Here is a summary of IUSO’s news from June 1 to December 1, 2020, in the time of COVID-19.

Office of Student Administration

Class of 2024

IUSO Welcomed the Class of 2024—86 students from an applicant pool of 490:

• 30 Indiana residents and 56 nonresidents
• 21 states represented and 1 student from Canada
• 53 women and 33 men
• 3.58 average GPA

Fall 2020 Recruitment Report

Student Admin made the COVID-19 shift to near 100% online recruitment in the Fall, hosting Zoom Admission Days, webinars, information sessions, fairs, and recruitment meetings with specific schools/pre-optometry clubs.

This fall, we were able to increase the number of student connections compared to Fall 2019 travel, even with the challenges of limited on-campus options:

• Online Recruitment “Travel”: Visited online w/ 45 campuses (42 School Visits, 2 Fairs, and 1 Dean’s Night). 25 of the colleges we presented to were fresh school connections (meeting with IUSO for the first time or the first time in a few years).
  • Met 315 students (up from 282 last fall) and several academic/pre-health advisors.
  • Additionally, we connected w/ 109 students at online Optometry School Fairs, up from 39 students last year.
• Webinars/Conversations: 222 viewers (and more through Facebook Live) attended the four Zoom Info Sessions/Conversations hosted by Student Administration this fall. COVID-19 has cemented online webinars as an essential part of future recruitment plans for IUSO.
• Student Engagement: Additionally, we have seen a great increase in the number of 1-on-1 email conversations and Zoom meetings with recruits across the whole Student Admin team. These personal connections are key to our recruitment strategies, especially when in-person, group visits at IUSO are not an option.

Anticipating Spring 2021 Recruitment

In January through March and beyond, the Student Admin team will spend much time connecting with admitted students to round out the entering class for next fall. For future recruitment efforts, reconnecting with Indiana schools will be a major focus of spring 2021 online “travel.” Also, creating new ties with HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) and HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities) will be key to future growth in diversity recruitment. With the newly formed Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council at IUSO, we believe we can all work together to help IUSO bring in the brightest, most diverse classes possible.

We are grateful for all the faculty/staff/student volunteers helping bring in the next class of future IU Optometrists. Thank you!

Admission Days

The shift to online Zoom Admission Days, which occurred most Fridays during the fall semester, was a new challenge. Yet recruits are still reporting a “family, student-centered vibe,” in follow-up conversations with our staff—an essential goal in showcasing the IUSO community. There have been 9 Admission Days in the fall semester and 145 students have attended. There are an additional 5 Admission Days scheduled for the spring. There are currently 68 paid deposits for Fall 2021.

On to Spring!

Office of Advancement

IU and IUSO Surpass Campaign Goal

The For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign ended on Sept. 30, surpassing its $3 billion goal. The campaign, which raised nearly $3.9 billion, was designed to strengthen the university’s missions to ensure an affordable and accessible education, prepare students to become future global leaders, and advance research and innovation that improve people’s lives. These gifts both supported existing funds at IUSO and created new endowments towards those goals. The IU School of Optometry’s Office of Advancement is thankful to all of its alumni, donors, and partners, who helped us participate in this historic campaign.

IU For All Campaign Total
Goal: $3,000,000,000
Actual: $3,859,294,930

IU School of Optometry
Goal: $15,000,000
Actual: $16,892,730
% of Goal: 112.62%

IUSO’s total goal was made up of two parts: Non-Governmental Grants and Philanthropic Support.

Non-Government Grants (NGG)
Goal: $10,000,000
Actual: $13,543,451
% of Goal: 135.43%

Philanthropy
Goal: $5,000,000
Actual: $3,349,279
% of Goal: 66.99%

Nearly $9,000 Raised for Emergency Scholarships

When COVID-19 temporarily closed optometry practices this spring, many IUSO suddenly faced unexpected moving costs, halts in their rotations, and other unforeseen expenses. The Office of Advancement created the IUSO’s #neverdaunted campaign to raise money for emergency scholarships for current IUSO students deeply affected by the pandemic. The original goal was to raise $5,000. Thanks to the generosity of IUSO’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends this campaign raised nearly $9,000, helping five 4th-year students.

Fall Virtual Panels with Alumni Experts

We often hear from both students and alumni that they want more opportunities to interact with each other. Oddly, the pandemic created a chance for our office to explore a new engagement possibility. Now, it suddenly doesn’t matter how far away an alum lives from Bloomington thanks to Zoom. The Advancement Team launched a monthly Virtual Panel with different topics and alumni experts for the IUSO students to join and participate in.

The Virtual Panels so far have been:

• Sept. 24, Small Town Practices, featuring Kevin Kissel, BS’94, OD’96; Joy Kissel, OD’96; Greg Norman, BS’81, OD’82; Cameron Norman, OD’14; Clint Taylor, OD’05; and Patrick Vollmer, OD’15.
• Oct. 15, Business of Eye Care: Practice Management in Optometry, featuring Paul Karpecki, OD’94; Jacob Michael, OD’13; Stephen Schock, BS’69, OD’70; Valarie Sharpe, OD’01; and Jessilin Quint, OD’14.
• Nov. 10, The Value of Outreach and Giving Back in Optometry, featuring Jorge Benavente, BS/OD’77; Polly Hendricks, OD’85; Ed Schneider, OD’04; Jamie Stickel, OD’04; and Kevin Waltz, BS/OD’81.
• Dec. 3, Legislative Aspects of Optometry, featuring Jennifer Kohn, OD’08; Karon Nowakowski, OD’90; and Jim Zieba (of Indiana Optometric Association).

We have received a lot of positive feedback from both students and alumni regarding these Virtual Panel discussions. We are planning on doing a few more during the IU Spring 2021 Semester.

IU Bicentennial Medals

On behalf of IUSO, the Office of Advancement submitted nominees to the IU Bicentennial Office for consideration for IU Bicentennial Medals. We were approved to honor and bestow the following IUSO alumni and friends with medals:

• Edward Chow, OD
• Polly Hendricks, OD’85
• Steve Hitzeman, OD’76
• Dave Hormuth, BS’77, OD’79, MD
• Jim Hunter, BS’74, OD’76
• Kyle King, OD’11
• Jerry Logan, BS’67, OD’69
• Richard Meetz, BS’74, OD’76, MS
• Kevin Waltz, BS/OD’81, MD

Dean Bonanno and the Office of Advancement met virtually with the recipients on Zoom on Dec. 17 to watch them open their medal boxes and to officially congratulate them on this honor. The recipients will be invited to the IUSO Gala, Oct. 2, 2021, to be recognized in front of their peers.

Will Saunders Memorial Scholarship

Lindsay Wimmer, associate director of development and alumni relations at IUSO, has been
working with the Office of Student Administration and IUSO student Patrick Miranda to create an endowed scholarship to memorialize IUSO student Will Saunders, who passed away in 2020. If you are interested in giving to the Will Saunders Memorial Scholarship, please reach out to Lindsay Wimmer at laperrin@indiana.edu or 812-855-0587.

Dustin Jones Scholarship for Future Optometrists

Lindsay Wimmer has also been working with IUSO alum Michelle DePeau, OD’10, this semester to get the Dustin Jones Scholarship for Future Optometrists endowed. Dr. DePeau was a classmate of Dustin Jones who passed away before their graduation. She wants to make sure her classmate’s memory is honored. This scholarship is currently a quasi-endowed fund, because the Class of 2010 did not hit $25,000 in booked pledges within the first year. The scholarship has nearly reached the endowment goal, which means scholarships can be awarded and funded in perpetuity. If you are interested in giving to the Dustin Jones Scholarship for Future Optometrists, please reach out to Lindsay Wimmer at laperrin@indiana.edu or 812-855-0587.

AOSA’s Pinot & Palettes Event

The Office of Advancement helped AOSA secure a partnership with Dr. Mark Lynn and Associates for a virtual painting event on Dec. 4. The event was free for students to attend, but required registering in advance. Each participant received a canvas, stencil, paint, brushes and a bottle of wine. The painting session was led by IUSO student Olivia Schmidt, and provided a fun break for all of the students leading up to exams.

Dr. Jim and Linda Hunter Establish New Clinic at AECC

IUSO established a laser and surgical clinic at the Atwater Eye Care Center thanks to the support of James Hunter, BS’74, OD’76, and his wife Linda. The Dr. James E. and Linda K. Hunter Laser and Surgical Care Clinic features equipment worth $125,000 from the Hunters. In addition to starting this new clinic, the Hunters are establishing the Linda Hunter Laser and Surgical Care Fund to maintain the clinic and the equipment.

New Robert L. Carter O.D. Scholarship

A new scholarship will be endowed with $100,000 through a combination of annual gifts and an estate gift from IUSO alum Robert L. Carter, BA’68, OD’70. After earning his OD, Dr. Carter served in the U.S. Air Force. In 1973, he returned to IUSO as an assistant professor of optometry. He left in 1975 to follow Dr. Jack Bennett to Michigan College of Optometry. Dr. Carter retired form MCO in 2011, but continued to work for years as an adjunct clinical faculty member at its University Eye Center.

Barbara Cannaday Gift Creates New Retina Research Fund

Barb Cannaday’s father passed away. He had dealt with Stargardt Disease, which is hereditary and has no known cure. She decided that she wanted to memorialize him in a way that would help others. Cannaday gifted IUSO $10,000 to create a new retina research fund. Lindsay Wimmer has already reached out to Dr. Pete Kollbaum regarding this new funding opportunity.

Faculty News

Retirements

Congratulations to Dr. Khashayar Tonekaboni upon his retirement in August 2020. Many thanks to Dr. Tonekaboni for his many contributions and years of service to IUSO!

New Grants or Not Previously Committed Renewals Funded

(June–December 2020)

Burns, Steve
IU subcontract 2020–2024. NEI 1R01EY031815 Co-Investigator “Monitoring the hemodynamic response to therapy in diabetic retinopathy,” Amani Fawzi at Northwestern is the PI.

Kollbaum, Pete
Donation for Increased Costs Related to COVID-19. COOPERVISION, INC., 10/9/20–10/8/21, $50,000.

Liu, Chia-Yang
NEW. 1R21EY031051-01 “Role of Tgf-beta-signaling in corneal development and diseases,” NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE, 9/30/20–8/31/22, $231,024.

Port, Nicholas
NEW. USAMRAA/W81XWH-20-1-0717 “A personalized approach to predicting long term neuro-psychiatric outcomes in TBI,” U.S. ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH ACQUISITION ACTIVITY, 9/15/20–3/14/22, $749,996.

Port, Nicholas
“Visual Biomarkers of Concussion,” INDIANA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, 7/1/20–
6/30/22, $100,000.

Awards & Appointments

Burns, Steve
Member, FDA Ophthalmic Devices Review Panel. Nov. 9, 2020.

Henderson, Patty
Vice Chair of the American Academy of Optometry’s Lectures and Workshops Committee. 2-year term (2021–2022).

Kollbaum, Pete
Appointed Adjunct Professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University (unanimous faculty vote following a research presentation I provided).

Marshall, Ed
Jeffrey and Joyce Myers Invited Lecturer, College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, November 2020.

Invited Faculty Talks

Bedwell, Anna

• West Florida Optometric Association meeting (4 hours), Destin, FL, July 2020.
• Grand Rounds (The Relentless Choroiditis), Academy at Home, October 2020.
• American Health Network CE program (4 hours), Muncie, IN, November 2020.

Burns, SA

• “Ethics in Publishing,” Plenary Lecture at OSA Student Leadership Conference, OSA, Milan, Italy, September 2020.
• “Adaptive Optics Gonioscopic Imaging” award lecture, Alcon Research Institute Annual Meeting, Oct. 24, 2020.
• “Introduction to Adaptive Optics Retinal Imaging,” lecture to the Indian Optometric Association, India, Dec. 4, 2020

Cheng, Catherine

• “The Eye Lens In Focus: Normal Aging and Age-related Pathologies,” College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, Nov. 10, 2020.

Marshall, Ed

• “The State of Black Eye Care,” 20/20 Vision Explosion—Seeing in High Definition Virtual Conference, Juanakee Adams Initiative for Excellent Eye Care and Optimum Health, Birmingham, AL, June 2020.
• Flanagan J, Harewood J, Heath D, Marshall EC, Reynolds SA, Shoge R. “Race in Optometry: An Honest Conversation on Optometric Education,” College of Optometry, State University of New York, July 2020.
• “Envisioning the Vision Health of US Children,” All Children’s Health Initiative for Eye and Vision Excellence (A.C.H.I.E.V.E.) National Optometric Association and National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (Prevent Blindness), August 2020.
• Artis D, Bowen J, Knight M, Marshall EC, Mick A, Purcell H, Schuver V, Shoge R. “Race in Optometry: An Honest Conversation—Diversity & Leadership Development in Industry & The Profession,” College of Optometry, State University of New York, September 2020.
• “The Not So Great American Truths—The Reality of Social Injustice and the Colorization of Health,” Jeffrey and Joyce Myers Lecture, College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, November 2020.

Sutton, Brad

• “Don’t Let Swollen Optic Nerves Make You Nervous,” SECO Live CE Webinar, Aug. 26, 2020.
• “Ocular Side Effects of Oral Medications,” Central Indiana Optometric Society CE Webinar, Sept. 10, 2020; and American Academy of Optometry Virtual CE Program, Oct. 12, 2020.
• “Topical Pharmacology Rounds,” American Academy of Optometry Virtual CE Program, Oct. 15, 2020.
• “Management of Viral Eye Disease,” Review of Optometry New Technology Virtual CE Program, Oct. 17, 2020.
• “Joint AAO/AAOphthalmology Symposium: Update on the Assessment and Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration,” American Academy of Optometry Virtual CE Program, Oct. 19 & Nov. 15, 2020.
• “Non-diabetic Retinal Vascular Disease,” American Academy of Optometry Virtual CE Program, Oct. 22, 2020.
• “What’s New in Glaucoma?” Review of Optometry Winter New Technology Virtual CE meeting, Nov. 14, 2020.

Staff News

Staff Service Milestones

The following people are being recognized for their years of service to IU:

• Jason Wood, Assistant Technician Ophthalmic, 25 years
• Trina Biehl, Clinical Optician, 20 years
• Brian Page, Student Admin Coordinator, 15 years

Staff Merit Award

Congratulations to Kristy Dunlap, Eyewear Purchasing Representative, on receiving IU Bloomington’s 2020 Staff Merit Award!

IUSO Externship News

Update from Elli Kollbaum

In the IUSO Externship Program, there were many hurdles to overcome to get our fourth-year students back into clinical training this past summer. Unfortunately, a handful of sites had to stop their externship programs indefinitely and others had delayed start dates for externs based on the local numbers and guidelines. We owe much gratitude to our externship site directors and other adjunct faculty at our sites for working with their administration and staff to include our students in their reopening plans. Several sites stepped up by taking on an additional displaced extern and some new sites worked through logistics diligently and quickly in order to help out other new externs. Some fourth-year students were back into clinics in mid- to late-May, while others worked on online clinical training modules for a handful of weeks. By early July, all fourth-year students were back into patient care either at IUSO clinics or at externship sites.

Here are the new sites we welcomed as partners with the IUSO Externship Program this year:

• Allisonville Eye Care Center
• Busby Eye Care
• Camp Lejeune Naval Health Clinic
• Cataract & Laser Institute of Maumee, OH
• Decatur VA CBOC
• Expert Eyecare, PC
• Eye Associates of New Mexico
• Greenville VA Health Care Center
• Grossnickle Eye Centers
• John D Dingell VAMC
• Henderson Vision Centre
• Manchester VAMC
• Mooney EyeCare Centre
• Moses Eye Care Center
• Price Vision Group
• Valley Eye Associates

IUSO Clinic News

IUSO Clinic Updates

IUSO clinic activity in specialty areas continues to increase, staying at the forefront of optometric practice.

Atwater Eye Care Center:

• Activity in the Myopia Control Clinic is growing (under the direction of Dr. Katie Connolly with assistance from Dr. Jason Jedlicka).
• The Dry Eye Clinic (directed by Dr. Anna Tichenor) has nearly doubled their number of advanced treatments such as IPL and LipiFlow.
• The Fall 2020 semester saw the opening of the Dr. Jim and Linda Hunter Laser and Surgical Care Clinic. Several dual platform lasers and a surgical microscope, all with video recording capabilities are on hand, and a radio-frequency surgical scalpel unit will soon be installed, as well. SLT, LPI, and YAG Capsulotomy procedures are performed in the Dr. Jim & Linda Hunter Laser & Surgical Care Clinic (with interim director Dr. Jim Hunter, under the umbrella of the Advanced Ocular Care Service, and with Dr. Brett King, Chief). The acquisition of this advanced level equipment has been possible due to the generous support of Dr. Jim and Mrs. Linda Hunter.

Indianapolis Eye Care Center:

• Post-concussion evaluation and care services are being provided at both IECC and St. Francis Hospital (under the direction of Dr. Don Lyon), and is a rapidly growing segment of the care services at IECC.
• The Indianapolis Eye Care Center is thriving in their new home. In May, IECC moved into the Glick building on the IUPUI campus. Despite operating with 15% fewer interns and examination rooms, the level of clinic activity has been nearly unchanged. We look forward to the day that we can host receptions, CE, and open houses to be able to let everyone visit the new clinic space.
• This fall IUSO expanded the optometric services provided at the Raphael Health Center, under the direction of Dr. Jacqueline Jenkins. The coverage there has been doubled, helping meet a community need at the federally funded health center.

Finally, many thanks are in order to everyone involved in our two IUSO clinics for the exceptional efforts to maintain enhanced levels of disinfection and safety practices. Often, this has been done with less than full levels of staffing, and with frequent times where intern and faculty numbers were down, as well. Despite the challenges, the patient care provided by our IUSO clinics has not been reduced or limited in any way. Everyone involved is to be commended.

IUSO Publications Reported

Li S, Shyam R, Ogando DG, Bonanno JA. Bicarbonate activates glycolysis and lactate production in corneal endothelial cells by increased pHi. Exp Eye Res. 2020 Oct; 199:108193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2020.108193. Epub 2020 Aug 17. PMID: 32818510

Cheung H, King BJ, Gast TJ. “Presumed Activated Retinal Astrocytes and Müller cells in Healthy and Glaucomatous Eyes Detected by Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography,” Ophthalmic Physiological Optics. 2020 Sept. 4. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12731. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32885879 (2020).

Warner RL, de Castro, A. Sawides, L, Gast, TJ, Sapoznik, KR, Luo, T, Burns, SA. “Full-Field Flicker Evoked Changes in Parafoveal Retinal Blood Flow,” Scientific Reports. 2020 10: 16051 (2020) PMCID: PMC7524838 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73032-0 PMCID: PMC7524838.

Akondi,V Kowalski BJ, Burns, SA, and Dubra, A. “Dynamic distortion in resonant galvanometric optical scanners,” Optica 2020, Vol. 7, Issue 11, pp. 1506–1513 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.405187.

Brodie, Frank, Michael Repka, Stephen Allan Burns, S. Grace Prakalapakorn, Christie Morse, Joel S. Schuman, Michael R. Duenas, et al. “Development, Validation, and Innovation in Ophthalmic Laser-Based Imaging: Report from a Us Food and Drug Administration–Cosponsored Forum,” JAMA Ophthalmology (2020), https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.4994.

Sah RP, Ramasubramanian V, Reed O, Meyer D, Bradley A, Kollbaum PS. “Accommodative Behavior, Hyperopic Defocus, and Retinal Image Quality in Children Viewing Electronic Displays,” Optom Vis Sci. 2020 Aug; 97(8): 628–640. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001543. PMID: 32833406.

Meyer D, Rickert M, Kollbaum P. “Ocular symptoms associated with digital device use in contact lens and non-contact lens groups,” Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2020 Sep 11: S1367-0484(20)30140-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.07.007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32928648.

Jaskulski M, Singh NK, Bradley A, Kollbaum PS. “Optical and imaging properties of a novel multi-segment spectacle lens designed to slow myopia progression,” Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020 Sep; 40(5): 549-556. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12725. Epub 2020 Aug. 18. PMID: 32808381.

Jaisankar D, Liu Y, Kollbaum P, Jaksulski M, Gifford P, Suhiemat M, Atchison D. “Nasal-temporal asymmetry in peripheral refraction with an aspheric myopia control contact lens,” Biomed. Opt. Express. 2020 11(12), 7376–7394.

Pucker AD, Tichenor AA. “A Review of Contact Lens Dropout,” Clin Optom (Auckl). 2020; 12: 85–94.

Thibos, L. (2020). “Retinal image formation and sampling in a three-dimensional world,” Annu. Rev. Vis. Sci., 6, 469–489. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-vision-121219-081840.

Wilkinson, M. O., Anderson, R. S., Bradley, A., & Thibos, L. N. (2020). “Resolution acuity across the visual field for mesopic and scotopic illumination.” J Vis, 20(10), 7. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.20.10.7.

 

Considering the limitations on activity, this has been another great six months of effort from our faculty and staff!

Joseph A. Bonanno, OD, PhD, FAAO
Professor and Dean, Indiana University School of Optometry