Visions Alumni Magazine - Summer 2026

SCO SNAPS

H TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

JOINED THE CLASS OF 2028 FOR ITS ANNUAL WHITE COAT CEREMONY IN MAY. STUDENTS RECEIVED NEW COATS SPONSORED BY THE HAYES CENTER FOR PRACTICE EXCELLENCE.

Our President

PH.D.

As we welcome the summer season at Southern College of Optometry, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the remarkable momentum carrying our institution forward. This has been a historic year for SCO, marked by achievements that reflect both our enduring mission and our bold vision for the future.

In April, we celebrated the groundbreaking for the transformational projects supported through SCO’s Greater Vision campaign. This milestone represents far more than new construction; it is an investment in the future of optometric education, patient care, research, and student life. The enhancements to

our campus will strengthen our ability to educate the next generation of doctors of optometry while ensuring that SCO remains among the nation’s premier institutions for years to come.

Seeing alumni, faculty, students, Board members, and friends gathered together for this occasion was a powerful reminder of the deep commitment our community shares for SCO’s future. I encourage you to take time to read more about this project in this issue’s special coverage and consider supporting this worthwhile endeavor.

This spring also brought an extraordinary victory for the profession in Tennessee with the passage of historic scope-ofpractice legislation authorizing the use of ophthalmic lasers by doctors of optometry. This achievement was years in the making and would not have been possible without the dedication and advocacy of SCO alumni, faculty, students, and partners across the state. Their efforts demonstrated the power of organized optometry and the profound impact our graduates continue to have on advancing patient care and protecting access to essential eye health services.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE Summer 2026

PRESIDENT

Lewis Reich, OD, PhD

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

George Miller, CFRE

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Jim Hollifield

SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGNER

Susan Doyle

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL

NETWORKING MANAGER

Erin Jaffe

SENIOR CREATIVE PROJECT MANAGER

Philip Tribble

CREATIVE SERVICES COORDINATOR

Melissa Hansbro

BOARD CHAIR

Jennifer Lyerly, OD ’11

BOARD MEMBERS

Allan Barker, OD ’75

Renee Brauns

Betty Harville Brown, OD

Darby Chiasson, OD ’99

Arthur Dampier, OD ’97

Anita Davis, PhD

Vicki Farmer

Charles Glaser, OD ’74

Mark Kapperman, OD ’87

Charles Kinnaird, OD

James Kirchner, OD

William McDonald

Belinda Starkey, OD ’04

Stuart Tasman, OD ’80

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

Marie Bodack, OD

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Moments like these reinforce my confidence in where SCO is headed. Our college continues to grow in strength, influence, and opportunity because of the people who believe in our mission. Thank you for being part of this exciting chapter in SCO history. The future has never looked brighter.

Gracie Mock, ’28

Visions is a magazine for alumni, faculty, staff, and other friends of Southern College of Optometry. It is published through the Office of Institutional Advancement.

A digital version is available online at sco.edu/visions

Please forward comments, address changes, and contributions to: Institutional Advancement 1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104-2222 800-238-0180, ext. 4

sco.edu

southerncollegeofoptometry

southerncollegeofoptometry

SCO edu

SCO’s Greater Vision Campaign

WE ARE BUILDING ON OUR FUTURE.

For more than 90 years, Southern College of Optometry has prepared generations of optometrists to serve their communities with skill, compassion, and clinical excellence. Today, the demand for comprehensive eye care is growing—and so is our responsibility to meet it.

SCO’s Greater Vision Campaign is a bold, two-phase investment in the future of optometric education and patient care. Through the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility and the transformation of our existing spaces, we are creating an environment where students learn more effectively, patients receive more advanced care, and innovation can thrive.

This is more than a building project. It is a commitment—to our students, our patients, our alumni, and the communities we serve. Together, we are building on our future.

“This project is about more than bricks and mortar,” said George C. Miller, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “It is about creating the facilities our students need to become exceptional doctors and ensuring our patients receive the highest quality care for generations to come.”

Meeting a Growing Need

At SCO, our mission sits at the intersection of education and care. Every patient encounter is also a teaching moment.

Every student trained represents thousands of lives they will impact over a lifetime of practice. To continue leading in this space, we must grow.

Our expanded and modernized facilities will:

J Increase clinical capacity

J Enhance specialty care training in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy

J Provide collaborative, patient-centered learning environments

PHASE I | New Clinical Facility

Phase I of the campaign will create a new, state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the needs of both today’s patients and tomorrow’s optometrists.

Building for future care and clinical education, this new space will:

J Expand patient care capacity in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy

J Provide modern clinical environments for hands-on learning

J Support advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies

J Enhance the overall patient experience

Purpose-built for flexibility and innovation, the facility will allow SCO to adapt as the profession evolves—ensuring our students are always learning at the forefront of optometric care.

Where Learning Meets Care

At SCO, education and patient care are inseparable. The new facility will strengthen that connection by creating spaces where:

J Students gain real-world clinical experience

J Faculty deliver advanced instruction and mentorship

J Patients receive comprehensive, high-quality care

This is where the next generation of optometrists will be shaped—one patient at a time.

Enhancing the Student Experience

The upper level of our new building will expand spaces that benefit our students and enrich our campus community.

Connected to our atrium, this area will house:

J SCO’s new library

J Additional study spaces

J A new Campus Store

J A coffee shop

J An outdoor terrace

PHASE II | Renovating Our Legacy Spaces

Phase II focuses on transforming SCO’s existing facilities to align with the expectations of modern optometric education and care.

Honoring our foundation as we move into the future, these renovations will:

J Modernize SCO’s iconic tower originally completed in 1970

J Provide a more welcoming experience for students and visitors

J Enhance learning environments for students

J Improve accessibility throughout campus entrance beyond existing elevator entry points

J Extend the life of our facilities and infrastructure

J Create additional spaces to benefit our students

For decades, SCO’s facilities have supported excellence in education and care. This phase ensures those spaces continue to serve future generations—updated, reimagined, and fully aligned with our mission.

Your Support

Every gift to SCO’s Greater Vision Campaign directly supports the students we educate and the patients we serve.

As investment in people, your gift makes possible:

J Expanded clinical care for our community

J Advanced training environments for students

J Modern technology and equipment

J Collaborative spaces that foster learning and innovation

J Renovated facilities designed to serve future generations

Lasting Impact

A single gift creates a ripple effect:

J A student gains the experience they need

J A patient receives the care they deserve

J A graduate goes on to serve thousands more

This is how your generosity multiplies.

Naming Opportunities

Naming opportunities within the new and renovated spaces offer a meaningful way to honor your commitment to Southern College of Optometry.

From clinical areas to learning environments, these spaces will shape the experiences of students and patients for generations.

Your name—or the name of someone you wish to honor—can become part of that story.

Additional opportunities also exist to support student scholarships and other academic programs. Your support makes the difference in the lives of our students and on the profession of optometry!

SCO’s Groundbreaking Ceremony

SCO’s groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 16 launched our new multimillion-dollar expansion project.

The $35 million project will create a new two-story building behind The Eye Center on the site of the college’s former Annex building familiar to generations of alumni.

When completed in 18 months, the new, 38,000-square-foot building will house a pediatrics vision clinic on the first floor and student spaces on the second floor, including a new library.

The project’s second phase will modernize the front of SCO’s distinctive 11-story tower, expanding the front of the building, adding a glass façade, stairways to the atriums, and new student spaces.

“Years from now, people will not remember this day for the dirt we move, but for the vision we share and the impact we made possible together,” said President DR. LEWIS REICH at the ceremony.

Shelby County Mayor LEE HARRIS participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, with other speakers from

the community including REGINALD BOYCE, City of Memphis Director of Community Affairs and BOBBY WHITE, Greater Memphis Chamber Chief Government Affairs Officer.

SGA President EMILY GIBBONS, ’27, thanked SCO’s Board of Trustees for taking student feedback and turning it into positive action designed to improve the campus.

SCO Campaign chair CHRIS WROTEN, OD ’02, announced that alumni, supporters, and community partners have already pledged $7 million toward the $12 million campaign goal, with additional funding to come from private sources.

Dr. Wroten recalled how he was present as a student when ground was broken for The Eye Center before that facility opened in 2002. He encouraged alumni to support the project as an indicator of SCO’s longterm commitment as a leader in optometric education.

Also in attendance was SCO’s Board of Trustees and President Emeritus BILLY COCHRAN, OD ’68

The general contractor on the project is Birmingham, Alabama-based Hoar Construction. Architects are Grace Design in St. Louis.

Tennessee Scope Victory Marks Historic Moment for Optometry

Tennessee’s historic scope win in April — becoming the 16th state to authorize doctors of optometry to use ophthalmic lasers — was the culmination of a years-long process that was supported by SCO alumni and faculty.

“SCO was so crucial,” says WAYNE CONNELL , OD ’08, president of the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians (TAOP). “Having SCO in our state as a premier educator of the art and science of optometry is such an amazing asset.”

The legislative win started as a grassroots effort several years ago, Connell says. It began with

identifying key legislators, such as members of certain committees and top-ranking state officials, and ‘assigning’ them to TAOP member optometrists in their districts who would forge relationships.

“You want to be friends with these people because they have to trust you,” Connell says.

“You can’t just ask for something without a prior relationship, so we started laying that groundwork.”

Connell credits TAOP legislative committee co-chairs AMANDA DELLINGER, OD ’08, and EMILY EISENHOWER-BAXTER, OD ’17, with their leadership on that initiative. “They have lived and breathed this stuff for the last several years,” he says.

By 2026, TAOP’s leaders were confident their legislation would succeed. “A defeat in Tennessee is a defeat for other states,” says Connell, adding that loss would give opponents

a leg-up against similar legislation in other states. “There’s a lot of financial capital and trust capital that goes into running a bill. You don’t want to burn that up.”

Still, as the scope bill moved through the legislative process, TAOP ramped up its visibility on the hill. While the association usually sends members to the capitol annually to meet with legislators, optometrists were a near constant presence there for the first few months of 2026. It was important to stay vigilant against opposition, Connell says, and be available to answer legislators’ questions and concerns.

“SCO is committed to shaping a workforce that can meet growing eye-care needs with safety, quality, and evidence-based care at the forefront.”

“We probably had two to four people going to see legislators every week from January to March,” he says. “We put a full court press on.”

SCO President LEWIS REICH, OD, PHD, was a strong supporter of the legislation, Connell says. Along with inviting legislators to campus to see ophthalmic lasers in action, Dr. Reich also encouraged faculty and students to regularly visit the capitol and testify before lawmakers. Some students told legislators they were considering leaving Tennessee to practice

optometry in a state that offered more scope privileges.

PATRICIA ESTES-WALKER, OD, associate professor and chief of adult primary care at SCO and past president of TAOP, was among the faculty members who spent countless hours at the capitol. EstesWalker says she was there so often that she had to register as a lobbyist. Her main role, she says, was to educate legislators on what optometrists can do, from refractions and contact lens fittings to vision therapy and low vision to treatment and management of eye diseases.

“The legislators were impressed with what we do for our patients and also teaching our students,” she says. “My favorite part was having the students with us to meet legislators. They love hearing stories from the students on why they chose SCO and why they may or may not look for employment in Tennessee when they graduate.”

A portion of the bill went into effect immediately, while other provisions will become effective on Jan. 1, 2028. Certified Tennessee optometrists will then be able to perform laser peripheral

iridotomy (LPI), selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) capsulotomy.

SCO is already preparing students for the clinical realities they’ll face in practice, says SCOTT ENSOR, OD ’01, SCO’s vice president for clinical programs.

“The addition of anterior segment laser procedures expands the depth of hands-on training we can provide, ensuring graduates enter the profession with the skills and confidence today’s patients deserve,” he says.

“SCO is committed to shaping a workforce that can meet growing eye-care needs with safety, quality, and evidencebased care at the forefront.”

SCO CELEBRATED THE GRADUATION OF 124 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2026 AT THEIR COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY HELD ON MAY 5 AT THE CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN MEMPHIS.

BROOKE HOLMES was honored as valedictorian and TINA ZHOU as salutatorian. Class President KIMBERLY PHAM announced DR. ABIGAIL KLICK (’22) as Teacher of the Year.

Former SCO Board member DR. JARRETT JOHNSON (’90) received the honorary Doctor of Ocular Science Degree. In her commencement address, Dr. Johnson

encouraged graduates to embrace SCO’s rich history of producing leaders within the profession. Former Board member LYNN SHAW was also honored by receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Classmates from SCO’s Class of 1976 held their 50-year class reunion and were welcomed as the newest inductees into SCO’s Golden Circle Society, recognizing

SCO graduates who have achieved the 50-year mark since their own graduation. Additionally, two graduates were commissioned into military careers: JONATHAN NELSON (Air Force), and GABRIELLE CANANT (Navy) . Dean Swick, about to retire as Vice President for Information Services, administered their oath.

GENERATIONS GRADUATES

A RECORDING FROM THE CEREMONY, ALONG WITH MORE THAN 1,000 FREE, HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS, MAY BE VIEWED OR DOWNLOADED FROM SCO’S WEBSITE.

Honoring the Class of 2026

Your gift in honor of the Class of 2026 will help future students continue SCO’s tradition of preparing exceptional optometrists for practice. You can make your gift easily online at www.sco.edu/give or by using this QR code to take you to the page on your smartphone or tablet. If you prefer to give by check or over the phone, contact Kelsey Wolf, Manager of Annual Giving, at kwolf@sco.edu or at (901) 722-3290.

REUNION CLASS

The Class of 1976 celebrated with a dinner on campus the evening before they were honored at commencement.

COMMENCEMENT HONORS AND MEMORIES

Class Awards

The following graduates were recognized for their outstanding academic and clinical accomplishments. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, these graduates are receiving awards, plaques, and optometric equipment to honor their achievements.

BURNETT ENDOWED AWARD FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN RESEARCH

Gabrielle Marie Canant

Olivia Noelle Jacobs

COOPERVISION LEADERSHIP AWARD

Lauren Victoria Jackson

DR. ALICIA A. GROCE SCHOLARSHIP IN NEURO-REHABILITATION

Kyla Hawks

Jillian Claire Jackson

DR. DEBORAH MOY THEIA VT/LOW VISION AWARD

Noah Scoffield

DR. MOHAMMAD RAFIEETARY CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Evan Isbell

EDELSTEIN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Cayden Robert Ross

GLEN T. STEELE, O.D. AND L. ALLEN FORS, O.D. DEVELOPMENTAL VISION ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Cameron Elizabeth Dunn

Jessica Perry

Amelia Lee Taylor

HALPERN FAMILY ENDOWED AWARD

Amanda Amsdell

JAMES “BEAU” WILLIS SCHOLARSHIP

Rafael Martinez

Kimsean Selena Tieu

NATIONAL BOARD OF EXAMINERS PART 1 AWARD

Brooke Hollander Holmes

SOUTHEAST VISION THERAPY FORUM SCHOLARSHIP

John Harrison Helms

SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRISTS (SECO) CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Cameron Elizabeth Dunn

SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRISTS (SECO) PAST PRESIDENT’S AWARD

Emily Clare Gibson

Jerbrea Powell

SOUTHWEST CONTACT LENS SOCIETY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Jaden Ryan Borders

SOUTHWEST COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRY SCHOLARSHIP

Kimberly Sze Pham

SPARROW, EVANS, AND WAYMON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Leighann Yudin

DR. FRED H. MOTHERSHED ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Jon Bantugan

DR. JAMES D. SANDEFUR SCHOLARSHIP

Julianna Marie Dimitri

KEVIN ROGERS, OD ’08 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT AWARD

Whitley Ann Cagle

WINSTON FAMILY ENDOWED AWARD

Grace Caroline LaGrange

DRS. TOM AND LOUIS HYDE SCHOLARSHIP

Lonnie William Arnett

DRS. JAMES AND CHARITY HERTZOG ARKANSAS AWARD

Kyndal Oden Steward

GRT SUMMIT PRIVATE PRACTICE AWARD

Evan Michael Sims

SPIVEY FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

Sarah Michelle Sumida

SCO is proud to present the Class of 2026, along with their home states and academic honors. These graduates worked throughout their four years at SCO with the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence to explore placement opportunities.

Alumni are invited to post practice opportunities on our site, Optometry’s Practice Connection at sco.edu/opc

Double Blessing: Alumnus Welcomes Two Babies in 16 Days

There was a time that CHRISTOPHER POPE, OD ’22, and his wife, Annaliese, thought parenthood might not be in the cards for them. Then, earlier this year, they became parents — two times over — in the span of 16 days.

“We’re just full of gratitude,” Pope says.

The couple’s path to parenthood started eight years ago, when they began trying to conceive about two years into their marriage. Annaliese, a medical technologist, became pregnant while Pope was a student at SCO, but the pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

After graduation, the couple moved back to their home state of Utah. They pursued fertility treatments for years without success. Discouraged, they began to research adoption.

Then, in the summer of 2024, Pope got a text message that felt “like a dream.”

His cousin’s wife was offering to be their surrogate. “I could not believe she had offered to do that,” Pope says.

That was only the beginning of the journey. In Utah, the surrogacy process is similar to adoption, Pope says, with court proceedings, medical and psychological evaluations, and a home study. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” he says.

Finally, after a successful embryo transfer about a year after that text message, the couple’s surrogate became pregnant with their daughter.

Not long after — and against all odds — Annaliese found out that she, too, was expecting. “We were hopeful for one,” Pope says. “Now that there’s two, we couldn’t be happier.”

Their daughter, Rayna, was born on February 16. A little over two weeks later, on March 4, their son Lewis was born.

“When we were just with Rayna, we thought we were getting things pretty figured out,” Pope says. “Then, when Lewis was born, it was so much work for the first few weeks. And I thought optometry school was hard.”

By spring, the family was settling into their new routine. Annaliese is home full time, and the couple’s mothers help them regularly. Pope loves when he returns from work and the babies, hearing his voice, look over and smile. “We love being with them,” he says. “They’re both just really sweet.”

Pope was debating what medical specialty he wanted to pursue in 2014 when he spent a day shadowing a local optometrist, Dr. Frank Edmunds. As it happened, Annaliese, who Pope knew but wasn’t yet dating, had an appointment at the practice that very day.

With his focus decided, Pope headed to SCO in 2018. His last SCO rotation was at a central Utah vision therapy practice then known as Child & Family EyeCare Center. “I saw the changes that can happen with vision therapy,” he says, “and that’s what changed my life.” Pope was hired at the practice out of optometry school.

In October 2022, Pope, along with MARK CURTIS, OD ’15, and Jeremy Gardner, OD, purchased the practice. The following year, they renamed it ACHIEVE Family Vision. “We get to help children overcome learning challenges, to facilitate that growth and development through vision therapy,” Pope says. “Those lightbulb moments, the discovery, the confidence growing. You just can’t beat that.”

This fall, Pope’s brother-in-law, Samuel Murdock, who has been a vision therapist at the practice for five years, is heading to optometry school. “He’s going to SCO because it’s the best school in the nation,” Pope says. “It’s exciting, and I know he’ll have a great experience.”

SHARED CALLING

Two Sisters, Two Careers, One Profession

When SARAH VROTSOS, OD ’17, was encouraged by her high school guidance counselor to choose a career path, she had a heart-to-heart with her younger sister, JoAnna. Sarah wanted to go into the medical field and told JoAnna she was struggling to decide between dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry.

JoAnna’s response was immediate: “I’m going to be an optometrist.”

That was enough endorsement for Sarah, who decided to pursue optometry as well.

In the years since that conversation, optometry has brought the sisters closer — when they overlapped as students at SCO — and farther apart, when they took jobs on opposite sides of the country. But now, after about a decade of living apart, the sisters, along with their parents, their younger brother, and even their grandfather, have settled together in Alabama. It’s there that Sarah and JOANNA VROTSOS, OD ’19, have found, in different optometric specialties, career and life satisfaction.

Born and raised outside Pittsburgh, Sarah, then 14, and JoAnna, then 12, experienced their first big culture shock when their father took a job that moved the family to southern California.

“It forced us out of our comfort zones very early,” JoAnna recalls. “It got us familiarized with how to navigate those situations in life when we have to pick up and go to a new opportunity. There’s no fear behind it anymore.”

Both sisters wore glasses from a young age, and the optometrist was the one doctor JoAnna was never afraid to visit. “They never did shots,” she says. In middle school, JoAnna became fascinated with photography and cameras, which she learned worked much the same as the human eye. Knowing she wanted a career as a doctor, optometry became the obvious choice. “It blended

this passion I had in photography with something I could grow into an amazing career,” JoAnna says.

Both sisters majored in biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and lived at home during college. Sarah applied to a half-dozen optometry schools, but SCO stood out. “It was just a very comfortable environment,” she says. She was especially struck to learn that the college’s

forthcoming expansion had been fully alumni funded. “You’re telling me that enough people love this place to build an addition onto the school?” Sarah recalls thinking. “That was incredible to me.”

Two years later, JoAnna wasn’t sure she was ready to leave California and follow her sister to SCO. Then she visited campus. “The whole place just feels like home,” JoAnna says.

The sisters were together again, creating their own mini-family with JAMES JONES, OD ’17, then Sarah’s boyfriend. “The three of us were very close,” Sarah recalls. “James and I were third years when JoAnna entered, and she practiced on us a lot in the labs. We dilated our eyes a lot for this girl.”

They received strong support from SCO faculty, notably Wil McGriff, OD, associate professor and director of service learning, and Professor Pamela Schnell, OD ’01. Sarah says she can still hear the voice of the late Alicia Groce, OD, when she works with pediatric patients.

“SCO did a fantastic job laying down a strong foundation of clinical skills and knowledge,” Sarah says. “Even with nine years in practice, I’m still learning. The education I got from SCO gives me the confidence to navigate cases I’ve never seen before.”

Sarah and James became engaged during their fourth year at SCO and decided to move to his home state of Alabama following graduation. After three years in corporate roles, they were offered positions in a full-scope private practice and settled in Prattville, a suburb of Montgomery. Today, the couple are part owners of the three-location practice, River Region Vision Source.

For her part, JoAnna decided to return to California the day after her SCO graduation. She had a job lined up at a Federally Qualified Health Center, the site of her fourth-year rotation. The role lasted less than a year — she was furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic. JoAnna moved to Colorado, where her parents lived, working in a corporate role and then at an OD/MD practice. When a

move to South Carolina fell through, she was offered a contract in Alabama. After a year, however, JoAnna was ready to move on again. She had unfinished business in California.

“I didn’t get my [chance] out there when COVID ruined so much,” she says. “Four years had passed, and I wanted to go back to California and finish what I started. I went back for two years and worked at an amazing private practice. It was my dream location and I absolutely loved it.”

But everything changed in 2024. The sisters’ grandmother passed away and another close family member was diagnosed with cancer. Their parents had moved to Alabama, near Sarah, followed by their brother and his wife, who was expecting their second child. “The veil dropped,” JoAnna says. “My home was no longer California. My home is wherever they are.”

She soon found a job doing medical disease management at a large OD/MD practice. “My first patient ever as a thirdyear at SCO was an end-stage glaucoma patient,” she says. “I’m a magnet for pathology and it’s what I’m best at… Now it’s my every day.”

Today, the sisters and their family members all live within a 10-mile radius. They run into each other at the grocery store and go to church together. Last Christmas was the first in 13 years that no one in their family had to get on a plane.

“This is the peace I so desperately needed,” JoAnna says. Sarah adds, “Optometry has enriched [our lives] in so many ways.”

Several alumni were honored at the annual SECO meeting earlier this year, including: DAVID PARKER, OD ’95 (OD of the South), JADE COATS, OD ’16 (Young OD of the South), CHRIS WROTEN, OD ’02 (Distinguished Service Award), and the late wife of JIM SANDEFUR , OD ’65, Lana Sandefur, who posthumously received the President’s

Supporting a Great Cause

2026 AWARDS

The Hayes Center for Practice Excellence honored three accomplished alumni with the Practice of Excellence Awards to recognize their pursuit of excellence in private practice optometry.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS:

1

2

3

KATIE BOND, OD ’16, received the NEW PRACTICE AWARD for Greeley Family Vision in Greeley, Colorado.

HUNTER CHAPMAN, OD 16, received the PRACTICE ACQUISITION AWARD for Dillingham Chapman Family Eyecare in Sterlington, Louisiana.

CHASE HARTNER, OD ’18 , received the PARTNERSHIP AWARD for SouthWest Eyecare in Columbus, Ohio.

The awards were presented by LISA WADE, OD ’84, Director of the Hayes Center, and Natalie Hayes Schmook, daughter of JERRY HAYES, OD ’73

All three recipients shared their experiences to SCO’s third-year students as part of the annual Bon VoyEyes program, which helps students prepare for their fourth-year externships.

Thank you to CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson Vision for sponsoring the program

SCO’s inaugural Day of Giving on April 9, 2026 was a success, demonstrating the strength and generosity of our alumni and friends. A record-breaking 185 donors came together to contribute more than $135,000 in support of SCO students and the future of optometric education.

These gifts help provide scholarships, enhance clinical training opportunities, and ensure that students have the resources they need to become exceptional eye care providers. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this milestone event so meaningful!

“As a longtime employee at the college, giving back to the students is personally meaningful to me. I am proud to support our students not only through my role, but also through my financial contribution to their future.”

Joyce Smith Campus Security Officer

1967 Herbert Wertheim, OD, donated $65 million to Florida State University’s College of Business which has been renamed in his honor.

1977 U.S. Senator John Boozman, OD, received the Arkansas Optometric Association’s Lifetime of Excellence Award. Also honored were Drs. Creighton Simmons, ’90 (Distinguished Service Award); James Hertzog, ’06 (OD of the Year); Zach Burroughs, ’19 (Young OD of the Year); and Aaron Tollett, ’20 (Special Service Award).

1984 Gregory Pierangeli, OD, retired February 1 after nearly 42 years of practicing.

1985 Jerry Young, OD, retired last December after 40 years of practice in Northeast Arkansas.

1990 David Lasater, OD, visited the SCO campus while traveling back to Washington state after attending his daughter’s law school graduation.

1994 David Evans, OD, and his Total Eye Care team were honored with the Memphis Best Eye Care award from TheCommercialAppeal

1995 Kurt Steele, OD, recently authored a new book in which he shares strategies for building and sustaining independent optometry practices. Read more on this Alumni News Blog post (QR Code below).

1998 Christine Cook, OD, was inducted into the Lewis Society for Women’s Leadership and Distinguished Service at the University of North Georgia.

1999 Harry Landsaw, OD, Greg Muse, OD, and Jannah Miller Landsaw, OD, enjoyed a mini 1999 reunion when they caught up at the Optometric Management Symposium in Orlando.

2000 Joseph Dollak, OD, completed the IRONMAN Texas. He runs a nonprofit vision practice in Texas called Visual Compassion and established an eye clinic in Haiti.

2002 Dwight Barnes, OD, was named to the Review of Myopia Management’s new Advisory Board.

2003 Martin Carpenter, OD, and Thomas Moore, OD ’09, were appointed to the West Virginia Optometry Board.

2005 Melissa Woods, OD, was elected to the SECO Board of Trustees.

2007 Matt Brooks, OD, was named OD of the Year in Oklahoma.

2010 Seth Salley, OD, hosted the SCO Contact Lens Society at his East Memphis practice for an informational session focused on incorporating specialty contact lenses into private practice.

2012 Katie Brown, OD, was recently named president of the Arkansas Optometric Association.

2013 Kristin Reed, OD, was named president of the Nebraska Optometric Association.

2015 Travis Bailey, OD, joined Rose Eye Clinic in Arkansas.

2016 Robert Phyfer, OD, was a finalist for Young OD of the Year in Mississippi.

2017 Erin Keim, OD, was named Young OD of the Year by the Pennsylvania Optometric Association.

Justin McElroy, OD, was named Young OD of the Year in Mississippi.

Clint Prestwich, OD, was promoted to Assistant Director of Clinical Rotations at the Chicago College of Optometry.

Lisa Roach, OD, joined the pediatric ophthalmology practice of Houston Eye Associates in The Woodlands and Spring, Texas.

2018 Carlos Grandela, OD, spoke at the Saudi Ophthalmology Society Conference on video magnification, telescopes, and bioptics.

2019 Kristin McArdle, OD, recently opened a new practice in Verona, Wisconsin.

Emily Haddix Whitlow, OD, joined Valley Health Care in Elkins, West Virginia.

2020 Christy Alfano, OD, was named Washington state’s Young OD of the Year.

Callie Mashburn, OD, bought a rural private practice in East Tennessee.

Michaela Sasse, OD, recently joined Dr. Heather Robben’s office in WaKeeney, Kansas.

Mary Kate Walters, OD, was named Young OD of the Year in Texas.

2021 Marie Huegel, OD and Michael Sayonh, OD, were joined by Drs. Allison Wirt, ’22, and Jessica Perry, ’26, on graduating from the inaugural AOA Independent Practice Institute cohort.

Trey Ketchum, OD, was named the 2025 Stanley H. Freed Navy Junior Optometrist of the Year while serving with U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Cuba.

Brooke Spivey, OD, was named Young OD of the Year by the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians.

2022 Rachel Hart, OD, visited campus to speak with SCO’s Gamma Omicron Club about her journey to private practice.

2023 Braiden Werth, OD, was named Overall Under 30 Entrepreneur in Kansas.

2024 Jessica Rischling, OD, completed the Nebraska Optometric Association Leadership Institute.

2025 Nicole Songy, OD, joined EyeCare Associates in New Orleans.

Kayli Standridge, OD, joined Graystone Eye in North Carolina.

In Memoriam

Bob Manthey, OD ’50

William Cunningham, OD ’54

Donald Jenks, OD ’54

Robert Thomas, OD ’54

C. Linden Davidson, OD ’55

Evelyn Harberg, OD ’56

Herb Houchin, OD ’61

Terry Wynne, OD ’61

David Burry, OD ’66

John R. Kirkland, OD ’67

Louis Layton, OD ’67

Theo Ezell, OD ’69

Dale Brown, OD ’72

Edgar Poole, Jr., OD ’73

K. Paul Wolfe, OD ’73

Miles Rhyne, Jr., OD ’74

Larry Rollins, OD ’74

Danny Thomason, OD ’76

James W. Elliott, OD ’79

McKethan “Mac” Rogers Gaddy, OD ’79

Christopher Fornoff, OD ’81

Ronnie J. Rowland, OD ’84

Melvin Jackson, OD ’86

Sijia “Scarlett” Liu Noth, OD ’01

Carla Engelke, OD ’05

1

2

MARIE HUEGEL, OD ’21, and Patrick Kennes

MAY 4, 2025

DECEMBER 20, 2025 1 2 3 4

3

HELEN ZHONG, OD ’26, and Nam Le, MD

MAY 16, 2026

4

AIMEE ROBINSON, OD ’25, and James Kinnebrew

JUNE 28, 2025

5

5

ANDREA WALKER, OD ’15, and Jessica Hall

OCTOBER 4, 2025

KAMI BADGER, OD ’22, and JACK HAWKINS, OD ‘22

OCTOBER 18, 2025

6

EMILY LAGA, OD ’21, and TOMMY CUNG, OD ‘21

OCTOBER 25, 2025

7

ANITA NGUYEN, OD ’21, and Luke Hoamvongsor

6 7

NOVEMBER 2025

SEPTEMBER 2025

JUNE

SUMMER 2025

If you welcome a new arrival (or even a grandchild), we welcome your high quality photos to share with your fellow classmates here in V isions, in our alumni e-newsletter, and on social media. Please email them to Karen Flowers, Director of Alumni and Donor Relations at kflowers@sco.edu.

Congratulations!

*Onesie available for free upon request from Institutional Advancement.

Appointments

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DR. BELINDA STARKEY, ’04, served as an AOA Trustee and as president of Optometry Care – The AOA Foundation. She has been a leader in Arkansas optometry, earning the AOA’s OD of the Year Award in 2021. WILL MCDONALD serves as Regional Vice President of Pacific Life for the West Tennessee, North Mississippi, and Arkansas regions. A native Memphian, he is a graduate of Ole Miss.

FACULTY

DR. ELEANOR NULL, ’15, joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor. She previously worked as a Consulting Clinical Faculty member in The Eye Center and at SCO’s FocalPoint location.

Faculty Highlights

Dr. Marie Bodack was installed as Immediate Past President at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association. She also lectured at the Korea International Optics Fair.

Dr. Chris Borgman provided a CE lecture at the Western Pennsylvania Optometric Society meeting, where he visited with Drs. Erin Keim, ’17, and Erick Henderson, ’17.

Drs. Jason Duncan, ’96, and David Hall (not pictured) were honored with the President’s Award at SCO’s annual Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day luncheon. Both were

instrumental in providing support and information for the TAOP’s successful legislative effort to advance scope of practice changes in Tennessee.

Dr. Lindsay Elkins, ’07, joined SCO students in volunteering at a Remote Area Medical clinic in Knoxville. SCO’s team provided vision care to 530 patients.

Drs. Carrie Lebowitz, ’06, Laurel Kelley, ’18, and Madison Bailey, ’24, were joined by Drs. Ashley Peters (’24-’25 Contact Lens resident) and Megan Patterson (’25-’26 Contact Lens resident) as attendees and poster presenters at the Global Specialty Lens Symposium’s annual meeting

in Las Vegas. Dr. Dan Fuller also participated in a panel discussion about specialty lens research at the meeting.

Dr. Chris Lievens was named Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Optometry , a Dove Press journal indexed in Pub Med. Dr. Lievens also had a poster abstract accepted, “Comparative Real-Time Ocular Comfort inSphericalandAstigmatic Lehfilcon” for the International Society for Contact Lens Research. He presented a poster at SECO, “PatientExperience With an Artificial Tear ContainingFlaxseedandCastor OilsintheTreatmentofDryEye Symptoms.” Dr. Lievens was also lead author on an article about Serafilcon A Toric Contact Lenses published for Clinical Optometry

Dr. David Maze lectured at the OVDRA annual meeting and was appointed to the International and Certification Board.

Dr. Darah McDaniel-Chandler, ’16, presented a poster at SECO, “PigmentedVitreous CystAssociatedwithKGB Syndrome.”

Dr. Wil McGriff wrote about protecting your eyes in cold weather for an article published in Memphis Health & Fitness Magazine

Dr. Cheryl Mengelt, Director for Externships and Residency Programs, was awarded the Externship Directors’ Harue Marsden Award in recognition of her leadership and contributions to externships.

Dr. Christina Newman was selected as the Chief of the Cornea & Contact Lens Service in The Eye Center.

Dr. Do Nguyen, ’12, spoke to 8,800 schoolchildren about the importance of good vision at the Memphis Redbirds Education Game, including attendees from his alma mater, White Station High School. He also threw out the first pitch and joined other faculty and staff volunteers in representing SCO by passing out sunglasses to promote SCO’s Clinical Programs.

Drs. Morgan Ollinger and Marie Bodack were authors on “Peripheral Retinal Findings in a Pediatric Primary Care Optometric Clinic and Their Associations with Myopia: A 3-Year Retrospective Review” for OptometryandVision Science. Dr. Ollinger also

wrote an additional article, “A Randomized Clinical Trial of Full-Time Alternate Patching Therapy for Intermittent Exotropia in Children.”

Dr. Janette Pepper was joined by Kennedy Corey Lampley, OD ’26, and Gabriel Granillo, ’29, at a career fair for high school and middle school students in Memphis.

Drs. Elyse Rayborn, ’20, Chris Lievens, and colleagues

published an article, “Performance of a Monthly, Reusable, Soft Contact Lens in Participants Who Previously Dropped Out of Contact Lenses” in Ophthalmic andPhysiologicalOptics

Dr. Shaleen Ragha, ’16, was interviewed by the mindbodygreen website about why eye drops might not provide enough relief for dry eye symptoms.

Dr. Lewis Reich, President, was named a SPARK Awards recipient by the PBS affiliate in Memphis. He was honored in the leadership category for education during an awards telecast. Dr. Reich was also recently inducted into his high school alma mater’s hall of fame in New Jersey.

Dr. Lewis Reich, President, and George Miller, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, hosted a visit by U.S. Congressman David Kustoff. The Congressman toured campus and learned more about SCO.

Optometric Meetings

GSLS | LAS VEGAS, NV

Drs. Alexandra Allen (’26); Ashley Peters When Colored Lenses Just Aren’t Enough; Custom Prosthetic Soft Contact Lenses for Aniridia and High Myopia

Dr. Madison Bailey (’24)

Shielding the Surface: A Therapeutic Scleral Lens Fit for Pediatric Graft-versus-Host Disease

HOAECC | KANSAS CITY, MO

Drs. Jennifer L. Jones (’06); Madeline Santmyire, (’26) Coats Disease: A Pediatric Exudative Retinopathy

Dr. Sylvia E. Sparrow (’98); Carson Rainbolt (’27) Peripapillary Choroidal Neovascular Membrane

Dr. Hannah E. Grimes, 2025-26 Resident

Subtle Signs: Ancillary Testing Aids in Earlier Diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Dr. Eleanor McGeary, 2025-26 Resident

Atypical Lisch Nodule Presentation in Pediatric Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Dr. Priya Patel, 2025-26 Resident A Case of Bilateral Optic Nerve Edema of Unknown Etiology

Dr. Marina Rios, 2025-26 Resident “Serum Helping the Epithelium”: Serum Tears Improving Corneal Epithelial Integrity in Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Secondary to Chemotherapy

Dr. Samantha Southard, 2025-26 Resident More Than Meets the Eye: Pediatric Blurred Vision as a Clue to Pituitary Macroadenoma

OVDRA | FORT WORTH, TX

Drs. Patricia Cisarik, Morgan Ollinger, Alex Nguyen, (’27) Interocular Differences in Saccadic function in Binocularly Normal Children under Binocular Conditions

Dr. Camille Morrow, 2025-26 Resident Binocular Rehabilitation in the Presence of a Monocular Central Scotoma: A Case Report

Dr. Rachel Peebles (’25), 2025-26 Resident Beyond 20/20 Visual Acuity; Treating Intermittent Central Suppression in Unilateral Refractive Amblyope

Dr. Marc Taub published a counterpoint in Clinical Insights in Eyecare. He was also asked to serve on the American Academy of Optometry’s Online Education Committee. He also additionally edited a new book, Vision Improvement Program

Drs. Patricia Walker, Wil McGriff, and Marc Taub participated in the ASCO Optometric Education Leadership Institute at the Alcon headquarters in Texas. Dr. Taub serves as chair of the Education Committee.

ARVO

| DENVER, CO

Dr. Christopher Lievens; et al Evaluation of Virtual Reality Headset Based Perimetry in Clinical Practice

2030 IN SIGHT LIVE | KENYA

Dr. Karen Squier Grant vs. Self-Pay Pathways and Equity Challenges in a Low Vision Clinic

AOA

| PHOENIX, AZ

Dr. Do Nguyen (’12); Ireland Little (’27), BS The Elusive Case of Butterfly-Shaped Pattern Dystrophy

Dr. Do Nguyen (’12); Kaleb Willie (’27), BS Evaluation and Management Strategies for Quiescent Ocular Toxocariasis Following a Delayed Diagnosis

Dr. Hannah E. Grimes, 2025-26 Resident Quick Advancement from Semaglutide Initiation to Intravitreal Injections