There can be no better way for an organization to honor their members who have helped advance its knowledge base than to publicly acknowledge individual contributions. These are the Awards of the American Academy of Optometry and the American Optometric Foundation.
List of Awards (Alphabetical)
- American Academy of Optometry - Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry
- Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award
- Garland W. Clay Award
- Eminent Service Award
- William Feinbloom Award
- Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award
- The Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education
- Honorary; Life Fellowship Award
- Carel C. Koch Memorial Medal Award
- Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics
- The Charles F. Prentice Medal
American Academy of Optometry - Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry
"Essilor International Award"
This award recognizes an individual, individuals or organizations for extraordinary international contributions to optometry or international eye care.
Criteria: The American Academy of Optometry - Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry recognizes an individual(s) or organizations whose direct efforts and contributions have resulted in unquestionably significant and extraordinary advances in optometry and eye care internationally.
Since the Award is only to be made from nominations of truly extraordinary international contributions to optometry or eye care, it will not necessarily be awarded every year. The recipient's contributions should be clearly documented and self-evident, in that the excellence and importance of the contributions have been established and known to the international optometric community.
There are a number of ways in which the contributions might qualify for nomination, such as:
- Contributions outside of the United States and Canada that have advanced excellence in optometric education and/or eye care in multiple countries; or alternatively in a single country, if the contribution results in a truly dramatic change in that country.
- Unusual contributions that might be demonstrated through one of many avenues including, but not limited to, research, education, patient care or legislative efforts.
- Unique contributions resulting in the improvement of eye care internationally, as in the instance of third world countries where the delivery of services could be considered pioneering.
Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award
The Borish Award (established in 1996) recognizes an outstanding young scientist or clinician scientist who has shown exceptional promise to conduct independent research directly related to etiology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, or management of clinical ocular disorders. The award need not be given every year. At the time of nomination, a Borish Award nominee should be within 6 years of the date of completion of his or her final degree. Typically this degree will be the PhD but, in exceptional circumstances, current research accomplishments and promise for the future may qualify an individual for consideration for this award with the degree Doctor of Optometry, Master of Science, or other professional or research degree. The recipient need not be a Fellow of the Academy nor an optometrist.
Garland W. Clay Award
The Garland W. Clay Award (established 1978) is a plaque which, as of 1998, is presented to the author or authors of the manuscript published in Optometry and Vision Science that has been most widely cited in the world of scientific literature in the preceding five years.
Eminent Service Award
The Eminent Service Award honors those persons who have rendered extraordinary and/or distinguished long-term service to the Academy. It was first presented in 1960. Nominations can be made by any member of the Academy to the Chair of the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee then makes its recommendation to the Board of Directors.
William Feinbloom Award
The William Feinbloom Award (established 1983) is an annual award presented to an individual who has made a distinguished and significant contribution to clinical excellence and the direct clinical advancement of visual and optometric service and thus the visual enhancement of the public. The award is not limited to Academy Fellows or to optometrists. The Awards Committee selects one person and submits their recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval.
The Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award (established in 1970) is sponsored by the American Optometric Foundation. The award is given annually to a distinguished scientist or clinician scientist in recognition of the quality, significance, impact, and relevance to optometry of his or her current research contributions. Fulfilling these criteria typically requires that the nominee be at the mid-career stage, meaning that current accomplishments are worthy of the award and the nominee is highly likely to continue to make significant contributions to his or her field. The recipient need not be a Fellow of the Academy nor an optometrist. The recipient will present a special lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry on his or her current research contributions. It is also expected that the recipient will submit a manuscript on that topic to Optometry and Vision Science.
The Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education
This award is presented by the American Optometric Foundation (AOF) to an optometric educator who has demonstrated ongoing and consistent excellence in the education of optometry students and/or the advancement of optometric education. Each candidate is judged by his or her contribution and excellence in optometric education by virtue of performance in any or all of the following areas: teaching (classroom, laboratory, clinic, distance learning), scholarship that enhances optometric education, organizational work that enhances optometric education. Each Dean or President of each School or College of Optometry may nominate one individual. This nomination should include a letter of recommendation from the Dean or President stating why this person is worthy of the award. This individual’s current curriculum vitae should also be included.
Honorary & Life Fellowship Award
Prior to 1986, Honorary Life Fellowship was usually given to Academy Fellows who had contributed significantly to the Academy with years of service being a factor in the selection; on several occasions this award was given to individuals who were not optometrists and were not members of the Academy.
Bylaw amendments adopted in 1986 changed the name of this award to Honorary Fellowship and defined it as honoring individuals who are not Academy Fellows for distinguished contributions to the Academy and/or the science and art of optometry. Nominations are made to the Awards Committee by Academy members and are approved by the Board of Directors. At the same time, the distinction of Life Fellowship was created to provide recognition to those Fellows who through long-time membership in the Academy have rendered distinguished service to the science and art of optometry; the selection procedure is the same as for Honorary Fellowship. Both awards also constitute membership categories.
Carel C. Koch Memorial Medal Award
The Carel C. Koch Memorial Medal Award (established 1974) is awarded to a person who has made outstanding contributions to the enhancement and development of relationships between optometry and other professions. This award is not limited to Academy Fellows nor to optometrists, but may be presented to physicians, educators, or others who have made an outstanding contribution in that direction, worthy of national attention. Academy members make nominations to the Awards Committee and the Awards Committee makes selections with the Board of Directors' approval.
Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics
Awarded to a student in a school or college of optometry who submits a paper not to exceed 3,000 words on one of the following topics: Geometrical Optics; Physical Optics; Ophthalmic Optics; Optics of the Eye. This includes aspects of "Modern Optics" that involves the modern measurement and correction of the eye's aberrations in diagnosis and treatment of a range of eye conditions (e.g. in corneal surgery and contact lenses). The President or Dean of each school may submit two papers for nomination each year.
The Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics is offered by the American Optometric Foundation to any student pursuing the Doctor of Optometry degree in a school or college of optometry. The nominee must submit a paper written in English not to exceed 3000 words on one of the following topics:
- Geometrical Optics
- Physical Optics
- Ophthalmic Optics
- Optics of the Eye, including "modern optics" [measurement and correction of the eye's aberrations]
The President or Dean of each school may nominate two papers each year with an accompanying letter. The Awards Committee will receive the papers and an apointed panel of expert judges will make the selection.
Papers must be received by the Academy office from the Presidents and Deans by April 2, 2012.
Applications should be sent to:
The Julius F. Neumueller Award in Optics
c/o American Academy of Optometry
6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 506
Rockville, MD 20878
The Charles F. Prentice Medal
The Charles F. Prentice Medal Award (established in 1958) is awarded annually to a distinguished scientist or clinician scientist in recognition of a career-long record of advancement of knowledge in vision science. The award is considered to be the most prestigious of the Academy’s awards for achievement in research. Establishing a long record of distinction in research will typically require that the nominee be beyond the mid-career stage. The nominee will be judged by the quality, significance, and impact of his or her career-long body of work in vision science. The recipient need not be a Fellow of the Academy nor an optometrist. The recipient of the Prentice Medal will present a special lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry related to these career achievements, highlighting one or more of his or her most significant scientific contributions. It is also expected that the recipient will submit a manuscript on that topic to Optometry and Vision Science.
Nomination Process
- A letter of nomination from an Academy Fellow, explaining why the nominee is particularly deserving of the award for which the nomination has been made.
- A copy of the CV of the nominee.
- A letter seconding the nomination from another Academy Fellow. These three items should be emailed to helenv@aaoptom.org or sent to the Academy office (6110 Executive Blvd., Ste. 506, Rockville, MD 20852), care of the Awards Committee.
- Awards Nomination Deadline is April 2, 2012.