2015 Annual Report

FAMILIAR FACES
“When you walk into this building, you immediately get the feeling of being home,” explains Dr. Malkin, who assumed her position as a clinical
assistant professor with a focus on vision rehabilitation in 2015. “I see many of the familiar faces that I saw as a student, including faculty
members who were once my mentors and are now my colleagues.” After graduating as salutatorian of the Class of 2008, Dr. Malkin completed
her residency at the Northport VA Medical Center in New York. She went on to complete the Lions Vision Rehabilitation Fellowship at the Wilmer
Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and then worked in private practice and as a part-time faculty member at Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Malkin leapt at the opportunity to help the College expand its low vision program. In addition to her teaching duties, she sees patients at the
Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) and coordinates efforts between NECO and LCHC to bring the successful Lions Low Vision Rehabilitation
Network (LOVRNET) to Massachusetts. The program, which originated in the Washington, DC, area, aims to increase access to care within
targeted communities by creating unified systems that connect doctors with patients. “My clinical experience as a NECO student enabled me to
establish a strong connection with the low vision community here in Massachusetts,” Dr. Malkin explains. “Having returned to Boston, I can now
leverage those existing relationships to create a program that will help doctors do a better job of serving their patients’ needs.”
AN IDEAL PLACE
Dr. Nicole Ross joined the faculty as an assistant professor of optometry in 2014. “I wanted to start my career in an environment that promoted
a highly collaborative approach to both clinical practice and teaching,” she recalls. “Without a doubt, NECO is the ideal place for achieving that
balance.” Dr. Ross completed her residency at The Ohio State University, followed by a clinical fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine, where she worked closely with Dr. Malkin.
Dr. Ross has enjoyed serving as a mentor to a new generation of NECO students through her clinical work at local institutions like Perkins School
for the Blind. “I could never have explored a career in academia without the guidance I received from my own mentors, and I’m thrilled to be
able to pass along what I’ve learned,” she explains. “Seeing my students’ excitement makes the field feel new again. My hope is that I can
help them understand the synergy between clinical work and the didactic, research-oriented aspects of their education.” Her commitment to
assisting current students extends to her fellow alumni as well. A native of Alberta, Canada, Dr. Ross organized an offshoot of the NECO Alumni
Association’s Graduate Strong program to help connect current students and recent graduates who hail from Canada with alumni practicing on
both sides of the border.
A FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP
Since becoming colleagues, Dr. Ross and Dr. Malkin have collaborated on several initiatives related to low vision. “There are many more students
interested in the specialty today than there were when I was in school,” explains Dr. Malkin. She attributes this increased interest to the growing
aging population in need of low vision services, but also cites the emergence of technology for the visually impaired as a contributing factor. “As
the dynamics of the profession shift, the role of specialists who can reach patients in different ways is of vital importance,” she says.
In September, Dr. Malkin and Dr. Ross organized the first international grand rounds program focused on low vision. Along with colleagues at
the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India, NECO students and faculty participated in a virtual consortium focused on vision rehabilitation
management and strategies, and on addressing the global and local barriers patients face when seeking vision rehabilitation services.
“NECO is an incredibly supportive community,” says Dr. Ross. “The school provides students with unprecedented opportunities to explore their
interests; I feel very fortunate to be a part of that process as a faculty member.” Dr. Malkin is equally enthusiastic about her new position. “NECO
offers its faculty members tremendous room for growth, both within the clinical realm and in the classroom,” she says. “It’s so good to be back.”
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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