Members Honored at College of Optometrists in Vision Development 45th Annual Meeting
Six individuals received awards for their contributions to developmental optometry during the Awards Luncheon held at the 45thAnnual Meeting of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), April 17, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Receiving recognition were Dr. Michael F. Gallaway, Dr. Carol Marusich, Certified Optometric Vision Therapist Jessica Stevenson, Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Ms. Toni Bristol, and Ms. Michele Hillman.
The 2015 A.M. Skeffington Award for outstanding contributions to the optometric literature in the areas of behavioral vision care and vision therapy was given to Michael F. Gallaway, OD, FCOVD. Dr. Gallaway is an optometrist on faculty at Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in Philadelphia and has been in private practice in the South Jersey area since 1989, specializing in vision therapy and children’s vision disorders.
Carol Marusich, OD, FCOVD was awarded the 2015 G.N. Getman Award in recognition of her excellence in developmental optometry, her work as COVD International Examination and Certification Board Chair, and her contributions to the profession and her community. Dr. Marusich is in private practice in Eugene, Oregon and holds an adjunct faculty position for the Pacific University College of Optometry.
The 2015 Certified Optometric Vision Therapist of the Year Award was given to Jessica Stevenson for her outstanding dedication to developmental optometry and patient care. Ms. Stevenson works for Dr. Carole Burns in Westerville, Ohio where she is the Clinical Director of Vision Therapy.
The President’s Award was presented to two individuals, Lynn Hellerstein, OD, FCOVD, and Ms. Toni Bristol for their outstanding contributions to COVD -- Dr. Hellerstein for her continued dedication to expanding vision therapy through the Tour de Optometry program and for her leadership in board development, and Ms. Bristol for her continued dedication to furthering the success of vision therapy practices and increasing awareness of how optometric vision therapy changes lives.
Ms. Michele Hillman was presented with the Making Vision Therapy Visible Award for her efforts in educating the public about vision therapy. Ms. Hillman is the administrator of the Vision Therapy Parents Unite Facebook group. She was featured with her son in the April 9, 2014 press release A Missing Piece to the Autism Puzzle: College of Optometrists in Vision Development Shares the Visual Link to Autistic Behaviors.
These awards are given annually at the COVD Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon. Nominations for the awards are reviewed by selection committees compiled of past award recipients, COVD members, and members of the Board of Directors.
In addition, 30 travel grants and six travel scholarships were presented to optometry students and residents to help defer expenses for their attendance at the COVD meeting. COVD received donations from COVD members to help fund these grants and scholarships. Special thanks to Dr. Robert and Mrs. Linda Sanet for funding the four VT Resident travel scholarships; and to Drs. Richard Laudon, Celia Hinrichs, and Cathy Stern for funding the two NECO student travel scholarships.
CONTACT: Pamela R. Happ, MSM, CAE
COVD Executive Director
330.995.0718 tel
Email: phapp@covd.org
Website: www.covd.org
About COVD
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international, non-profit optometric membership organization that provides education, evaluation, and board certification programs in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy, and visual rehabilitation. The organization is comprised of doctors of optometry, vision therapists and other vision specialists. For more information on learning-related vision problems, vision therapy and COVD, please visit http://www.covd.org/ or call 330.995.0718.
A series of public service announcements (PSAs) are available at covd.org to help raise awareness that vision problems can not only interfere with learning, but sports performance, and other activities of daily living. These PSAs also address vision problems that impact individuals who have autism spectrum disorders or those who have suffered a head injury.
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