Directory Details

SCO alumni are receiving postcards and calls from PCI Alumni Directory, the firm that SCO has partnered with to create an updated Alumni Directory. These inquiries are authentic, so thanks to those of you who are confirming your types of practice, geographic state listings, and other details. For questions, email Beth Fisher, Director of Alumni Engagement.

Commencement 2024

SCO's commencement ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 7 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to celebrating the graduation of the Class of 2024, three distinguished individuals will also be honored:



• Fred Farias III, OD '87, will receive the honorary Doctor of Ocular Science degree,
• David Sattler will receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and
• Barry Winston, OD '74, will receive SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Read more about each of the recipients in this news release. Additionally, Dr. Winston is a member of SCO's Class of 1974 and will join other classmates as they celebrate their 50-year class reunion and become members of SCO's Golden Circle Society.

Alumni can honor a 2024 graduate by making a gift in support of this year's graduating class. Contact Emily Sweeter, Manager of Annual Giving and Stewardship, for more details.

Hayes Center Awards

The Hayes Center for Practice Excellence recently celebrated 10 years of bestowing the prestigious Practice of Excellence Award on young SCO alumni for excellence in private practice. Congratulations to these 2024 recipients:

• Christina Schiller, OD '14, New Practice Award
• Blake Jarrard, OD '14, Practice Acquisition Award
• Chris Herring, OD '17, Partnership Award.

Presenting the awards were Nathan Hayes and Natalie Hayes Schmook, children of Jerry Hayes, OD '73, from the Hayes Family Foundation. The recipients also spoke to third-year students. SCO is appreciative to CooperVision, EssilorLuxottica, VSP Vision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision for sponsorship of the program. Learn more here.

New Board Members

SCO has welcomed two new members to the college's Board of Trustees.

• Stuart Tasman, OD '80, owns Wildwood Eyecare in Marietta, Georgia. A 1974 graduate of the University of Tennessee, he is a past president of the Greater Atlanta and Georgia Optometric Association.
• Renee Brauns is an organizational strategic and alignment specialist. She previously assisted SCO with developing its strategic plan. She served as AOA Associate Executive Director for 22 years.

VP Clinical Programs Search

Jim Venable, OD '89, SCO's Vice President of Clinical Programs, will be retiring at the end of June. The college has begun a national search for this role critically important to the clinical education of students. Interested parties may learn more here.

Spring CE 2024

SCO's recent Spring Continuing Education brought together alumni, including three who served together on SCO's faculty. Reconnecting were Drs. Gerald Eisenstatt ('84), Leroy Norton ('87), and Lisa Wade ('84).

Speakers includes Drs. Jason Duncan ('96), Scott Ensor ('01), Kris May ('01, pictured below), Mohammad Rafieetary, Elyse Rayborn ('20), Sherrol Reynolds, Jennifer Sanderson, Thomas Spetalnick, and Glen Steele ('69).

SCO's Campus Store recently added a new assortment of SCO-branded spring apparel modeled here by students. Shop online to learn more.

Herb Lipe, OD '49, recently turned 100 years old. The Oklahoma Historical Society interviewed him about his life and career.

W.C. Maples, OD '68, was honored by the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association with its 2024 Festschrift Award. Read more here.

Andy Cook, OD '81, was selected as this year's recipient of the AOA's Distinguished Service Award, Joe Ellis, OD '86, was selected for induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame, and Matt Jones, OD '09, also was announced as the 2024 OD of the Year. The awards will be presented at the AOA's annual meeting in Nashville in June. Read more here.

Mark Lynn, OD '85, and his wife Cindy were recently interviewed by the Louisville Courier Journal about the Lynn family's philanthropic work in their city.

Mick Kling, OD '93, wrote about the four measures of a healthy practice for Review of Optometric Business and about understanding the difference between profit and cash flow for another article.

Pinakin Davey, OD '10, hosted a webinar about MPOD Measurement for Review of Optometric Business.

Amy Puerto, OD '15, (right) and Madison Wall-Hayes, OD '16 (left), were among the alumni who networked with SCO students like Annie Gremillion, '25, at AOA's Capitol Hill advocacy effort this week. Dr. Puerto spoke about her work in this AOA News interview.

Aaron Neufeld, OD '15, wrote about compensation for ODs in an article for Review of Optometric Business.

Erick Henderson, OD '17, was recently recognized as a new Fellow of the Scleral Lens Society.

Jamie Jacobs, OD '18, Stephanie McMillen, OD '19, and Stephanie Jones, OD '21, were recently named new Fellows of the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association.

Mallory Collins, OD '19, recently opened her new practice, Hometown Eyecare, in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Victoria Howard, OD '19, recently joined Highlands Optometry in the Bristol, Virginia area.

Katelyn McGee, OD '20, and Christopher Muegge, OD '20, recently rebranded their practice, Eyes of Athens, and announced an expansion project to open a second location, Eyes of Cleveland, later this summer in East Tennessee.

Alexis Williams Smith, OD '21, and her husband, Brandon, welcomed a daughter, Parker Lynn Smith, born March 7.

• Lou Miller Gencay, OD '47
• William Costner, OD '61
• Bobby D. Cope, OD '62
• Frank Romano, OD '78
• Roberto Simeon, OD '87

Dr. Marie Bodack was installed as president of the Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association for a second term during the recent OVDRA (previously COVD) annual meeting in San Francisco.

Dr. Gregory Wolfe appeared on the Live at 9 program in Memphis ahead of the recent eclipse to promote safe eclipse viewing. On the big day, Drs. Lewis Reich and Shaleen Ragha ('16) (pictured) were interviewed live by ABC 24 which broadcast its Memphis coverage from SCO's campus. Alumni with eclipse-related photos to share in our alumni magazine may email them to Beth Fisher.

Dr. David Hall (pictured at far right) organized and hosted the first ever Academy Opthalmic Laser & Surgical Procedures Educator's Forum held on SCO's campus.

Dr. Jim Venable ('89) presented a $3,000 first place prize to members of the Class of 2025 who participated in SCO's Spring 2024 Continuous Quality Improvement Project in which students observed operations of The Eye Center and made recommendations on ways to improve the patient experience.

Dr. Brian Knight ('14), NOSA faculty advisor, joined SCO students in participating at a community clean-up event.

Dr. Marc Taub recently was named Chair Elect of the Optometry Academy of the National Academies of Practice. He and Pam Schnell ('01), wrote about stereo tests for Review of Optometry.

Dr. Cheryl Mengelt, Director of Externships and Residency Programs, recently married Robert West in Iceland.

Drs. Patricia Cisarik and Dan Fuller were joined by Dr. Michelle Yan ('23) and Ghazal Mansouri ('24) in writing about Inter-Examiner Repeatability of Eyelid Laxity Measurements in Adults for Vision Development & Rehabilitation.