After being on a waitlist for three years, the Illinois Eye Institute has added EyePrintPRO services EyePrintPRO creates a 3-D model of a patient’s entire ocular surface, giving a truly individualized contact The result is a prosthetic scleral cover shell- a solution for keratoconus, irregular astigmatism, dry “For patients who have tried and failed to find optimal vision or comfort with contact lenses, this custom students now have the opportunity to learn about all the different options available when treating patients

President for Academic Affairs and Dean, effective January 22, 2027, concluding an extraordinary 41-year Messner has served ICO with distinction since joining the faculty in 1985, including the past 15 years Over more than four decades, she has played a transformative role in shaping the academic and clinical Messner has been a dedicated leader within the broader optometric community. Optometric Educators Leadership Institute (OELI), reflecting her national influence in developing future leaders

Over the past two years, we have had the lowest tuition increases in over a decade. We have also worked hard to decrease operating expenses across all areas of campus. 2020 was a time to involved in the administration of vaccines to the local community, by becoming a vaccination site and using We are also evaluating the use of Brady Hall, which converted from dorm rooms to faculty and staff offices Several celebratory events will be planned throughout the year, and planning will be underway in the

various modes of practice, post-graduation opportunities and the profession of optometry in general from over

The annual Practice Opportunities Symposium is celebrating its 20th year on Friday, April 7 at 1 p.m. Over 40 ODs and optometric professionals will be sharing their experiences through interactive panels This year, in conjunction with our practice management curriculum, attendance to POS is mandatory for first year students.  Canadian Practitioners To ask questions of our panelists, offer feedback, or share your experiences, use

Renee Reedertheir Practitioner of the Year. Reeder is the first-ever contact lens educator to receive the award. “Here I am over 20 years later being recognized by an organization who helped launch my career,” she

At the start of each school year, ICO hosts a 2-day retreat for faculty. The ICO Student Association announced its Teacher of the Year Award recipients at the 2016 event. Congratulations to the following members of our esteemed faculty, chosen by student vote: 1st Year Faculty  Award: Ruth Trachimowicz, OD, PhD, FAAO 2nd Year Faculty Award: Michael Zost, OD, FCOVD, FAAO 3rd Year Faculty, 4th Year Faculty, and Golden Apple Awards: Elizabeth Wyles, OD, FAAO Additionally, the faculty

It is the first known model in the nation to deliver eye care services year-round to an urban school CPS estimates that 25 percent of its students fail vision screenings each year, have broken or lost glasses “During the last year, we have seen a lot of children with significant vision problems. Some children were using friends’ or siblings’ glasses, and some kids had eye health issues that had Data gathered from the student visits this past year demonstrate the great need for the clinic.

As part of this commitment, the clinic studied its patients to determine if there was any positive impact These patients showed significantly higher GPAs following their visit. needs, are in need of a comprehensive eye exam for entrance into CPS, or have been identified by a parent Students can be bused to the clinic from their school or brought into the clinic by their parents. It’s important that parents and teachers encourage children to wear their glasses or replace lost or

She has now been a faculty member at ICO for 25+ years and was recently named IOA’s Optometrist of the Year. I loved the courses I taught at ICO, but after 15 years of teaching the same course, I realized I didn't It used to be you would graduate, and your career path would be pretty straightforward. Optometry is an incredibly dynamic field, and it will change and expand over the course of your career

For over three decades, Michael Chaglasian, OD, FAAO has been a cornerstone of the ICO community. , as its Executive Director, I’m proud to see it flourish into an organization that brings together over , where leaders share the latest research and innovations. This collaborative environment we’ve built, where research, teaching, and patient care intersect, is in optometry are still ahead of us.

As the first week of classes finished, we asked our second-year bloggers Kashifa, Alek and Bobby to look back on a few lessons they learned in their first year. Here are a few things that we learned during out first year. We hope it helps you. Your patients won’t ask you about your GPA. Learning to embrace change was a big part of my journey as a 1st-year optometry student.