Alumni News

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear Alumni and Friends,

I am profoundly honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as the president of our Alumni Association. As alumni, we are not only the heart of Salus University’s past and present, we can help define the University’s future. Our focus for the upcoming year will be to continue to build our community by developing and maintaining connections both personally and professionally.

During these uncertain times, it is imperative that we continue to reach out and support each other as one Salus community. Maintaining our social connections helps ensure we can accomplish this initiative. Now, more than ever, is a pivotal moment to shape the future of Salus through our active participation. A key portion of our Alumni Association’s mission is to develop and enhance the involvement of the University’s alumni and future alumni. Collectively, our diverse backgrounds can enhance the offerings of our University as a whole. Please consider becoming involved by:

Volunteering to be a Salus Alumni Ambassador

Serving on our Alumni Board

Attending one of our alumni events

Moving forward, we will be using our newly created alumni website and social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) to communicate on a regular basis, too. As we work to strengthen the bond between our alma mater and our alumni, your ideas and feedback are certainly welcome. We look forward to teaming up with many of you as we further shape Salus and welcome more of our profession’s young leaders into the fold along the way.

During these uncertain times, it is imperative that we continue to reach out and support each other as one Salus community. Maintaining our social connections helps ensure we can accomplish this initiative.

Amanda M. Marchegiani, AuD ’10

Class Notes

Jason Wu, OD ’19, was welcomed to the team at Kremer Eye Center as a full-time optometrist — he will be seeing patients out of the King of Prussia, Springfield and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offices. Nishan Pressley, OD ’19, was selected by HBCU Buzz as one of the HBCU top 30 under 30 for 2020. Norfolk State alumna, Dr. Pressley is the first and only to date African American to graduate from the Accelerated Scholars Optometry program. She currently practices in Orlando, Florida where she also owns her own online frame boutique, EyesOnMe, and serves on the executive board of the National Optometric Association (NOA) as the Director of Communication. Alexandra M. Taylor, AuD ’18, recently started a podcast called “Diamond in the Youth,” focused on sharing stories, perspectives and creating a space for kids between the ages of five-18 years old to share hardships they’ve overcome (i.e. foster care, losing a parent, or being diagnosed with hearing loss at a young age). Most of her podcast’s guests are children, but adults and other healthcare professionals have also been featured on a special segment titled “Diamonds Uncut.” Dr. Taylor’s trailer episode can be

2010s

found on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Olivia Cheng, MSOT ’18, works as a pediatric occupational therapist but is also pursuing creative endeavors in the field. Cheng recently recorded a podcast with “The Sensory Corner” on Sensory Integration to educate parents and childcare providers on how to identify some red flags for sensory processing disorders. She has also started an OT Instagram page to share tips and tricks on how to turn everyday household items into therapeutic interventions. It is an outlet for her to showcase her professional skills for friends and family and share her passion. If you are looking for some ideas on how to keep little ones busy while building on their skills,

check out @ot_liv on Instagram. Marisa L. Ragonesi, AuD ’17, serves as an active duty audiologist in the U.S. Army wearing multiple leadership hats. Not only is she an audiologist preventing noise-induced hearing loss for our active duty soldiers, but she is also a Department of Public Health Officer promoting health and preventing the spread of diseases and injuries within the military community. In response to COVID-19, she has served on a Rapid Public Health Force Protection team in order to support the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan. Additionally, she contributed to the Public Health COVID-19 response initiatives by conducting contact tracing on active duty soldiers and beneficiaries who tested positive for COVID-19. What motivates Dr. Ragonesi is maintaining the health and well-being of the community and nation at the forefront through the most up-to-date science. Messages received by service members and their families thanking the team at the Department of Public Health for the care, perseverance and dedication to the mission to keep the community healthy and safe during these turbulent times gives her hope.

Bridget Whaley, OD ’16, has been recently hired by Jervey Eye Group at its Halton Road location in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Whaley, who is currently accepting new patients, joins a talented lineup of comprehensive eye care and surgery providers to treat patients across the area. Dr. Whaley joins the Jervey team as a key, comprehensive eye care professional, conducting early vision loss prevention and detection examinations as the organization expands. As an optometrist with Jervey, Dr. Whaley will provide care to new patients to identify vision problems and solutions, as well as fit patients who suffer from conditions like corneal dystrophies and irregular astigmatism with specialty contact lenses.

Jamie C. Wohlhagen,

OD ’12, and Ryan P. Emptage welcomed Julie Paige on January 17, weighing 5 lbs 3 ozs. Dr. Wohlhagen currently works for Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants

in Wilmington and serves as president of the Archmere Academy Alumni Council as well as a Delaware board member for Vision to Learn.

Darryl Glover, OD ’11, and Dr. Adam Ramsey were featured on an episode of New England College of Optometry’s InsideVision that airs live on YouTube discussing “Optometry in Black and White.” Drs. Glover and Ramsey created the group Black Eyecare Perspective to cultivate and foster lifelong relationships between African Americans and the eyecare industry. They are well respected key opinion leaders in the eyecare industry and committed to facilitating open and authentic dialogue surrounding implicit bias, organizational structure, and policies which lead to a lack of diversity and exclusion. Dr. Glover is a global optometrist, speaker, entrepreneur, and social media enthusiast. He has served the optometric community for twenty years and has held every position in the field including eyewear consultant, optometric technician, office manager and optometrist. He is a COPE approved speaker, Transitions Change Agent and has worked with several elite brands within the optometric industry. Dr. Glover has also written several articles for multiple prestigious optical outlets and interviewed countless individuals in the optometric industry.

2000s

Nancy A. Duncan, AuD ’05, founder of Duncan Hearing Healthcare, launched a groundbreaking new appointments service, Virtual Hearing Care, to help the hard of hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This allowed patients to make video calls with a hearing healthcare practitioner — via smartphones, tablets, and computers — who could give them expert advice and support from the comfort of their homes. Aided by “remote assist” technology, hearing healthcare practitioners can adjust and program some patients’ hearing devices through their internet connection. This means both new and existing patients can receive the high level of service they’d find at Duncan Hearing Healthcare’s three separate locations — in Fall River, Hyannis, and Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Additionally, Curbside Care, a drive-thru initiative where hearing healthcare practitioners clean or fix hearing aids from a safe distance, proved hugely popular with residents. As the state evolves its methods for dealing with the pandemic, Virtual Hearing Care is an essential part of how Dr. Duncan and her team are adapting to the “new normal” conditions.

Caroline Beesley Pate, OD ’04,

FAAO, associate professor and director of residency programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry (UABSO), was named the 2020 Educator of the Year by the American Optometric Association (AOA). “It’s a national award so it’s a huge honor,” said Dr. Pate. “The AOA is an organization that I really respect. I’ve been a member since I left PCO. When you volunteer and help organizations, you don’t do it for the recognition, but I appreciate the AOA recognizing educators.” Dr. Pate currently serves as the course director for Diseases of the Anterior Segment. She also runs a year-long residency conference seminar series for UABSO residents. She teaches in the classroom and laboratory in the clinical methods course series at UABSO, Clinical Evaluation of the Visual System, where she previously served as a co-course director for more than 10 years. Dr. Pate sees patients as a clinical faculty member in Ocular Disease and Primary Care clinical services at UAB Eye Care and is a member of the University Optometric Group, the UAB School of Optometry faculty private practice where she provides direct care one day per week to patients of all ages.

READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/CAROLINEPATE

Robert M. DiSogra, AuD

’03, received the 2020 Clinical Excellence in Audiology award from the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) for his career work in diabetes management as well as research and teaching about pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals for hearing loss management.

Carol B. Letzter,

AuD ’02, developed a speech and hearing program in response to the COVID-19 shutdown of her audiology practice. She built a website and developed a program designed to resemble in person care as much as possible. During her entire career, Dr. Letzter’s motto was to provide compassionate competent care. It was her goal to continue that same path in light of being shut down and keeping herself and her loved ones safe from the virus. After long hours and lost sleep, Dr. Letzter finally launched iHear-SpeechSwallow-Help, Inc., which has helped patients to be fitted with hearing aids; receive speech and swallowing therapy and evaluation; and provide intervention for auditory processing disorder. This virtual program can be accessed by going to ihearspeechswallowhelp.com. Dr.

Letzter also modified her office space to prepare to see patients in person again.

Jeremy A. Ciano,

OD ’01, was named one of top five rated optometrists in Indianapolis by Kev’s Best, an independent blog founded in 2011 by Kevin Osborne. Dr. Ciano has built his practice by earning each patient’s trust and respect with a welcoming smile, high energy, and a genuine passion for delivering personalized healthcare. He takes pride in helping his clients maintain and improve their eye health and uses the latest in diagnostic technologies to do so. As a family optometrist, he enjoys improving the quality of life of his patients by delivering crisp and clear vision. Furthermore, the Indy Channel’s A-List ranked Dr. Ciano’s practice, RevolutionEYES, as one of the top optometry offices in the state of Indiana.

1990s

Jon M. Schonfeld,

OD ’98, is now the lead optometrist at the new Novus Clinic Wooster, Ohio, office. A native of the Akron/Cleveland, Ohio, area, Dr. Schonfeld returned to the Wooster area after graduation and owned a practice for 13 years in the Cleveland area before selling his office and joining another practice for five years. He is now thrilled to be able to practice in his hometown of Wooster.

Jerry Neidigh, Jr., OD ’98, was named a 2020 Top Doc by his peers in Richmond magazine. Dr. Neidigh is owner of Grove Eye Care. He started at Grove Eye Care in 1997 under Dr. Bruce Kiraly and came to work at the practice two days after graduation. Dr. Neidigh is a past president of the Richmond Optometric Society and the Virginia Optometric Association. The 2004 recipient of the Virginia Optometric Association’s Young Optometrist of the Year award, he also was recognized as the 2015 Optometrist of the Year. Dr. Neidigh is active with Virginia and American Optometric Associations, and his areas of focus include specialty contact lenses, dry-eye therapy and ocular disease.

Jeanne Thurber, OD ’94, and her husband Ed are proud to announce their daughter, Heidi, graduated valedictorian from Holy Family Academy this spring. She will be entering Clemson University this fall to study business. Their other daughter, Gretchen, is a junior at Holy Family Academy and helps out at their office, Hooksett Family Eyecare. Dr. Thurber remains active with the New Hampshire Optometric Association, serving as secretary since 2009.

Maria S. Richman,

OD ’90, currently is the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians (NJSOP) Vision Awareness Program Coordinator. Her daughter, Marietta Richman, a Para-optometric technician and pre-optometry student, launched the Vision Awareness Fun Patch Program for the Girl Scouts in New Jersey. Together, they worked with the AOA last year to create a Vision Awareness Program Toolkit for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Now, more than 24 AOA State Affiliates participate in this program.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT HER AT DR.RICHMAN@VERIZON.NET

1970s

Neil W. Draisin, OD ’71, and his wife, Carolyn Feinberg Draisin, were presented with honorary degrees at the December 2018 Commencement at the College of Charleston. College president Stephen Osborne recognized Dr. Draisin for his profound commitment to the field of optometry and honored him as an esteemed physician who has worked diligently on behalf of so many patients.

SAVE THE DATE

February 2021 Meliá Nassau Beach All-inclusive Resort Nassau, Bahamas

Dr. Ann Hoscheit: Nutraceuticals Dr. Tracy Offerdahl: Opioids Dr. Richard Bennett: Glaucoma Updates Dr. Alissa Coyne & Dr. Tracy Offerdahl: Biologic Therapies in Eyecare & Latest Pharmaceuticals in the Treatment of Glaucoma

Event status pending due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Scan QR code or visit salus.edu/cebythesea for more information and updates on location!

How Alumni Can Stay Connected

Attend a Continuing Education Course

While the pandemic has currently postponed our alumni reunion receptions held at professional conferences throughout the U.S., the Department of International and Continuing Education hosts a variety of virtual events to help our alumni advance their knowledge within their respective healthcare professions. Learn more at salus.edu/events.

Apply to Become a Member of the Alumni Association Board

By becoming a member, you’ll have the ability to influence and direct efforts to better serve our increasingly diverse alumni base. Learn more at salus.edu/board-membership.

Sign Up to Be an Alumni Ambassador.

Salus Alumni Ambassadors can assist with Admissions recruitment events, refer an applicant to Salus, welcome admitted students via phone or by sending a letter, or host a reception for admitted students. Learn more at salus.edu/alumni-ambassadors.

Join Us in Giving

Charitable contributions allow Salus University to continue educating the health science leaders of tomorrow and embarking on important community outreach initiatives. Gifts can be made in tribute to someone, by dedicating a bench on campus, to support a specific scholarship fund and in many other memorable ways. Learn more at salus.edu/givingback.

Share Your Stories With Us

Tell us what’s new. Whether you just got married, had a baby, got a promotion or moved— we love to hear from our alumni. Let us know your updates by emailing alumni@salus.edu or calling 215.780.1392.