Why ICO?
I have chosen ICO since my first year as an optometry student, throughout my residency, and I always will. ICO provides opportunities unlike any other academic institution, both inside and outside of the classroom and clinic. Learning and working here has instilled a motivation and work ethic that I have not seen anywhere else. Above all, the connections that ICO fosters between faculty, staff, and students are unmatched and truly something special.
Biography
Dr. Masolak earned her optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2024. She completed her residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses with an emphasis in Ocular Disease from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2025. Dr. Masolak stayed on as part-time faculty as she also spearheads the myopia management department at Melrose Park Eyecare, continuing to fit specialty contact lenses and manage ocular disease. She is passionate about improving the functionality of her patients’ vision while increasing their ocular comfort, as well as preparing her students for life as independent clinicians.
Special Interests
Cornea and Specialty Contact Lenses, Keratoconus and Corneal Ectasias, Anterior Segment Disease, Myopia Control, Urgent Care
Education
2025 Illinois College of Optometry, Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses with emphasis in Ocular Disease
2024 Illinois College of Optometry, Doctor of Optometry
2019 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology / Minor in Spanish Linguistics / Research Distinction in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Experience
Awards & Honors
Illinois College of Optometry - Summa Cum Laude, Clinical Honors, Deans List
Southwest Contact Lens Scholarship
Drs. Elliott & Lorayne Politser Scholarship
Johnson & Johnson Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care
Gold Key Honor Society Tomb and Key Honor Society
Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society
CooperVision Rising Star Award
Cribb Leadership & Service Award
Professional Organizations
American Optometric Association
American Academy of Optometry Gas Permeable Lens Institute
ASCO
Future Faculty Program
Publications
Masolak D, Sicks L. Presbyopic Precision. Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses. April 2025. Available at https://www.reviewofcontactlenses.com/article/presbyopic-precision.
Masolak D, Normandeau J. Corneal Cross-Linking Simplified. The Advisor by GPLI. April 2025. Available at https://gpli.info/the-advisor-apr2025-4/.
Global Specialty Lens Symposium
January 2025
- Poster: Optimizing Ocular Health in Ectodermal Dysplasia: A Case Series on Tailored Scleral Lens Fitting
January 2024
- Poster: Fitting Free-Form Scleral Lenses on a Patient with Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Secondary to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome American Academy of Optometry
- Poster: Scleral Lens Success in Pediatric Exposure Keratopathy Post-CN VII Palsy
