Aisa Dobie provides us with her perspective on how she and her classmates have settled into their studies, while also building a strong social network amongst each other. Kudos to the first-year class for making the best of these strange circumstances!
In December, we said “farewell but not goodbye” to Dr. Susan Leat, who has retired from teaching after close to thirty years at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Leat is still engaged in several research projects on campus. We thank her for her invaluable contributions as a faculty member.
I am also happy to share that we continue to make headway on plans for the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI), thanks to the extraordinary support of our community. We are very grateful to all those who chose to support the Seeing Beyond 2020 campaign last year. Thanks to your generosity, over 50% of funding is now secured, and the School is delighted to be moving toward a definitive timeline on construction. As our plans forge ahead, we look forward to keeping people up to date on our progress.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t share our sadness upon hearing the news of retired faculty member Dr. Gina Sorbara’s passing on February 10. Dr. Sorbara was an extraordinary person whose light shone especially bright within the optometry community. We extend our condolences to her beloved family; she will truly be missed.
I will continue to share our news with you throughout the year. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the first edition of Insight in 2021.
Sincerely,
Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO
Director
