Dear friends and colleagues,
Spring has arrived and with it a sense of hope that we may finally be turning the page on the upheaval caused by a global pandemic. Vaccination supply is improving and everyone at the School has had access to first doses with plans for second doses before the fall.
It’s been said that pressure makes diamonds, and I know that we’re all proud of all our students with special mention of the Class of 2021, the Peyethons. The virtual skit night was a great example with creativity, talent, and fun on full display from all four classes. One video had our youngest peeking through his hands as the poem the Raven by Edgar Allen Poe was made a little too real and gave him a fright. Hard work, perseverance, and adaptability have been exhibited throughout and made us that much stronger as a community.
I also wanted to share that this month, we released to our community a new report detailing the progress made on our School’s strategic plan (2018-2023). Now at the half-way mark of our plan’s timeline, it’s been an important exercise to reflect on how far we’ve come from our “Moonshot” days and to refocus on the steps required to fully realize our strategic goals by the end of 2023.
In this e-newsletter, we share Austin’s story - a fourth-year student who found his first clerkship rotation in Ohio cancelled last year after the American border was closed to Canadians. Within a month, Austin was able to secure a new clerkship with Waterloo alumnus Dr. Pamela Giles in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Thanks to the support of optometrists across the country, we’re grateful to say that all stranded students like Austin were able to find new clerkship rotations across Canada with no disruption to their education.
We also wanted to share a recent publication from some of WOVS’ own that was featured across a few media outlets, including CTV News. The study, Neutralization of the eye and skin irritant benzalkonium chloride using UVC radiation, appeared in the journal Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology and was led by alum Manlong Xu as her PhD thesis, and was co-authored by Dr. David McCanna and Dr. Jacob Sivak. Their research touches on a very relevant topic by providing another method to ensure greater protection against the coronavirus while lessening the chemical’s harmful effects on humans and the environment.
We were saddened this year as our optometry family lost two very special women – Dr. Gina Sorbara and Dr. Dorrie Morrow. Special memorial tributes have been established to honour their extraordinary legacies and fields of passion within the profession.
In April, we were very happy to share that we have now received university approval to move forward on finalizing the designs for the Waterloo Eye Institute. To make the WEI a reality, the School’s $35 million campaign is in full swing and thanks to your generosity we have raised $14M to date!
To all those who have offered their support – we sincerely thank you. We've been humbled by the generosity of private donors like Dr. Henry and Mrs. Jill Smit. With the support of professional partners, too, we are well on our way to making the Waterloo Eye Institute a reality. Can you believe it?
I’d like to also celebrate the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Associations for their $50,000 gifts, and the Ontario Association of Optometrists who challenged their members to give back during their CE weekend, raising almost $180,000. As we look ahead to the next phase of the project, it is wonderful to know that the profession stands with us. We hope that you and your fellow alumni continue to support this important initiative.
I hope you enjoy the second edition of Insight. As always, we wish you and your families health and happiness.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO
Director
