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Alumni News
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Although my tenure as president of the Salus Alumni Board has just begun, I have already had the privilege and pleasure of not only speaking at this spring’s commencement but also addressing the incoming Salus students. In doing so, I’ve been able to reconnect with the alpha/omega of my student trajectory at PCO/Salus. Upon this reflection, I’ve concluded that a fully engaged healthcare career should rest upon a three-legged stool.
The first leg rests upon the excellent academic preparation you received at Salus University and the extended friendships you cultivated with your mentors and peers. This has prepared you for a prosperous professional life.
The second leg is formed from your engagement with professional organizations and associated legislative involvement. Since our healthcare professions are legislatively controlled, it is crucial that you stay engaged within this arena as this ensures that you can practice to the full scope of your professional training.
The third leg relies on your continued link with your alma mater. By supporting your academic roots, financially and by being a mentor, you ensure that the next generation will be elevated. Just as you have stood on the shoulders of those before you, you now have the opportunity to provide those shoulders for others. This is an excellent way to repay Salus for all the opportunities it has provided, while also having the benefit of experiencing the exuberance of students launching into a new career!
The alumni board provides an open door to help you reconnect with your former friends and develop new friendships with another generation of colleagues. It keeps you in touch with how academia is preparing the future of your profession as well as perpetuating the vitality of your selected careers.
I encourage your consideration of this three-legged model to strengthen your professional experience. Always remember that a three-legged stool remains stable even on an uneven surface. I encourage you to be involved with your alumni board’s appeals and alumni activities. I guarantee that you will receive more in return than you will give.
Carpe Diem,
Robert Owens, OD ’80, FAAO, Diplomate ABO
Class Notes
1960s
An informal reunion by the PCO Class of 1966 (pictured above) was held in August 2022. Six members of the class got together and reminisced. Standing, from left to right, are Dr. Irving Gurwood of Churchville, Pennsylvania, and Dr. Ihor Fedoriw of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Sitting left to right are Dr. Joel Laveson of Marlton, New Jersey, who organized the event with the help of the Salus Alumni Association, Dr. Donald Shestack of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Michael Kaplan of Margate, New Jersey, and Dr. Edward Campell of Ewing, New Jersey. 40 years. She works part-time now but still enjoys seeing patients.
Eugene Mc Donough, OD ’77, is finishing up 10 years on the New York State Optometry Board. He has served as chairman for the past four years.
Ken Hue, OD ’77, is in private practice in Indiana, Pennsylvania and he just welcomed his first grandchild in March 2022. His younger son, Jonathan, is a surgical resident at University Hospital in Cleveland Ohio, and his wife is an emergency medical doctor. Dr. Hue’s oldest son, Ryan, is a lead scientist at Bridgestone in Ohio.
Janet Summers, OD ’78, is a clinical assistant professor at the Roseberry School of Optometry in San Antonio. She recently obtained a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.
1970s
Richard Shuldiner, OD ’70, FAAO, reports that he has made great strides in improving the care of those with vision loss. He has educated and lectured to remind doctors that referral for low vision care is now the standard.
Harold G. Kohn, OD ’70, has retired after 48 years of practice in New York, Pennsylvania and with the U.S. Army. He served six years of active duty and 32 years in the Army Reserve. Overseas assignments included South Korea and a short humanitarian mission in Nicaragua. His two highest medals were the Army Commendation Medal and the U.S. Army Achievement Medal.
Bernice Machamer, OD ’74, has been practicing optometry for more than
1980s
Marla Moon, OD ’82, FAAO, is a consultant at Heimer, Fiore, and Turco Eyecare and Surgery Group in State College, Pennsylvania. She also serves as a consultant to the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO).
Mark Cinalli, OD, FAAO ’82, was recently honored with the American Optometric Association Federal Advocacy Representative of the Year Award for 2022. He is a past president of the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians and has been a strong advocate for optometry on the federal level. He is pictured with AOA President Dr. Bob Layman, who presented the award at AOA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Marc Weiner, OD ’83, suffered a skiing accident in 2018 that left him with multiple injuries. Dr. Weiner refused to listen to his medical doctors, who said he would never walk normally again or do any sports. Through physical therapy, he has worked himself back to hiking and biking, swimming, kayaking — and skiing better now than before.
Curtiss Anderson, OD ’87, has been practicing optometry in the Atlanta area since 1991. He owns two offices, one in Atlanta and one in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Anderson has been married for 28 years and has two children — a son, Ryan, 27 years old, and a daughter, Margeaux, 24. Dr. Anderson is active with international missions and has been providing vision care to the people of Jamaica for 20 years.
1990s
Elisa Haransky-Beck, OD ’92, has been a successful Vermont practitioner for many years and attributes her success to her long career in vision therapy facilitation. In addition, she is also published as one of 50 contributors to the newly released Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers. She is currently writing a book and sharing courses online.
Lisa Wallace-Davis, OD ’92, is currently the president of the Virginia Board of Optometry. She recently attended the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry’s (ARBO) 2022 annual meeting.
Mesheca Bunyon, OD ’99, is currently the president of the Maryland Board of Examiners in Optometry. She recently attended the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry’s (ARBO) 2022 Annual meeting.
2000s
Brad Lane, OD ’07, MBA, was recently named the Alumnus of the Year by Concord University. He earned his undergraduate degrees in sociology, psychology and pre-professional biology from the honor’s program at Concord University in 2002. He owns Appalachian Eye Care and New River Eye Care. In 2016, he completed an MBA and in 2020, he earned a Master of Education in Instructional Design. He was named Philanthropist of the Year by Concord University in 2021.
Michelle Sporn, AuD ’09, is the Chief Medical Officer at Aria Care Partners to focus on audiology care. Dr. Sporn is an American Board of Audiology certified audiologist with an extensive background in audiology including serving in a leadership role at Starkey Hearing Technologies. In addition, she has held positions with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, supporting the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the Silverstein Institute. Dr. Sporn’s primary focus is to provide support and guidance to the Aria Care Partners team of audiologists. She will also set policies and procedures to provide quality audiological care for residents in long-term care facilities.
2020s
Marc Jacobson, MMS ’21, was recently hired as an orthopedic physician assistant for Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, New York.
Or ientation & Mobility | Vision Rehabilitation TherapyCELEBRATING 30 YEARS
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted approval for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry to o er a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Teaching — now called Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) — and a Master of Science degree in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) in November 1992, making both of those programs 30 years old as of 2022.
