Spotlight on Faculty Achievement
During the past academic year, the full-time faculty have represented the department on the national scene in a number of capacities. Some 67 references to their scientific publications are listed on pages BLANK and BLANK. Faculty also regularly serve as reviewers for national publications and give countless presentations at regional meetings.
John W. Simon MD completed his service on the Procedural and Surgical Site Verification Panel of the New York State Department of Health, and was a featured speaker at the Department's symposium, "Evolving a Culture of Patient Safety" in May, 2007. He continues his work on vision screening in children with the New York State Ophthalmologic Society and with AAPOS as a member of the Legislative Committee. He also serves AAPOS on the Program Committee. At the Academy, John serves on the EyeCare America Children's Project and is now in his 13th year as associate examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology. He serves on the editorial board of Evidence-Based Ophthalmology. John presented a paper at last year's AAPOS meeting, had a course at last year's Academy meeting, and will have two courses at the upcoming Academy meeting. He was visiting professor at the Wills Eye Hospital last year and will be visiting professor at the University of Michigan in January, 2008. As noted on PAGE BLANK, John was elected to membership in the American Ophthalmolgical Society this year. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from AAPOS and a MarshallM. Parks medal for excellence in pediatric ophthalmology from the National Children's Eye Care Foundation. John is listed in 10 "who's who" and "best doctor" publications.
Michael W. Belin MD serves as president of the Cornea Society and has been appointed chair of the strategic planning and executive committees. His service to the Eye Bank Association of America continues as member of the board of directors, chairman of the research committee, and member of the medical advisory board. Michael is also vice-chair of the American University Professors of Ophthalmology's Fellowship Compliance Committee. At the Academy, he serves on the BCSC committee's refractive surgery section and has been the AAO's representative in Australia and New Zealand. He sits on committees for the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the FDA, and the American National Standards Institute. He also continues his service as associate examiner for the ABO. Michael has chaired the AAO's Cornea subspecialty day and will chair the upcoming World Cornea Congress. Michael also serves on steering or writing committees for three NEI grants and is co-chair of an international committee to reclassify corneal dystrophies. He was an invited speaker in Monaco, Sao Paulo, Milan, Faro (Portugal), London, Glascow, Cancun, and Sydney, gave a named lecture in Chicago, and had three presentations at the Academy and one at ASCRS.
Dale R. Meyer MD continues to serve the Academy on the Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee and is now chair of the plastics panel. At ASOPRS, he sits on the preceptors committee and chairs the joint program committee for ASOPRS and the Academy. He also sits on the ASOPRS abstract review committee and advocacy committee. He is on the Editorial Board of Ocular Surgery News. Dale is an honorary advisor for the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong. He gave a skills transfer course, a video and a platform presentation at last year's Academy and will repeat the course at the upcoming AAO meeting. Dale also gave talks at the ENT Academy, the Apogean Society, ASOPRS (twice last year and once this year), and was a visiting professor for the Pittsburgh Ophthalmologic Society.
Martha G. Farber MD is currently president of the American Association of Ophthalmic Pathologists. She is a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology and, as chairperson of the Oral Examination Committee, directs the Board examinations each year. Marty continues her service on the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for ophthalmology and serves on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Marty again taught ophthalmic pathology at the Lancaster Course. She serves as associate chief of staff for education at the Albany VA.
Robert L. Schultze MD will be a recipient of an Honor Award from the AAO this year. He serves the Academy on the Eye Bank Committee and the Eye Bank Association of America as a member of the Medical Advisory Board and of the Committee on International Relations. Rob continues his service as associate examiner for the ABO and PORT item writer. He is on the writing committee for a multi-center corneal donor study grant proposal. Rob recently joined the board of directors of the Northeast Association of the Blind in Albany. Rob serves on the Medical College admissions committee and has taken on responsibility for our revamped medical student education program. He gave presentations in Hawaii and in Crete, and had three papers at ASCRS in San Diego.
Jitka Zobal-Ratner MD sits on the AAPOS Professional Education Committee, serving as co-instructor of a popular update course each year at both AAPOS and the AAO. She continues to serve as associate examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology. At the Academy, Jitka was appointed to the Maintenance of Certification Committee. She was a recipient of the AAPOS Honor Award last year. She was also appointed to the board of directors of the AMC Alumni Association.
Sai B. Gandham MD, in addition to assuming the responsibilities of residency director, will give an instruction course on patient education in glaucoma at the AAO this fall.
Albert B. Morier OD has been consulting with Genzyme Corporation and is on the speakers' bureaus for Pfizer, Vistakon, Inspire, Eyemaginations, and Allergan. He currently sits on the New York State Board of Optometry. He spoke at the Pittsburgh Primary Eyecare Conference and will be an invited speaker at similar meetings in Groton and in Vermont, and at a low vision symposium in Poughkeepsie. Al regularly organizes a primary eye care conference in Saratoga and has received a New York State Optometric Association Leadership Award.
Amy B. Hahn PhD has been elected secretary of the American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. She also serves the Society as member of the review board and as chair of the directors' examination. Amy gave an invited paper at the Bolivian organ transplant society in Cochabamba.
To learn how to apply or for more information, please contact:
Traci M. Mills via email: MillsT@mail.amc.edu
