It is with heavy hearts that the School continues to grieve the passing of beloved professor Dr. Gina Sorbara (OD ’77, MSc ’93) in February 2021; and alumnus Dr. Dorrie Morrow (OD ’80) in December 2020.
As many in our alumni community know, both women leave behind their indelible marks on the optometry profession. The School is honoured to establish two tribute initiatives in their memory, both of which will reflect the dedication they showed to their respective fields of passion in optometry.
Establishing the Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency
For more than forty years, Dr. Gina Sorbara’s passion for optometry led to her extraordinary contributions to contact lens research and education. An internationally recognized contact lens educator, Sorbara led the School’s Contact Lens Clinic from 1984 until her retirement due to illness in 2020. Dr. Sorbara spent four decades as an active member of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE), in addition to a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the British Contact Lens Association. Dr. Sorbara received IACLE’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, in recognition of her many contributions to contact lens education.
The School is honoured to pay tribute to Dr. Sorbara by establishing the Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency in her memory. The School will welcome the first Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency position in July 2021.
To make a gift in honour of Dr. Gina Sorbara, please click here or contact Andrea Carthew, Associate Director, Advancement, at acarthew@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567 ext. 46319.
Dedicating a pediatric room in Dr. Morrow’s memory
Serving her Sherwood Park community for close to four decades in her own optometric practice, Dr. Morrow was a passionate advocate for protecting children’s vision. Dr. Morrow’s dedication to the profession led her to serve as the first female President of the Alberta Association of Optometrists Council in the mid-nineties, and as the 39th President of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) between 2005 and 2007. Dr. Morrow received the CAO’s President’s Award in 2013, the most prestigious honour awarded by the association, in recognition of her dedication to the profession.
The School is honoured to pay tribute to Dr. Morrow by naming a pediatric room in her memory upon the completion of the Waterloo Eye Institute.
To make a gift in honour of Dr. Dorrie Morrow, please click here or contact Andrea Carthew, Associate Director, Advancement, at acarthew@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567 ext. 46319.
