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dedicated to the advancement
of optometric education and research

6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 506 • Rockville, MD 20852, USA • Tel (301) 984-4734 • Fax (301) 984-4737 • Email AOF Awards

2011 William C. Ezell Fellows

2011-2012 American Optometric Foundation Ezell Fellows 
 

  
The 2012 - 2013 William C. Ezell Fellowships

Purpose and History

Since 1947 the American Optometric Foundation has offered Ezell Fellowships to encourage talented persons to pursue full-time careers in optometric research and education. These fellowships support graduate students enrolled in a full-time program of study and training in vision-related research that leads to a Master's or PhD degree.

The Ezell Fellowships have become the flagship program of the AOF. Fellowships are for one year and the current amount of the award is $8,000. Each student also receives travel grants to the annual meetings of the American Academy of Optometry and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, which are $750 each.

The American Optometric Foundation has awarded more than 200 Fellowships to students pursuing graduate studies. Among the list of former Ezell Fellows are over 20 deans and presidents of optometric schools and colleges, over 100 faculty members and over 100 Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry, including three of its presidents.

Eligibility

Graduate students, in a full-time program of study and training in vision-related research that leads to a Masters or Ph.D. degree.

Award Levels and Duration

Fellowships are $8,000. Distribution is to the individual and released in the Fall. Reapplication can lead to funding for an additional year with repeat applicants encouraged to show significant research progress in their application, however, only under exceptional circumstances will recipients be funded for a third year.

Applications

APPLICATION WINDOW IS NOW OPEN! 


Word icon Ezell Fellowship 2012 Application Form 

Application Review Process

The Research Committee of the American Academy of Optometry reviews all fellowship applications and sends its recommendations to the AOF Board which approves and funds the Ezell Fellowships through endowments and corporate sponsorship.

Accepting an AOF Ezell Fellowship

In accepting an AOF Ezell Fellowship, students agree to:

  • submit annual progress reports
  • notify AOF of changes in their program
  • acknowledge the AOF in written and oral presentations
  • attend the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry including the AOF Celebration Luncheon
  • pursue a full-time career in optometric education and research in a school or college of optometry
  • consider support of the AOF through the Ezell Club and work towards Fellowship
  • submit a W-8 form (Non-U.S. residents) or W-9 form (U.S. Residents).
Deadline for Receipt of Applications
  •  New and renewal applications, including associated materials, must be received by Friday, March 16, 2012
  • Applications and supporting materials should be emailed to Email AOF Awards.
  • Include the words Ezell Fellowship (+applicant last name) in the subject line of the email.
  • Attachments should preferably be saved as pdfs, although MS Word is acceptable. A few attachments containing multiple documents is preferred to multiple attachments.
  • All attachments must be saved with a unique file name. The first word in the file name should be the applicant’s last name.
  • Letters of recommendation should be emailed by the recommender to Email AOF Awards.
           Note: All submissions receive a confirming email within 1-3 business days of receipt. You will receive an      additional message only if any of the supportive letters are not delivered. If you do not receive a confirmation your submission file may have been too large to pass security measures.

 

        All award recipients by application and acceptance of an award agree to allow the AOF and/or the sponsor of the program to which they applied to publish their  name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats that will announce and promote the program including, but not limited to, the AOF and/or sponsor annual report, website, annual meeting promotional materials.

 

For further Information Contact

American Optometric Foundation
6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 506
Rockville, MD 20852 USA
Tel (301) 984-4734 
Email AOF Awards

 

American Optometric Foundation 2011–2012 William C. Ezell Fellowships

 

Since 1949, the American Optometric Foundation has provided professional encouragement and financial dupport through the William C. Ezell Fellowships.  This longstanding program recognizes the talents of graduate students who plan to pursue an academic career in optometry and vision science.  The Foundation is please to continue this tradition by naming 13 deserving individuals to list.  Each was honored during the annual AOF Celebration Luncheon during Academy Boston.

Selected for their contributions to the advancement of vision science and to the profession of optometry, each receives an $8,000 award and two $750 travel grants.

The AOF wishes to express appreciation to the corporations that sponsored this year’s Ezell Fellowship program: American Academy of Optometry, ALCON Foundation, Bausch + Lomb, CIBA Vision Corporation, Essilor of America,  ISTA Pharmaceuticals and VISTAKON®.

Additional funding for the Ezell Fellowship program is provided by: Dr. Irvin M.  Borish and Mike Daley, with support from Essilor of America; the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies Fund, the Optometric Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Optometry, the Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellowship Fund and the Merton C. Flom Leadership Fund.

 

The 2011-2012 AOF- William C. Ezell Fellows are: 

American Academy of Optometry Ezell Fellow
Juan "Jenny" Huang, BMed
University of Houston, College of Optometry 
 
AAO Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies Ezell Fellow
Andrew Pucker, MS, OD
The Ohio State University, College of Optometry 
 
ALCON Foundation Ezell Fellow
Tihomira Petkova, OD
University of Houston, College of Optometry
 
Bausch + Lomb Ezell Fellow
Tatiana Ecoiffier, MEng, MS
University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry
 
Bausch + Lomb Ezell Fellow
Darren E. Koenig, BS, OD
University of Houston,College of Optometry
 
Irvin M. Borish - Essilor Ezell Fellow
Pablo de Gracia, BSOptom, MSc
University of Madrid

 

CIBA Vision Ezell Fellow
Alex Hui, OD
University of Waterloo, School of Optometry
Mike Daley - Essilor Ezell Fellow
Jean-Marie Hanssens, OD 
University of Montreal, School of Optometry
 
Merton C. Flom Leadership Ezell Fellow
Nicole Ann Carnt, BOptom, FBCLA, FAAO
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

 

Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellow
Kristina Dalton, OD, MSc, MCOptom, FAAO
University of Aston, Birmingham,  United Kingdom

 

ISTA Pharmaceuticals Ezell Fellow
Daniel Powell, OD
The Ohio State University, College of Optometry
 
Optometric Glaucoma Society Ezell Fellow
Nimesh Patel, OD, FAAO
University of Houston, College of Optometry

 

Visionary Circle Ezell Fellow
Mariana Garcia, BS
University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry

 

Visionary Circle Ezell Fellow
Kristina Marie Haworth, BBA, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University, College of Optometry

 To date, over 200 William C. Ezell Fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program.  

 

 

Endowed Ezell Fellowships

The Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellowship

The Foundation has received a $240,000 commitment to establish the Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellowship. This award will provide support for an optometrist pursuing graduate work in education, public policy, public health, or related areas. Michael has a history of leadership and philanthropy, further demonstrated by this magnificent gift. The Foundation will award the first Harris Ezell in 2010.

The Optometric Glaucoma Society Ezell Fellowship

The Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS) has pledged to endow an Ezell Fellowship to support a graduate student in optometry and vision science working on glaucoma-related research. Under the leadership of Murray Fingeret and Tom Lewis, OGS will work with the Foundation to raise the $200,000 necessary to endow the award. They have set an ambitious goal of raising the funds within the next three years. While some of the funds will come for the Society’s corporate sponsors, the OGS membership will make individual three-year pledges to the fund. They invite all doctors interested and engaged in the management of glaucoma to join them by making a gift or pledge to the fund.

The Merton Flom Ezell Fellowship in Leadership

Mert Flom is a former Ezell Fellow, a former Academy President, and an academic leader of our profession in every sense. His passion for training, research, and leadership has led the Flom family to make significant lead pledges to establish an Ezell Fellowship with an emphasis on leadership, hopefully to include participation in courses and an internship. Mert and his wife Pene, Mert’s daughter Roanne and son-in-law Tom Raasch, and Mert’s son Walt and daughter-in-law Gail have all pledged their support for the fund. Friends of Mert have also pledged substantial support with the goal of reaching the $200,000 to endow the Fellowship. We invite all Academy Fellows who have been touched by Mert’s influence and passion to support the fund by making a five-year pledge or a one-time gift.

AOF Pledge Form in PDF format