June 2022

Join Us in Chicago
SCO alumni and friends are invited to visit SCO's booth and attend our reception later this week at the AOA meeting in Chicago. SCO's Booth (#3107) will be open in the Exhibit Hall on Thursday, June 19 from 4-6 pm, 9-5 on Friday, and 9 am-noon on Saturday, June 18. SCO's reception will be held Friday evening from 5:30-7 pm at the Marriott Marquis.

Glen Steele, OD '69, will be on hand in SCO's booth from 11-2 on Friday, June 17, a perfect opportunity to congratulate him on receiving the W. David Sullins, Jr. InfantSEE award at this year's meeting. Dr. Steele has also just announced that he will be retiring later this summer after serving on SCO's faculty for more than 53 years, so this event is the perfect occasion to thank him for all he's done for SCO and optometry. (Stay tuned for more celebrations of his remarkable career!)

Residency Weekend
Congratulations to this year's group of 54 residents who were honored during Residency Weekend as they neared the completion of their programs. A residency ceremony was held with each recipient receiving a pin.

Congratulations to former resident Patrick Fiddler, OD, now a faculty member, who received the Dr. Oscar Marquardt Vision Therapy Research Fellowship Award previously delayed by the pandemic. Terry Marquardt, OD '74, traveled from New Mexico to present the award personally to Dr. Fiddler, pictured below.

Classnotes and Updates
News about SCO's Students, Alumni and Faculty
To help commemorate SCO's 90th anniversary, be sure to follow the college's social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Each Friday this summer becomes "Flashback Friday" as we share photos from different eras throughout SCO's history, such as this one featuring Dwight Shreck, OD '82, and Carolyn Carman, OD '83. The college welcomes additions to our photo archives. If you've been digitizing old prints or negatives or even have more recent digital files to share, we welcome your photos to document our history. Please email bfisher@sco.edu.
Henry Miller, OD '77, shared this photo of his newest granddaughter, Lilly, wearing her SCO onesie.
Pete Simmons, OD '92, recently visited campus with his family for the first time since he graduated 30 years ago. The family lives in Utah.
DeAndre Monique Carr, OD '00, recently was re-elected secretary-treasurer of the Board of the Mississippi Vision Foundation. Read more here.
Blake Rust, OD '11, and his wife, Mimi, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter, Mellie Blake, born May 27.
SCO Board member Jennifer Lyerly, OD '11, recently wrote an article in Women in Optometry about connecting with presbyopia patients.
Mark Schaeffer, OD '11, recently wrote an article for Review of Optometric Business about creating a best-in-class patient experience.
Adam Ramsey, OD '12, and his colleague Darryl Glover, OD, received the New England College of Optometry Presidential Medal for their work as founders of Black Eyecare Perspective.
Brandon Rushing, OD '14, shared this photo of his wife Scovia and their daughter, Claire, who is pictured wearing her SCO onesie. They're seen reading the book Scovia Learns She Has Melanin, authored by Dr. Rushing's wife. The book is available at Covenanters' Corner Bookstore or internationally on Amazon.
Jennyffer Smith, OD '16, recently recorded this ASCO video about research and pursuing her PhD.
Emily Eisenhower, OD '17, and Amanda Dellinger, OD '08, were among the representatives from the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians who recently traveled to Capitol Hill to advocate for the profession.
Eva Hudson, OD '21, wed Ryan Jones on May 22 in Little Rock. Read more details here.

Just in time for June weddings, SCO alumni may receive these free SCO branded flutes when you submit a photo and details about your nuptials. Just email bfisher@sco.edu to receive yours as we help celebrate your wedding ceremony!

In Memoriam
Retired faculty member Allan Schoen, OD '72, died on May 28, 2022. He served on SCO's faculty for 40 years. Read more in his obituary here.


Faculty and Staff Updates
Beth Sparrow, OD '98, and Wil McGriff, OD, were among the faculty members who recently joined alumni, residents, and students by volunteering at the Special Olympics event organized by the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians in Nashville.
Janette Pepper, OD, was among the participants at the recent Transitions Academy.
Chris Lievens, OD, recently recorded this new podcast.
Consider making a gift in honor of one of SCO's residents as they complete their residency program! Use the "Give a Gift" button to make a gift online, or contact the Office of Institutional Advancement for other ways to support SCO. Your gift is appreciated!