FY-EYE on UMSL Optometry

Loock Named May 2014 Student of the Month Every month the office of Student Services in the College of Optometry seeks  nominations from the students in the college to discover and recognize a student who shines in the eyes of his or her peers. This month, Katie Loock ('17) was nominated by two fellow students from the College of Optometry and based on the nominations has been chosen as May 2014 Student of the Month.  Katie is a 2013 graduate from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. During her time at Truman Katie was involved in the Pre-Optometry club and her leadership expanded when she was elected Pre-Optometry President during her senior year. Katie Loock, Class of 2017 Program Director Nick Palisch echo's the comments from the two nominations, "Katie is a perfect choice for this month's student spotlight. She is consistently positive, upbeat and a joy to be around." A student is chosen based on the nominations of the students, but also bas...

Perfect Weather and Record Turn Out for Annual Corneal Classic The Annual UMSL-Optometry Corneal Classic was held on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Normandy Golf Course.  The event which dates back before 1992 was started by Dr. Tom Cullinane (Class of 1992) has become a yearly optometry tradition.     This year's Corneal Classic attracted a record  of 18 teams and 82 people attended the event either as golfers, spectators or helped as a volunteer.    Dr. Tom Cullinane who has won the last five Corneal Classics walked away with his sixth Corneal Cup after Saturday's tournament.  Cullinane was a member of the UMSL golf team during his undergraduate studies before attending UMSL Optometry School.   According to tournament coordinator, Paul Luong ('16) "Dr. Cullinane is an excellent golfer and he shot a low of 61 (11 under par). Not only did they have a record number of attendees at the tournament, "we could not have asked for better ...

Future Optometry Students Meet Monthly. The University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry will be part of the Student Life video for New Students to gain interest in the various clubs and organizations that exist on campus.   Here is a sneak peek of the video. http://vimeo.com/92274277. Each month the club looks at new topics to discover.  The club continues to grow each year and attracts students from several other colleges and universities around the St. Louis region.    You can join the club on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/52545498157/ This year the club began to branch outside of just monthly meetings and began giving back to the community by participating in several optometry-related events across the area.    At the last meeting on April 24, 2014 the club welcomed Dr. Angel Novel-Simmons, Assistant Clinical Faculty Professor to teach them about lensometers.  Members of the club had the opportunity to act...

Congratulations to Rob Ensley, OD  who won  the George Mertz Contact Lens Residency Award. A prestigious award that is given to two residents each year. The George Mertz Contact Lens Residency Award is intended to promote the practice and development of the field of contact lenses by providing incentive and support to talented optometric residents who demonstrate a passion and commitment to practice, research, and education. Dr. Ensley is a 2013 graduate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry and the current Contact Lens Resident for the College of Optometry. The award is given by the American Academy of Optometry in partnership with VISTAKON gives a total six awards each year.                                             ...

The Easter Bunny visited the University of Missouri-St. Louis a day early to hide eggs outside the Thomas Jefferson Library on Saturday, April 19, 2014.  The event sponsored by the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) and the Delta Gamma Foundation hosted the Easter Egg Hunt for children with visual impairments. Last year the event was recognized nationally as the best service project for NOSA.  The egg hunt featured candy filled eggs and chirping eggs that children with visual impairments could hear while hunting.  In addition, each child received a Easter basket filled with goodies.  Now in its sixth year, the egg hunt is growing and hopes to reach out to more children next year. The event attracted over 40 children with one family traveling over 100 miles to attend the hunt.  NOSA President Deli Shirazian feels Saturday's egg hunt could not have gone any better.  "We had almost 40 children both visually impaired and their siblings atte...

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 members of the Class of 2014 and 2015 participated in the 5th Annual St. Louis Dining in the Dark at the Hilton St. Louis Ballpark. The Dining in the Dark event raising funds and awareness for Fighting For Blindness. St. Louis Cardinal, Matt Holliday received Visionary Award at the benefit. From left to right: Devin Sasser '15, Dan Puls '14, Emily Pike '14, Alaina Blake '14, Pauline Bland '15, Casey Hamm '15, Matt Holliday, Rachel Caninia '14, Jerika Kirwan '15, Emily Williams '15, Jenn Chinn '15, Aimee Miller '15, Ashley Liverar '14, and Jessica Walters '14. Dining in the Dark is a powerful dining experience that plunges you into a world of sensitivity you have never experienced before, taking you through a unique journey in the dark. NGP