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Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) proudly announces that Tracy Matchinski, OD, FAAO has been named the inaugural recipient of The Rosenbloom Family Endowed Professorship in Low Vision Rehabilitation . This is the first named professorship in ICO’s history.  This professorship – made possible through the generosity of the Rosenbloom Family, strengthens ICO’s long-standing commitment to advancing low-vision rehabilitation through research, education, clinical innovation, and community-based care, whether locally, regionally and/or internationally . Its impact is especially timely, as an estimated 51.9 million adults in the United States report difficulty seeing even with corrective lenses (American Foundation for the Blind, 2025) , and more than 2.2 billion people worldwide live with some form of visual impairment (World Health Organization, 2019). Dr. Matchinski, a 1995 graduate of ICO , completed a Vision Rehabilitation residency at the Feinbloom Low Vision Center of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Since completing her residency in 1996, she has dedicated her career to low vision rehabilitation. As a tenured faculty member at ICO, Dr. Matchinski teaches the vision rehabilitation course and lab, and provides clinical care at the Rosenbloom Center, located at ICO’s Illinois Eye Institute (IEI). Additionally, she practices at The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, is a Low Vision Diplomate of the American Academy of Optometry and has served as chair of the Low Vision Section and Diplomate program of the American Academy of Optometry. She has published and lectured nationally and internationally on Low Vision Rehabilitation. Her commitment extends deeply through her leadership in Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) . She is past president of VOSH/International and VOSH Illinois. As the faculty representative for Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH). Dr. Matchinski mentors ICO students as they participate in local and international volunteer clinics.  Dr. Matchinski was appointed by Dean Stephanie Messner, OD, with the approval of ICO President Mark Colip, OD. “The ICO community is extraordinarily proud of Dr. Matchinski’s commitment to advancing care for individuals with low vision,” said President Colip. “Her work at the Illinois Eye Institute—and around the world through SVOSH and VOSH— continues to inspire the next generation of students to live the ICO mission so that all patients receive optimal care.”  About the Rosenbloom Family  Alfred A. Rosenbloom, OD, a pioneer in low-vision rehabilitation, is a 1954 graduate of ICO and served as its president from 1972 to 1982. To honor his and his wife Sarah’s lasting impact, their children—Alfred Rosenbloom III and Susan Tobert—established the Rosenbloom Family Endowed Professorship in Low Vision Rehabilitation . This professorship builds on the legacy, which includes the Dr. Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging at ICO’s Illinois Eye Institute, established in 2015, to advance specialized care for individuals with low vision and age-related vision needs.  About the Illinois College of Optometry  Founded in 1872, the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) is the nation’s oldest continuously operating optometric educational institution. With more than 8,000 alumni, ICO is dedicated to excellence in education, research, patient care, and service to the community. Located in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the city’s South Side, ICO provides rigorous clinical training and serves over 85,000 patients annually through its teaching clinic, Illinois Eye Institute. For more information about Illinois College of Optometry, visit www.ico.edu .

For over three decades, Michael Chaglasian, OD, FAAO has been a cornerstone of the ICO community. Now serving as Chief of Innovative Technology and Data Science, he’s leading the institution into a new era of digital discovery. From pioneering research in glaucoma to exploring the power of artificial intelligence in clinical care, Dr. Chaglasian bridges traditional optometric practice with the technologies shaping its future. A founding figure in advancing glaucoma education nationwide, his leadership continues to inspire both faculty and students. In this Faculty Spotlight, we take a closer look at Dr. Chaglasian’s journey: from his early days as a SUNY–trained clinician, to his current work with AI–powered diagnostic tools that could transform the future of optometry. You’ve recently taken on the role of Chief of Innovative Technology and Data Science at ICO. How does this position build upon your past work in glaucoma research ? My new role reflects both the continuity and the evolution of my career at ICO. I’ve been here for about 30 years, primarily focused on glaucoma care, research, and education. Now, as Chief of Innovative Technology and Data Science, I’m exploring how artificial intelligence and digital tools can elevate clinical decision–making and patient outcomes, particularly within glaucoma management. ​ AI in health care can feel intimidating to some, but I see it as an opportunity. The goal isn’t to replace clinicians, it’s to empower them. At ICO, we’re in the early stages of building and validating AI algorithms that can assist doctors in interpreting patient data more effectively. For example, glaucoma diagnosis relies on the synthesis of multiple datasets, from visual fields to OCT scans to intraocular pressure readings, and AI has the potential to analyze those variables collectively, identifying subtle trends that even trained eyes might miss. ​ Of course, glaucoma remains my primary focus. It’s a disease that demands early detection, and optometry is uniquely positioned to make that possible. By integrating AI into routine eye care, we can move from reactive to proactive management by detecting subtle nerve fiber changes or pressure trends before vision loss occurs. That’s the promise that drives me today: equipping the next generation of optometrists with tools that not only enhance their clinical confidence but also expand what’s possible for patient care.   Beyond your research, you’ve been instrumental in advancing glaucoma education both on and off campus. What continues to motivate your involvement in that mission ? Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight,” and that phrase captures the urgency of why education is so critical. When I started at ICO, I quickly realized that there wasn’t a dedicated forum within optometry focused exclusively on this disease. Along with several colleagues, I helped establish the Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS) more than 20 years ago. Today, as its Executive Director, I’m proud to see it flourish into an organization that brings together over 150 clinicians, educators, and researchers. ​ Our mission is simple but profound: to advance the teaching, research, and clinical management of glaucoma within optometry. Every year, we hold a national meeting, just before the American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference, where leaders share the latest research and innovations. It’s an invaluable opportunity for doctors to stay at the forefront of evolving treatments, from new medications to laser procedures such as selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), which is increasingly considered a first–line therapy. ​ The field itself is moving rapidly. For decades, glaucoma care revolved around topical medications. Now, we’re seeing a shift toward laser–based and minimally invasive surgical options that offer better compliance and fewer side effects. But all of these advances hinge on one thing: early and accurate diagnosis. That’s where optometrists come in. As primary eye care providers, they are on the front line of detection, and it’s essential they have both the knowledge and the confidence to make those calls. ​ At ICO, I see that same spirit of advancement reflected in our students and faculty. We’ve significantly expanded opportunities for student research, giving future clinicians hands–on experience in data analysis, experimental design, and evidence–based care; I believe this kind of training is what transforms a student into a lifelong learner. My advice to graduates is always the same: keep learning, attend conferences, and stay connected to professional organizations. The field is evolving too quickly to stand still. ​ After three and a half decades here, ICO feels like home. I didn’t graduate from this institution, but its mission and its people have shaped my career. This collaborative environment we’ve built, where research, teaching, and patient care intersect, is something truly special. I’ve stayed all these years because I love this work, I love this community, and I believe the best innovations in optometry are still ahead of us.

Wow. I really cannot believe it. I really cannot believe it, and I'm not trying to sound hyperbolic. I still can't believe that after all these years I've finally graduated from ICO and have become a Doctor of Optometry. Granted, it's only been a couple weeks, but even still it doesn't feel real. I've been in school for basically my whole life, and now it's finally over. It almost seems like I'm just home for another summer break and will be back to school in the fall, but for the first time in my life that won't be the case. Trying to look back on this whole journey, from undergrad up to my still very recent ICO commencement, where do I even start? Just to think of how much I've experienced in that time frame: how many people I've met, how many places I've been, how many obstacles I've had to face, and how much I've grown and changed. It feels like I've lived several lifetimes, and at long last I have the time and space to just sit with it undisturbed. There's no way I'd be able to summarize it all in a short blog post, but it just feels right to try to bring some kind of closure to this whole adventure. Besides, if you've been following along up to this point, you already know some of the challenges I've had to face throughout my educational career, so no point in retreading old ground. I will say, though, that my path to and through ICO was not the most straightforward. On the absolute contrary, it was filled with many twists and turns, academically, emotionally, and personally. It just felt like one curve-ball after another. Not to mention we're still living through a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, so there's that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But with all that said, where does that leave me now? I'll be honest, in the short time I've been home I haven't given it much thought. However, I do know that this journey was about so much more than just me graduating, which in and of itself is still a big accomplishment. Rather, it was about becoming the person I always dreamed of being. Not just a doctor, but someone who's relentless in pursuing their goals, someone who cares about other people and empathizes with their struggles, someone who's not afraid to take the path of most resistance, and someone who stays authentic to who they are even in the face of extreme pressure. I will surely continue to be tested in these ways for the rest of my life, but having finally made it to this point, I no longer fear those challenges. No, I embrace them because they are what made me into who I am today. Despite how unrelentingly arduous the path seemed at times, it was worth it a thousand times over. I remember when I first came to Chicago and I went up to the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower during Orientation Week. It was a moment I will never forget for as long as I live. Looking out onto the night's sky from the tallest building I had ever been in, I was in absolute awe seeing how far the city went on for. Little did I know what was in store for me. My world was about to get so much bigger both literally and figuratively. It was so terrifying yet so exciting knowing the task I was about to undertake, and now that task has finally been completed.   Chicago and ICO will forever be a part of me. I couldn't have asked for a better city to live and study in, and I couldn't have asked for better people to have shared that city with. From biking down the lakefront, seeing concerts at many of Chicago's venues, eating so much great food, grinding through school, and being able to share that all with the people I love while growing alongside them, I am forever grateful. For anyone who's been with me for the ride, I hope you've enjoyed reading my blogs over the last 4.5 years because I definitely enjoyed writing them. And for all those who will continue to follow me going forward, I hope I'll continue to make you proud. Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart, and farewell. Much love, Dr. Nathaniel Briggs, OD

My journey from Toronto to Chicago was a smooth and enjoyable experience. I flew in a day early before my interview, which allowed me to spend the entire weekend exploring the city and visiting family members who live in Chicago. My parents accompanied me, and we stayed at a hotel in the South Loop, which was ideal since I was considering living off campus in that area. The South Loop is a nearby neighborhood to the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), and our hotel was only a quick five-minute drive from campus—a convenient distance in case I needed to travel back and forth. ICO also offers candidates the option to stay in the Residential Complex (RC) on interview day, which helps save on hotel costs and transportation. Staying in the RC is a great opportunity to experience on-campus housing if you’re considering living there during your first year at ICO. Welcome I arrived on campus about 10 minutes before my interview day began, where I was greeted by the security guard and handed a name tag with my name and hometown. I waited at the front with other interviewees and their families until it was time to head to the welcome center and begin the day’s events. At the welcome center, we were provided with snacks, a light beverage and a program outlining the schedule for the day. Candidate File Review The first part of the day involved reviewing individual application files to ensure that no important documents were missing. I was called back to meet with a member of the admissions team who went through my application with me. Fortunately, my file was complete. For applicants with missing items, the admissions team provides guidance on what’s needed, and the steps required to submit those documents successfully. After my brief meeting, I returned to the welcome center to wait while other interviewees finished their reviews. Financial Aid After the file review, we met with Lauren Brooks, the financial aid representative. At the start of the meeting, Brooks handed out a pamphlet detailing the cost of attendance, various scholarship amounts and information on eligibility and steps for applying for federal aid. The pamphlet was incredibly helpful, it allowed me to focus on listening rather than jotting down numbers, and it served as a guide for planning my expenses and starting a budget for life in Chicago. While the federal aid information wasn’t directly relevant to me as a Canadian student, I appreciated the thorough and detailed explanation Brooks provided, along with step-by-step instructions for U.S. students navigating the application process. Career Development During our discussion, we explored various paths to plan for a future career after optometry school, including owning a private practice, working in corporate settings and pursuing residency opportunities. I found this information especially useful, as most schools don’t often discuss career planning during interviews. ICO, however, strongly emphasized this aspect. They highlighted that ICO is the oldest optometry school in the country, which has allowed it to cultivate a large alumni network: an invaluable resource for job searching and mentorship opportunities nationwide. Additionally, the discussion included potential pathways for Canadian students who wish to return home to begin their careers. This was particularly helpful given ICO’s substantial Canadian student population, and it provided valuable insights for those of us still deciding whether to stay in the U.S. or return to Canada. One-on-One Interview Next, ICO faculty members met with us for one-on-one interviews. My interview was with Dr. Goodfellow, held in his office, and the process was smooth and conversational. He was friendly and approachable, focusing on getting to know me beyond what was included in my application file. Much of the conversation revolved around my two-year break after completing my undergraduate studies. He asked how I spent that time, whether I focused on personal growth and how I believed the experience would contribute to my development as a future doctor. We also connected over our shared love of television and discussed some of our favorite shows. The one-on-one interview is an excellent opportunity to highlight any unique aspects of your application. I was able to share my primary motivation for choosing optometry, including my personal experiences with glaucoma and witnessing the challenges close family members faced with the disease. This deeply personal connection has driven me to become an advocate and voice for Africans now and in the future. Overall, just be yourself in the interview. It’s about sharing your passion for optometry. Be ready to explain any gaps in your academic record and clearly articulate why you want to become an optometrist. Campus Tour The tour was one of my favorite parts of the interview day. A current first-year student led us around campus, showing us the clinic, the main building and the residence complex. This was my first time seeing the ICO facilities, and I was amazed by the clinical labs and advanced equipment we would be using. The ICO clinic is conveniently located nearby, just a short walk from the main campus, which will be especially helpful during colder weather. Lunch With ICO Students After the tour, we had lunch with current students, including a mix of first and second years. This student panel was a fantastic feature, as it allowed us to ask questions and get honest feedback from the student perspective. It was incredibly valuable to hear how they felt about the curriculum, the challenges they faced in adjusting to their schedules and what their favorite experiences at ICO had been so far. They also shared their favorite post-exam rituals, which added a fun, personal touch. After speaking with the current students, I felt completely sold on attending ICO. Wrap-Up After lunch, we reconvened with the admissions team, who set clear expectations and outlined when we could expect to hear back. They also welcomed any additional questions we had. Overall, my interview day at ICO was an extraordinary experience. From the moment I walked into the building, I felt a warm and welcoming atmosphere from the admissions team, faculty and students. Throughout the day, I felt genuinely heard by everyone I met, and each conversation left me feeling hopeful and encouraged. I left ICO feeling excited and overjoyed about the possibility of joining their community and beginning my journey to become an optometrist. Remember, interview day is a two-way exchange; ICO is learning about the incredible future optometrist you are, and you’re also getting to know ICO to see if it’s the right place for you to thrive: a place you can call home for the next four years as you prepare to become the best optometrist you can be. Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience at ICO. I hope my journey provides some insight and encouragement for those considering their own path in optometry. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors, I look forward to sharing more updates soon! Warm regards, Demilade Odunsi ’28

In third grade, Janice McMahon, OD  attended a circus performance only to discover she saw very little of it clearly. Luckily, her uncle was engaged to an ICO student. One eye exam later she had the diagnosis: a –3.50 myope.   Before then “Despite the stereotype, of course I knew there were leaves on trees,” says Dr. McMahon, “but I didn’t know there were wires between telephone poles.” It was only after she got her first pair of glasses that she realized just how many more details the world had. “Since then, I knew I wanted to be an optometrist.” She has now been a faculty member at ICO for 25+ years and was recently named IOA’s Optometrist of the Year. We sat down to learn about the IOA and Dr. McMahon’s career at ICO. Why has it been important for you to be involved in both the IOA and the AOA? How has legislation improved the field of optometry? Say you're someone in rural Louisiana (not far from where I went to college): your partner drives a whole hour and a half, all for the chance that a doctor might help you see more clearly. When you arrive, the doctor tells you she cannot treat you because it is not in her scope of practice. The doctor can’t provide valuable care, and you and your partner lose three hours with no resolution. Without a strong representative body, optometrists risk being trained at a higher level than they're ever legally allowed to practice. That gap undermines their education, their careers, and ultimately, patient care. We need advocates who will defend our current scope of practice and fight to expand it. We need people who are looking at the bigger picture and fighting to ensure that the largest number of patients get the most comprehensive care possible. This is what the AOA and the IOA are doing, and I find it admirable. It’s about meeting patients where they are, whether that’s here in Chicago or in the rural South. In addition to IOA and AOA roles, I served on the Illinois State Board of Optometry for almost 13 years. It’s been a really important part of my optometric career. Ultimately, I am so involved because when we expand our scope, we help more patients.   You were just recently chosen as Optometrist of the Year by the IOA. Why do you believe they chose you as optometrist of the year? This honor came as quite a surprise to me. I’m someone who much prefers to be behind the scenes, and I honestly didn’t think I was on anyone’s radar. I’m guessing the reason is two-fold. I think part of it is the length of my tenure in legislative roles, and it’s how I’ve been able to connect the academic and legislative sides of this profession. While I’m a faculty member, I’ve also served on several national and state committees. This isn’t all that common, but it's been an important part of my career. As academicians, we teach optometry to its fullest scope, but state regulations often limit what our graduates can actually practice. Both the IOA and the AOA have given me a good perspective of what optometry is like outside of academic circles. Their work is vital to the growth of this profession. This is going to be a fight, and it will be for a couple generations down the road. It’s important to support them as best I can. When I think back to what we were able to practice when I graduated, it’s amazing to see how much we have grown as a profession. We've had a dozen or more legislations come through since then. Each has made our field richer. You work full time in the clinic, why? What about the patients has made you want to stay? I loved the courses I taught at ICO, but after 15 years of teaching the same course, I realized I didn't want to be in front of a group anymore. I much preferred being in the background, so I naturally gravitated towards clinical care and one-on-ones with students. The courses were passed on to faculty members who wanted to grow them. I provided a basis, and they energetically and very capably expanded on that. That freed up my time to do more of what I love—interacting with our patients and our students. It’s important for me to show students that every patient we see is an individual, and we must treat them as the person in our chair, not as a statistic or as a disease. Ultimately, this person has to go home and live with whatever we ‘ve told them. I want patients to understand their condition. So, I spend a lot of time and energy making sure I'm communicating in a way that resonates with them. Our treatment only goes as far as the care they are willing to accept. In the end, their wellbeing lies in their hands. How have you seen ICO and optometry grow since you arrived at ICO? The students have changed quite a bit. It used to be you would graduate, and your career path would be pretty straightforward. Students today are willing to take the time to explore their options, partly because there are now so many more opportunities available. Optometry has embraced the medical side of our profession without forgetting that we are also refractive and contact lens providers. Optometry really is both, and we can’t be so focused on the medical side that we forget that we provide an incredible service: that of improving people’s vision. We were hyper focused on the medical side for a while, now we are better balanced. At the end of the day, optometrists care deeply about providing the best care possible, and we do that when we embrace the full scope of what our profession offers. What's one thing you want incoming students to know about the field of optometry? As you go through these four years, get as much out of this experience as possible, keep an open mind, and have a broad base. The profession is going to continue to evolve, and you will need to grow with it. Optometry is an incredibly dynamic field, and it will change and expand over the course of your career. What you do at the beginning may not be what you’re doing ten years from now or as you near retirement. Learn a little about everything and be flexible. If you want to practice all modes of optometry, you can. If you want to concentrate on a specific specialty area, that’s also fine. Optometry is incredibly rewarding. It's a career that I have never regretted for a minute. It's not a stagnant profession at all and the possibilities keep me moving forward. What's one piece of advice for students who are currently pursuing their degree in optometry? You’ll work with many attendings at ICO. You’ll like some approaches more than others, but every single one of them has something to teach you. Take the best of what you see and use it to shape yourself into the kind of doctor you want to become. Your practice will ultimately be a reflection of all the people who helped you grow. Even today, I see how a colleague explains a certain illness to a patient, and I think, “Oh, I’ve never thought of it in that way before.” That ongoing learning has made me a better doctor and communicator. I also want to encourage students to look beyond optometry. Many optometrists derive a lot of meaning from the organizations they’re involved in. Optometry will be a big part of your life, but don’t let it be your whole life. Look for what brings you joy outside of work, too. It’s all part of building a life that feels full and meaningful.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into optometry. What drew you to ICO? I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare, but for a long time I didn’t know which career was right for me. I wanted to do meaningful work and healthcare felt like the right field to do this. When I learned about optometry, I realized it was the perfect fit for me. This is in part because I myself have experienced its incredible impact. I’m moderately myopic, and I vividly remember my optometrist fitting me for contact lenses so that I could continue playing college basketball without worrying about glasses. Personally, I was fascinated by the idea of helping people improve their vision and the impact that good vision can have on a person's quality of life. I’m born and raised in Chicago, but I ended up leaving for college. I interviewed at quite a few optometry schools, but I kept returning to ICO, not only because of my family, but because of how great the clinic is here. My time at ICO was so special, and it's where I made some of the most meaningful friendships of my life. We've been through so much together - weddings, funerals, vacations, and more. It's a bond that I cherish deeply, and I feel truly grateful to have made such wonderful friends during my time at ICO. The community that ICO has built fosters lasting connections, and I'm so grateful for the relationships that I've built there. After graduating, I pursued a residency in low vision rehabilitation at PCO/Salus. I returned to Chicago and started working in the field of low vision rehabilitation. When I started working at ICO, I realized it sparked other passions in me. I love being able to teach other fledgling doctors the importance of low vision rehabilitation and how we an optometrist can impact patients’ and improve their quality of live. I wanted to be able to train the next generation of optometrists and continue to make a positive impact on people's lives. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I have had in my career and the people who have supported me along the way. It has been a rewarding and fulfilling career. What's one thing you would like incoming students to know about the field of optometry? (And your specific area of optometry) Low vision rehabilitation is all about helping people who have lost some or all of their vision to improve their functional abilities and live their best lives. In other words, how to maximize their remaining vision. We aren't able to fix the health of their eyes, but rather we focus on how they can best utilize the vision they have left. That can involve using all kinds of services, devices and technology. This includes magnification devices, assistive technology, or even smartphone apps that help people with vision impairments achieve their specific goals. When we work with patients at the low vision rehabilitation clinic, we start by determining what their goals are. For some, it might be reading large print or using a computer, and for others, it might be effectively navigating airports or their environments at home. Once we understand their goals, we use our knowledge to help them find the best solutions. Every patient is different, and so we use all the information we have available to find the best solution for them. For some, that might mean a simple magnifier, but for others that could be using a biopic telescope, or even employing apps that connect them to someone who can help them navigate a specific area. What makes low vision rehabilitation interesting is just how many things we have available to help patients. It's really interesting and rewarding to be able to help people in this way. Low vision rehabilitation is often life-changing. It’s easy to be passionate about what you do when you are making such an impact with each patient. Another thing I want to emphasize is just how close knit our optometric community is. Optometry is a small field, but it's one that's incredibly powerful. Through organizations like VOSH and my work as a faculty member, I've been able to connect with so many passionate people. We share a common goal of improving people's eye health, and it's a truly rewarding experience to be able to work together towards that goal. It's an honor to be a part of this community, and I'm grateful every day for the opportunity to help people through optometry. You're very active in the VOSH community. Why do you think these organizations are important? Why do you choose to participate in them? I've been fortunate to meet many amazing people who have selflessly given their time and energy to help others. My mentor, Dr. Alfred Rosenbloom, got me interested in VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity). I did my first VOSH trip with him to Morocco. We too easily get stuck in our day-to-day routines; we don’t always recognize the impact we are giving. On VOSH trips locally or internationally, something as simple as a routine refraction can be incredibly impactful. Throughout my many years of practice, I've witnessed countless moments where simple skills like retinoscopy and refraction have changed people's lives for the better. Showing just how much of an impact we are having is one of the most important lessons that I want to impart to our students. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I challenged our students to find community organizations we could work with to provide relief. They found several organizations, and at every clinic we did, we easily worked with over 100 patients. We were able to provide comprehensive eye care and new eyeglasses to people who were struggling financially and otherwise would not have been able to afford it. How do you see optometry changing in the next few years and how do you hope to be part of it? Optometry has opened up a wealth of opportunities for me to connect with people from all over the world who share my passion for helping others. Through organizations like VOSH and my work as a faculty member, I've been able to build a strong network of colleagues who are dedicated to improving people's eye health and advance the profession of optometry globally. Optometry is truly a special field. Every day, we have the privilege of helping maintain ocular health, help people see better, feel more comfortable, and live their lives to the fullest. It's a profession that allows us to make a real difference in people's lives, and it's one that offers a great balance between work and life.

Dr. Kelly Frantz has been teaching at ICO since 1986. With over 30 years of experience, she's seen ICO change and grow over the years. Read on to learn how she discovered optometry (she was only 12!), how she learned that teaching was her passion and how teaching at ICO has evolved and changed over the decades she has been here. When did you become interested in optometry? Well, I got into optometry by starting to learn about it all the way back in seventh grade. I had myopia like so many other kids, and I was intrigued how my optometrist helped me see more clearly. I was also into science. In seventh grade, they asked us to start thinking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. And so, I started researching optometry in my school library. At that time, as you know, there was no internet. There weren't a lot of fancy resources, but I learned about the profession, asked my optometrist more about it, and continued to seriously consider it throughout high school. At that point, I wasn't thinking about optometric education, just doing eye exams. I didn't even know that much about optometry, but somehow, I just knew it was the profession for me. How has ICO changed over the years? What is it about ICO that's made you stay for all these years? The people -- the students, the other faculty -- it's a warm, inviting community, and I enjoy being with these folks. I find great satisfaction in teaching the students, the specialty I've gotten into, and the opportunities that ICO has provided me to engage in research, clinical care, and teaching. I’m very fulfilled staying at ICO, and I haven't wanted to go elsewhere. Over the years, there have been a lot of changes. We’ve completely changed how we teach. The information has changed, but also the methods that information is relayed have changed. I remember when we used overhead transparencies, and then we graduated to a tray of 35-mm slides. Sometimes we even projected two slides simultaneously, which back then was a really big deal. Eventually, we embraced PowerPoint to create and project slides. Then, we began streaming our classes from the Lecture Center. At ICO, some faculty are more heavily involved in clinic while others spend more time in labs. Dr. Frantz found her passion in teaching and teaches vision therapy to third years in the fall. Video has also become an important didactic tool. I teach a lot in the laboratories, and so we need to do demonstrations. We used to do that just spontaneously explaining it to our students as they gathered around us. There was nothing archival for them to study later. Now, we have videos that show how to do a lot of vision therapy procedures. These videos have evolved over the years. There used to be a DVD, but now they're on Brightspace. Students can watch them over and over again ad nauseam. They can study and practice for their practical exam as well as review them when they need to use those procedures in the clinic. It sounds like you’re a person who really loves education and the innovation that comes from different generational needs and expectations. Would you agree? I haven’t seriously thought about education my whole life, but my mother would say that I have. At six, I was playing school with my little brother. I’d sit him down and make him do worksheets that I made for him. For some reason, he cooperated even though he was only three. At PCO/Salus where I got my OD degree, I was a teaching assistant. I also did a residency at my optometry school to further explore the opportunity of teaching, and that's when I really decided, "Yes, this is for me." That's what I've done ever since. Over the years, Dr. Frantz has seen how teaching has evolved here at ICO. In particular, the use of video has made it much easier for students to return to the vision therapy procedures that Dr. Frantz teaches in her lab. It's much more intriguing to me to do patient care when there are students involved because I have the excitement of sharing that experience with them. I like to see the light bulb go on for the students as they start to understand things and see something they learned about in the classroom now applied in clinic. What's one thing that you would want incoming students to know about the field of optometry and also your field specifically? I want incoming students to be aware of all the facets of optometry. I want them to know there are so many options within optometry and that becoming a doctor requires a lot of hard work. They need to be ready psychologically for the journey ahead, to study diligently, and to juggle all the classes, laboratories, and clinic sessions with dedication. To be an excellent optometrist, there’s a lot to know. I believe ICO does an excellent job of producing well-rounded optometrists, since our students are exposed to all specialties. For me, that meant getting involved in binocular vision and pediatrics because of my interest in eye alignment, movement, and my mathematical inclination. Binocular vision is essential because everyone relies on their eyes to gather information. Today so much of that information is relayed to us via digital devices. People need to work efficiently on these screens. By evaluating and treating focusing, eye alignment, and aiming, I can help people work more comfortably. Binocular vision issues have always existed, but they are now exacerbated by the amount of screen time people engage in. There are so many paths you can take as an optometrist. Dr. Frantz chose binocular vision and pediatrics, and now teaches it as well. Any closing thoughts on what it’s like to be a teacher at ICO? Something really important about ICO is that we have a long history. So, we have a lot of experience in optometric education. We have a lot of very experienced faculty, and I think that can set us apart. When I'm teaching in a lecture or lab, I can draw on many years of experience. I know ahead of time which things are going to trip up the students, so I can explain it more than one way. Anticipating the problems that they might have; I try to be as thorough and accurate as possible in explaining what the students need to know. That comes in part from our long history and my own long history with the institution. Then, there are our patients. Even a routine diagnosis in our clinic often brings with it a patient who has so many other issues that it becomes complex. We're managing more than a vision problem; we're managing the issues of the patient not having time to do the vision therapy we've prescribed at home or not wearing their glasses because they don't like how they fit, or the kids are teasing them at school. Those things need to be addressed. With children and vision therapy, there are those issues. With adults who have eye disease, there are issues of access to medication they might need or the ability to put drops in their eyes if they live alone. We find that we're managing all kinds of complexities. The education the students receive is top-notch because of these experiences.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into optometry? I've always liked science, especially biology. I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it as a career. In college, I pretty quickly realized that being in a lab all day was not my cup of tea. I discovered optometry through my family optometrist, Dr. Susanna Fostiak. Shadowing her made me realize optometry was a wonderful way to use science every day. I got to help people and formed these great relationships with patients. She was an ICO grad. So, I applied to ICO. It was actually the only optometry school I applied to. After graduating, I did a residency in ocular disease at SUNY College of Optometry. My residency was my best professional year. Then, I joined the faculty at SUNY. After a few years in New York, my husband proposed, and I returned to Chicago. At ICO, I've worked in primary care, urgent care, and retina clinics. I served as the coordinator of the ocular disease and primary care residency, and then in 2019, I became the Director of Residency Programs. Why do you think residency is valuable? Residency made a huge impact on my career, and when I ask others, they all tend to agree. Residency allows you to try out new things, advance your clinical skills, and to expand your career opportunities. When you take that optional year of advanced training, your options are so much more varied. It opens the door to so many different types of practices. Whether it's in a hospital, academia, a VA, an MD/OD practice, or any tertiary kind of practice, these organizations are looking for residency-trained individuals. Not only that, because you are residency trained you can easily switch from one type of practice to another. Very recently, I was talking to a former faculty member, and she’s a perfect example of exactly the types of opportunities that residency can open up. She’s worked at ICO, but now she works at a hospital. She's done private practice. She's done corporate. She's done it all. She was very clear that the reason she’s been able to switch between so many modes of practice is because of her residency. That ICO residency opened up the doors to each of these opportunities. We have a lot of students who choose to stay on to do a residency at ICO, why do you think that is? What do you think draws residents to our clinic? Yes, we have a really high percentage of ICO students who apply to our ICO on-campus programs as well as our affiliate programs. Our clinic keeps you on your toes. You never know who will walk in and what might be troubling them. The cases can be very varied, you could encounter anything from a chemical burn to a retinal detachment. We see a lot of inflammatory diseases. In other words, things that you read about as being uncommon. You see them not uncommonly at ICO. It's easy for students to say, "You know, I've been here. I've been a student, but I understand there's so much more for me to learn. I know that the concentration of disease just won’t exist in other places as it does at ICO." At ICO, the more you see the more you realize how much more there is to learn. The many specializations we have also draw students to our program, and our faculty’s diverse expertise only helps to deepen their knowledge. For example, every Friday, the residents present cases to each other and faculty mentors from urgent care. The faculty chime in on how they might have approached the case or how they would have treated the patient. Different practitioners have different approaches, and it's just a good, non-judgmental space where we can all share ideas. It’s a great place for residents to learn how many different treatments there can be. How do you see optometry changing in the next few years and how do you hope to be a part of? The scope of optometry is increasing. More and more people are practicing full-scope optometry, which includes a lot of medical care. As our population ages, as the baby boomers get older, they’ll need more medical care. Our ophthalmologists love to do surgery and want to do surgery, and, they would rather have us do the general exams. Residency-trained optometrists know when someone needs to be referred immediately and when it can wait. We’re happy to do a lot of the pre- and post-op exams. Ophthalmologists can concentrate on their niche, and we take over the rest. It's a beneficial relationship for both parties. These days, hospitals don't even consider optometrists who aren't residency trained because they know that residency-trained optometrists can just jump in. What's one thing you would like incoming students to know about the field of optometry? I want them to know that residency can (and should) be an essential part of their optometric journey. As a resident, you're increasing your clinical confidence by seeing all these complex cases. Not only that, residency forces you to say “yes” and try things that you may not have realized you would want to do. You’re expanding your optometric knowledge, but also you’re lecturing, doing research, writing publishable-quality papers, presenting posters. You get to try all these things out, and then maybe, just maybe, you end up saying, "Oh, actually, this is for me.” Not only that, more residency programs and positions are opening. So, more students have the ability to participate in residency, which I think is a wonderful opportunity. My residency is what ultimately led me back to ICO. I love working in academia. Every day is different: one day I could be lecturing, the next, I could be coordinating or teaching in a lab, and then the day after, I'm teaching in clinic. It also means I get to be part of the ICO community. I know we say it so much, but ICO really does have this family feel to it, and especially being at ICO as long as I have, having worked with the students and faculty for as long as I have, I've made wonderful relationships here, and I can't imagine not seeing these people every day.

You're one of the few teachers at ICO who isn’t an optometrist. What have you learned about optometry over the years, and how does optometry relate to your field of biochemistry? Biochemistry is important to the eyes and the body. Those basic pieces of information feed into the disease process that these students treat. So, I feel that I have an important role here. My first few years, I taught biochemistry from the standpoint of a biochemist. That is until I attended a course at Northwestern. There, I learned a lesson I have carried with me ever since: if you give students a reason to learn something, they can learn anything. So, I flipped my course on its head. I asked, 'From a biochemical standpoint, what's important about various sections of the eye?' I started at the front of the eye and specifically tears. There are lots of proteins in tears. So, we talked about the basics of proteins. For tear production, you need lipids. So, we talked about lipids, both the lipids in our diet plus how we make them in the body. Then we got to the cornea. The cornea has a high energy demand. So, we talked about the Krebs cycle. Instead of going from chapter one and onward in a textbook, we jumped all over the place because I was giving them a way to look at biochemistry through the eye. At the time when I was doing this, I was one of the few teachers who took this approach.  I’ve always wanted the students to see why biochemistry is important for them, and it gets students excited about the lessons. How have you seen ICO and optometry grow since you arrived at ICO? The scope of practice has significantly expanded since I arrived 28 years ago. What students need to know has also significantly expanded. ICO has changed how they approach teaching and how they organize the coursework for the students. One thing that's changed for me is that I've started teaching pharmacology. Luckily, there’s quite a nice overlap between this and biochemistry. I focus on the systemic and general information for pharmacology, while Dr. Bhakhri teaches the ocular pharmacology sections. This course also directly relates to the diseases students treat in the clinic. In pharmacology, we spend time on diabetic drugs. A lot of our patients are diabetics. We spend time on hypertensive drugs. A lot of our patients are hypertensive. So, students keep up with the current treatment plans for these systemic diseases through both their biochemistry and pharmacology courses. I also think the students have changed quite a bit. I've always said that the students are the reason we're here, and I have loved working with all our students. However, when I first arrived, there was a sense of competitiveness amongst the students. We don't see that much anymore. Students are really caring, and they’ve had more exposure working with medically underserved populations, and they want to continue serving these populations into the future. I really enjoy working with students because I know that when they get to the clinic, they're going to be good clinicians. ICO's student-faculty ratio allows for direct, personalized instruction. Here Dr. Zoltoski is using a tool that represents a brainstem to review important cranial nerves information. What’s one thing you want incoming students to know about the field of optometry? This is something I talk about a lot when I interview candidates. Students need to understand that they're treating a whole patient. They’re working with a population that they may not be familiar with. So, they need to approach optometry with the attitude of 'I want to give this person the best vision I can'. Students must also know that treating patients is a collaboration between them and the patient. Not all patients will follow their prescribed treatments. Students need to be able to meet patients where they are and understand the challenges they might be facing. They also have a lot to learn before they get into full-time patient care. Our coursework is challenging. Even more so because we are on a quarter system. They have to be good time managers, and they have to put in the work every day. I always tell students, if you're not doing well in a course, reach out to your professor. They're the final source of information for it, and they’re there to help you. If that's not working for you, work with a tutor. Tutors are an important part of ICO’s educational process. Sometimes my words don't work, so you need somebody else's words. Tutors can step in and provide a completely different perspective. We also set up opportunities for you to build connections outside of the classroom, like ICO Connects. With ICO Connects, students get to know a faculty member in an informal context, which then helps to open up lines of communication. ICO is a small school, so students can make strong connections with faculty. I remind them, we're all future colleagues. When you graduate, you will be an optometrist just like them. You can start that process of building those connections as a student. Dr. Zoltoski helps a second-year student review a pharmacology quiz that they had just taken to prepare for their final exam. Dr. Zoltoski primarily teaches first and second year classes. Here the Class of 2027, is reviewing questions about eye movement and related areas of the brain. You are one of the first people that students meet when they come on campus. What are some pieces of advice that you have for students who will be coming in soon? I think that's a good way to go, so I'll make sure to add quite a bit of what you had there. So, okay, anything else before we end it? I know I'm biased on this, but I think ICO does a great job of educating students from a clinical standpoint, and from a pre-clinical standpoint. If students are considering ICO, they need to visit. Come to campus, check it out, meet some people, and get the opportunity to see what ICO has to offer for incoming students. The students that are here are just fantastic. They’ll happily connect with you and they’re all so willing to help. My longevity here has everything to do with the students. I meet them on almost day one because biochemistry is a first quarter course, so they see me from the very beginning. The students are a fantastic group, and I think they're the reason so many students join ICO every year.

How did you become interested in the field of optometry? Like many optometrists, I started wearing glasses early on, but it wasn't really until I was in college that I started thinking about optometry as a career. I was shadowing an optometrist, and he seemingly had an ideal work-life balance – he found success in his job and had time for his family. Witnessing that and the relationships he had with his long-standing patients, I wanted something similar. There are so many modes of practice in optometry, which is another reason why I decided to go into this field. What would you like incoming students to know about optometry? I feel like what most people coming into optometry are exposed to is refraction and perhaps running a private practice. But I think there's something to be said about all the options that optometrists have available to them. The field has developed so much. Especially after residency, there are so many opportunities students can pursue. For our residency-trained optometrists, you can work in the VA system, at an OD/MD practice, in the military and in education. Optometry isn’t limited to what we were exposed to when we were kids and going to the eye doctor. As an active duty Navy officer, Dr. Salazar treated all kinds of patients. This has meant that at ICO she also has been able to take on many different roles. She's in clinic, in labs and also participates in contract research. You were an optometrist in the Navy before you joined ICO. Why did you choose to become an optometrist in the military? I'm third generation Navy. My dad served for 24 years, and my choice to join the military was heavily influenced by him. Anytime he talks about the military, he just lights up. His experiences and sea stories motivated me to see how I could make it part of my own story. I knew that even if it was just for a few years, I would try it out. Luckily, I ended up getting a scholarship. As an optometry student, I participated in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). After graduation, you join the military as a medical officer and in exchange, they cover most of the fees that you incur as a student including tuition, reimbursement for books and equipment, as well as a monthly stipend. For me, it minimized my need to get a job while I was in optometry school and allowed me to focus on becoming the best optometrist I could be. The scholarship took away that stressor by covering everything. I received my scholarship partway through the first year. Then, between my first and second years, I did my basic training. That was a six-week period where I did all the didactic work required by the military and got my uniforms. I ended up doing basically everything that I would need so that once I graduated, I could join the active duty component immediately. I graduated on a Saturday and started work on Tuesday of the following week. It was a quick turnaround with no time to decompress! Within my first year of practice, I was deployed to Central and South America on a hospital ship called the USNS COMFORT. I did eye exams and referred many patients for surgery. Surgeries were done directly on the ship, while I did exams in makeshift exam lanes in elementary schools. It was a unique experience and a lot of work. My days went from 4 AM to 11 PM pretty much every day. Dr. Salazar's first deployment was to Central/South America where she did eye exams and referred patients for surgery. Surgeries were done directly on the ship USNS Comfort. How has serving in the military changed your perspective? I'm inherently a very introverted person, and I'm really shy. Even today, I despise having all eyes on me. Serving in the Navy forced me out of my comfort zone. During my time in the military, I became the officer in charge of several units and held multiple command-level roles. I am now the Director for Administration of a large command. Having leadership opportunities handed to me and in some ways, forced upon me, pushed me to look within myself and say, “Yes, I'm capable of doing this.” And it led me to feel more confident when applying for certain administrative roles at ICO. In addition to seeing patients and working with students in the lab, I also work in an administrative role as the Specialty Care Educational Coordinator, where I work one-on-one with third- and fourth-year students in specialty clinics to help strengthen their clinical skills. I normally wouldn't have applied for this position, but thanks to the military, I felt more confident taking on the role. I'm so grateful for that because I'm happy with where I am and what I'm doing. I can honestly say I enjoy all the different things that I'm doing both in the military and at ICO. I have learned to approach any opportunity with an open mind, and it’s something I hope to impart to ICO students as well. Even if it’s something you are not completely comfortable with, you never know how these experiences will change your direction in life. I think I'm a good example of that. If you go back 20 years, I would never have seen myself where I am today, and I think a lot of that has to do with the support system that I have and the opportunities I was given. By the time Dr. Salazar completed her active duty component, she was Chief of Optometry for the VA at Lovell Health Care Center. This site is both an externship and residency site for ICO students, and a unique DoD/VA facility (there are only two in the US). Why might students be interested in choosing the VA when they’re considering externship sites? It’s crucial for all students to be well-rounded and to gain experience at various sites. Personally, I spent a lot of time at the VA. I saw and managed patients with a high level of ocular disease. This experience is valuable for every clinician, regardless of the type of practice they go into. I also want to highlight the base where I was stationed, which is just north of Chicago and is an externship (and residency) site for ICO Students. The Lovell Federal Health Care Center is a combined Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs facility, which is rare (the other is Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, MD). Being a combined DoD/VA facility meant that while I was stationed there, I treated all kinds of patients: recruits, veterans, and active-duty service members as well as their dependents. Students who choose to do their externship there will be exposed to many different patients. I was able to treat all those patients in my first four years as a practicing optometrist. For me it was a great way to interact with people from all walks of life very early on in my career. By the end of my four years on active duty, I was the Chief of Optometry for the VA portion of the clinics. I then transitioned to the Navy Reserves. Now, I'm required to serve one weekend a month and complete a full two weeks of annual training a year. It's an opportunity for me to travel, to branch out and take on new leadership challenges. Because I have so much experience working with so many different patients, I’ve been able to diversify my patient care base here at ICO as well. Since joining as faculty, I’m largely based in Rosenbloom, but I also see patients throughout the IEI. I'm teaching and doing contract research, both of which are relatively new for me but have been amazing. I never saw myself doing things like contract research or even teaching my own lab but here I am and I'm discovering how much I enjoy it. Because of her many unique and diverse experiences, Dr. Salazar now wears many hats at ICO. She's in the Rosenbloom Clinic, but also in Cornea and Contact Lens and Primary Care. In addition, she also works with students as the Specialty Care Educational Coordinator. What's one thing that you would like students to know about ICO? The support system at ICO is amazing. I'm not from here, nor did I go to school here, and yet, I feel very much at home at ICO. We have support from everywhere. Like I mentioned, I'm in the Reserves, which means I’m required to leave for extended periods of time, sometimes with little notice. My colleagues graciously step in and help cover my clinic shifts and assignments. I really appreciate feeling like I’m part of a team. And then there’s Chicago. Coming from a non-Chicagoan, I love Chicago. I am raising my kids in Chicago. My husband's also not from here, and we've made Chicago our home. Last, but not least, I love working with our patients. I'm in the Rosenbloom clinic where there's a large geriatric population. Many of our patients also served in the military, and it really helps me build rapport with them. The patients make our clinic, and I love helping them. I've seen patients come from all areas of the state and across the border to see us at ICO, and it gives me such pride knowing that we are reaching a wide variety of patients. I love this place and I love being associated with such a positive experience for so many people. I couldn't ask to be at a better place.

This honor recognizes students in the first and second professional year who have distinguished themselves by scoring 90% or higher on the pre-clinical skills assessment last quarter and scored no lower than 75% on all NBEO skills. Class of 2025, Fall 2022 Stephen Sanabria Kylie Donohue Joy Lin Christy Chung Donna Bayat Fard Mondo (Bahti) Kazadi Caroline Kaczowka Grace Oh Lesley Wong Catherine Liu Sarah Statsick Emily Chong Shang-Yun (Wendy) Huang Samuel (Sam) Yoon Dayne Crouch Yalda Feiz Kianna Swanson Priya Patel Madeline Knutson Amber White Courtney Carmain Class of 2026, Fall 2022 Tina Dobos Mikayla Kemp Pa Vang John (Jack) Latham Jana Hamad Colton (Cole) Demarest Mariam Aboobaker Navdeep (Navi) Warha Marisa Kim Nancy Garay Espinoza Amanda Fernandez Andrew Cline Sanober Khan Kara Katzung Samantha (Sam) Weinfurter Ruhi Verma Ludwig (Alex) Kuhar Jenna Jabali Jeffrey (Jeff) Peters Allyson (Ally) Lamkin Verenice Castillo Abigail (Abby) Symanski Shaun Dhillon Christopher Cook Krithi Jaligama Melina Raymundo Abby Phalen Pei Zhi Lin Shivani Patel Maya Weis Abigail (Abby) Wilhelmi Leah Giberson Thomas Lach Sarah Bittle Marcus Carter-Buckman Tiffany Cha Ryan Mannion Anastasiya Dudnyk Alexis (Lexie) Mandery Benjamin (Ben) Fodchuk Khunsha Altaf Joseph (Joe) Tawfic Haley Paul

One of the things we love most about ICO is ICO's diversity. We have many LatinX and Hispanic employees especially in the IEI. So we asked them, how do you celebrate your heritage and what do you think makes ICO special? Here are their responses. Thanks to all who shared a bit of their culture with us. Martha Boyd "Personally, we just have a small get together with our family since Mexican Independence Day is also my mom's birthday. We like to have all 'Mexican Antojitos' which is tacos, tostadas and booze of course, lol." Rosalia Valencia "We have big family gatherings and we make lots of food." Devon Mendez "Partying, eating and drinking adult drinks. I believe it's important to celebrate to embrace your family background." Martha Seyffert "Family gatherings, food, music and dancing. It reminds me of all the sacrifices my parents and grandparents made to give me and all my family members born in the United States a better life." Jose Rodriguez "I celebrate Heritage Month United with the family by getting together all at one house, eating and dancing all night until sunrise!! It lets us all know that we matter in this world!!" We also asked them what they thought made ICO special. Here are a few things they said: "The fact that we are all a big family, and just like with any family some of us are more talkative than others." :) "All the paid time we get off to spend time with our loved ones." "The food and drinks when we are celebrated for appreciation week." "Patient care and all the people that work at ICO." Thanks everyone for sharing your traditions! It was fun to learn a bit more about how you celebrate your heritage, and it made us very hungry!