FocalPoint 7-06 - SUNY College of Optometry

SUMMER 2006
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SUNY Optometry Alumni Association
Congratulations
to the Class of 2006!
Dr. Scott Richter ‘75 (left) the recipient
of the “Alumnus of the Year” award,
with Dr. Joan Portello ‘86.
Cheers to the Class of 2006!
Dr. Karla Zadnik was
commencement speaker.
The 32nd Commencement took place on June 4 in
the Hudson Theatre. Interim President John B. Clark
presided. We wish all the graduates happiness and
success in their future careers.
The State University of New York | State College of Optometry | 33 West 42nd Street | New York, NY 10036

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2006 ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
President
Dr. Joan K. Portello ‘86
Treasurer
Dr. Denise M. Whittam ‘91
Secretary
Dr. Annette P. Contento ‘91
Directors
Dr. Julia J. Appel ‘91
Dr. Samar Awad ‘92
Dr. Lisa M. Galstian ‘85
Dr. Kevin D. Geiger ‘92
Dr. Vito Proscia ‘91
Dr. Ned J. Steinfeld ‘76
Dr. Jonathan Wasserstein ‘98
Dr. Shandor Zelenger ‘98
Class Representatives
Class of 1993
Dr. Michelle C. Blas
Class of 1991
Dr. Lawrence D. Miller
Class of 1990
Dr. Theresa Rostkowski
Class of 1989
Dr. Renee L. Lee-Valenti
Class of 1985
Dr. Frances M. Ward
Class of 1984
Dr. Keith M. Dworkin
Class of 1980
Dr. Mark A. Gendal
Class of 1976
Dr. Bernard K. Rubin
Alumni Office
212.938.5603 (phone)
212.938.5653 (fax)
Vice President for
Institutional Advancement
Ms. Ann Warwick
Director, Annual Fund
Ms. Maryanne Byington
Director, Planned Giving
Dr. Rafael Urquidi
Senior Staff Associate
and focal point Editor
Ms. Patricia Ludwig
focal point Photography
Mr. Juan Carlos Martinez
A Message from the President
This issue of Focal
Point is dedicated to he
memory of Rena Farber
Haskes ‘92 and Shari
Kapowitz Dukoff ‘86.
Our annual Envision New York is just
around the corner and I hope you all will
join us for what promises to be an exciting
weekend of continuing education and a dinner-dance-cruise.
Our boat, The Princess,
offers a spectacular view of the Statue of
Liberty, the new Battery Park and the oneof-a-kind
Manhattan skyline at night.
Circle your calendars for October 21-23
here at the College. We have been sending
out reminders to all alumni, especially the
reunion years. I hope those of you in my
class will attend. You are all very dear to me
and I really want to see everyone.
The College is going through a transitional
phase with the departure of Dr. John
Clark to SUNY’s Alfred University where he
will serve as Interim President again. In the
meantime, Mr. David Bowers, Vice President
for Business Affairs and Finance has been
appointed by Chancellor Ryan as Officer in
Charge. We’re delighted that the Chancellor
had confidence in the Senior Staff of the
College to appoint one of our own.
You, as alumni, can have the opportunity
to participate in the future of SUNY O by
sending your suggestions about what kind
of person could best lead the College forward
in a rapidly changing world. I know
Ms. Gretchen Stone, Chair of the Presidential
Search Committee, would welcome your
ideas. You can send your suggestions to the
College’s Alumni Office to the attention of
the Search Committee and we will deliver
them to Ms. Stone.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and I look
forward to seeing everyone at Envision.
Sincerely,
Joan K. Portello, O.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.O., ‘86
President
Each One Reach One (EORO)
Join the ASCO Career Promotion Corps!
The Association of Schools and Colleges
of Optometry’s (ASCO) “Each One, Reach
One” campaign is a practitioner-based career
promotion effort that encourages O.D.s to
talk to their patients and other gifted young
people about optometry as a future career.
The goal of the “Each One, Reach One”
program is to increase optometry’s national
applicant pool to three applicants for each
first year position and to develop an applicant
pool that reflects the diversity of the
U.S. population. According to a ten-year
study on incoming students at all schools
and colleges of optometry, the majority of
students indicated that their decision to
choose optometry as a career was due to the
encouragement of individual optometrists.
You are optometry’s best advocates –
your enthusiasm and commitment to the
profession will encourage students to
choose optometry as a career.
An important note: this program is not
about increasing the number of graduates
from the nation’s optometry schools. It’s
about making sure that those who are
selected continue to reflect the profession’s
ability to attract bright and caring young
people.
Join Now!
It’s easy to become a member of the
“Each One Reach One” Career Corps and
promote your profession to the optometrists
of tomorrow. Be a part of EORO 2000 members’
corps. Just go to the ASCO website:
www.opted.org and click on Career Corps
or contact Victoria Smith-Moore at ASCO:
vsmithmoore@opted.org.
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College News
Mr. David Bowers Named College’s
Officer in Charge
State University of New York Chancellor John R. Ryan
appointed Mr. David Bowers, the College’s Vice President for
Administration and Finance, officer in charge of the campus
while the search for a permanent president continues.
“Dave Bowers has earned the respect of the College
community over the years with his thoughtful and efficient
management style. He has successfully worked with a variety
of campus constituencies, from Optometry’s research scientists
to the College foundation trustees, to the great benefit
of the institution. He brings a unique, multifaceted understanding
of the institution to his position as officer in charge,”
said Ryan.
Ryan made the appointment after the SUNY Board of
Trustees voted to name Dr. John B. Clark, Interim President
of Alfred State College. Ryan’s appointment of Bowers was
effective July 1.
Bowers, a resident of Port Jefferson Station, NY, has been
Vice President at the SUNY College of Optometry since 1988.
Prior to joining the College, he served as the Associate Dean
for Administration and Finance at the School of Medicine,
Stony Brook University for nine years.
During his tenure at SUNY Optometry, he has overseen
major capital construction projects, institutional finances and
budget, and facility administration. He is a past President and
Vice President of the SUNY Business Officers Association.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, School of Architecture,
where he received a Master of City Planning Degree,
Bowers also earned a Master of Business Administration
from Virginia Commonwealth University.
It’s a Girl for Dr. Rima Khan
Dr. Rima Khan, 2001 resident, and her husband Mehdi
have a new addition to their family. Rima gave birth to a baby
girl on March 19. Alina Mian Khan weighed 8lbs. 5oz. Dad
and big sister Zahra are very proud!
SUNY Faculty Run for Diabetes Research
On Labor Day weekend, Drs. Joan K. Portello and Mark
Rosenfield will be running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon
(13.1) miles in Virginia Beach. Dollars raised will go toward
research aimed at finding improved methods of treatment
and eventually a cure for diabetes which is reaching epidemic
proportions in this country. You can support Joanie and Mark
by sending a check made payable to the American Diabetes
Association to either of them at the College.
Class Notes
COLUMBIA
Dr. Mel Schrier and his wife
Cynthia celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary with a
brunch on June 25 at the
Bay Club, in Rancho Palo
Verdes, CA. Congratulations!
SUNY COLLEGE
OF OPTOMETRY
1975
Dr. Scott Richter was the
recipient of the “Alumnus
of the Year” award at commencement
on June 4.
Congratulations from your
colleagues at the College
and your fellow alumni.
1976
Best wishes to Bernie Rubin
who is getting married
on October 21 to Becky
McCarthy. Becky is a
managing partner of the
law firm Procter, McCarthy,
Slaughter. Wedding vows
will be exchanged in Santa
Barbara, CA.
1995
Amelia Bartolone and husband
Joseph welcomed with
joy their St. Patty’s Day baby
boy! Tylan Ozkuzey was born
March 17, weighing 7lbs.
2oz. Mom, dad and baby are
all doing well.
1998
Marie Bodack will be leaving
the East Coast and going to
Ohio. Marie has been working
in the College Pediatric
Clinic and will be missed by
those whose lives she has
influenced through her compassionate
professionalism.
Best wishes and much
happiness to Marie.
Jonathan Wasserstein and
his wife Allison welcomed
their first child Max Russell
on May 31. Congratulations!
1999
Dana (Hyman) Stern and
her husband Eric celebrated
the birth of their son Isaac
on March 30. Isaac weighed
10 lbs 1oz and joins his
three-year-old sister Kayla
in the Stern household on
Long Island.
2003
Alla Zlotina gave birth to a
beautiful baby boy on May 9.
Daniel weighed 7lbs 4oz.
Mom and baby are both
doing fine.
2005
Audrey Nguyen and
Tuan Du are both busy in
California. Audrey is practicing
in Pasadena and Tuan is
finishing his low vision residency
at the Center for the
Partially Sighted in Santa
Monica. They were married
July 2 in Diamond Bar, CA.
Congratulations!
SUNY Optometry
Alumni Association
Phone: 212.938.5603
Fax: 212.938.5653
Email: pludwig@
sunyopt.edu
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IN MEMORIAM
Dr. Paul Ellant – Columbia
Class of 1949 passed away
on May 9. Dr. Ellant’s
expertise was in vision
training. We extend our
condolences to his widow,
Arlene and family.
Dr. Rena Farber Haskes –
Class of 1992 of Hamden,
CT, died June 1. She was
the wife of Dr. Charles
Haskes ‘91. Born in
Hackensack, NJ, she was
the daughter of the late
Bernard and Sarah
(Sussman) Farber. She
received a bachelor of arts
degree from the State
University of New York at
Binghamton and received
her Doctor of Optometry
degree from the State University
of New York College
of Optometry where she
completed her residency
training in vision therapy,
with an emphasis on infant
vision, pediatrics and traumatic
brain injury. Besides
her husband, she is survived
by a daughter, Elli
Haskes of Hamden; and
two sisters, Miriam
Lawrence of Cherry Hill,
NJ, and Sharon Farber of
Ra’anana, Israel. Memorial
contributions may be made
to the American Brain
Tumor Association, 2720
River Road, Des Plaines,
Ill. 60018, or Connecticut
Hospice, 100 Double Beach
Road, Branford, CT 06405.
The Continuing Education Corner
Summer is upon us but the Fall is
coming, and that means the 5th annual
Envision New York is drawing near. SUNY’s
premiere optometric conference will be
held October 21-23, 2006. This year the
courses will be given at the College as the
long anticipated auditorium renovation
project is completed. Multiple course offerings
and tracks will be available with a mix
of SUNY Faculty and nationally recognized
speakers. Local hotel accommodations
have been secured at the luxurious
Roosevelt Hotel ($289/night), just a few
blocks from SUNY. Rooms are booking
fast so be sure to reserve yours by calling
888-833-3969 and requesting the SUNY
Optometry room block.
On Saturday evening, October 21, SUNY
has again chartered World Yacht’s Princess
to host a dinner cruise around lower
Manhattan. All attending the conference are
invited to join classmates and friends on the
cruise. Special discounts will apply to SUNY
Optometry reunion year classes. This has
historically been a great event. The complete
conference brochure, including schedules
and registration forms, can be located at
the Continuing Education section of the
College website at www.sunyopt.edu.
Eyemaginations Names Dr. Joseph
Boorady as Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Joseph Boorady,
’93, was recently named
Chief Operating Officer
for Eyemaginations,
Inc., a leading creator of interactive patient
education and practice management
communications for ophthalmologists,
optometrists and opticians located in
Towson, MD. He will continue to serve as
the College’s Vice President for Clinical
Administration until October 2.
“I have very mixed emotions about
leaving SUNY and the UOC. I grew up in this
institution and have been fortunate to have
worked with some of the best and brightest
Other upcoming CE includes the
resumption of SUNY’s Wednesday evening
Optometric Education Series with lectures
once per month from September through
December and our annual Syracuse
Program scheduled for Sunday, November
5 and hosted by Welch Allyn in Skaneateles,
New York.
The SUNY CE Office has just partnered
with a new venture named Online CE
Credits.com (onlinececredits.com) where
you can go to take a variety of internet
courses on assorted optometric topics. We
are very excited to be a part of this program
and hope to appeal to a national audience
for participation.
The CE Office is always looking for new
ideas, speakers, etc., so please feel free to
contact us with any thoughts you may have.
I hope to see you at one of our events,
especially Envision New York.
Mr. Matthew Platarote
Director, Continuing Education
SUNY, College of Optometry
mplatarote@sunyopt.edu
212-938-5830
people around. I have become a better
administrator, educator and optometrist
through my work and for that I will always
be grateful,” said Joe.
Joe will be responsible for the company’s
key business development initiatives as well
as the day-to-day operations.
“The chance to bring someone of Joe’s
caliber and reputation into our dynamic
culture and explosive growth will have
immeasurable impact on our company,”
said company President, Jeff Peres.
We wish Joe and his wife Theresa ’93
and their two children continued happiness
and success.
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