13 minute read
Alumni News
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Alumni and Friends,
After these many months of experiencing the pandemic that few of us have ever experienced, we have started to venture out in public and interact with one another face-to-face. The Salus community has remained strong through the pandemic and worked together to maintain our high level of professionalism and partnership.
I am proud and honored to introduce myself as the current president of the Alumni Association. I have been a part of the Association since July 2012, when one of my former professors suggested me because she thought I would be a good fit. I graduated from the University’s (then) College of Education and Rehabilitation (CER) as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialist. I believe I was one of the first members from my College to be on the Alumni Board of Directors. All members before me, as well as the individuals on our current board, are there because we believe in supporting the University’s students.
I am excited to welcome the incoming class of students, as well as those returning to campus. The Alumni Association is committed to contributing to student success. We are doing more to connect with students, our future alumni, including having a presence at commencement, new student orientation, the Student Fair, speaking to individual classes and more.
We continue to foster our initiatives such as learning grants which assist with registration expenses to professional conferences or travel expenses for humanitarian trips. Even when travel was not allowed, we continued to offer grants to defray the cost of virtual conferences.
There is so much you can do to be a part of this exciting community, and we welcome all of you. Presently, Kayla Hawkins ’24OD, and Megan Kirkpatrick ’24AUD, are our student representatives. We are also looking forward to welcoming a student representative from the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER). And, last but certainly not least, we invite you to become an alumni ambassador.
I hope we all have a great year and I look forward to working with everyone.
Warm regards,
Merle Silverbook MEd, TVI ’08, O&M Specialist ’10
Class Notes
2020s
Michele A. Taran-
tino, OTD ’18, is now a professor of Occupational Therapy (OT) at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, utilizing her OTD from Salus to teach new OT students. She also started a small business called “EyeHelp Consulting” to provide low vision services to clients in their homes.
Nathan Williams, OD ’17, Lindi Marie Williams (Hutchinson), OD ’18 and Katherine (Kate) Henning OD ’97, remodeled an older building in Galax, Virginia, opening a new state-of-the-art practice called Blue Ridge Eye Care Associates. Drs. Williams and Williams also welcomed their first child in Spring 2020, Orion.
2010s
Tiffani F.
Methvien, OD ’19, was recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Optometrist for her exceptional talent in optometry. As an optometrist with several years of professional experience, Dr. Methvien excels at treating common and complex eye conditions. She focuses her care on the management and treatment of keratoconus and other corneal pathology with the latest in contact lens technology. Her talent has been recognized in Visionary Optics and Conforma Labs for excellence in patient care regarding contact lenses. Dr. Methvien holds a Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPA) certification, allowing her to prescribe the most up-to-date medications necessary to help her patients. She uses the TPA certification to treat ocular infections, glaucoma, emergency eye-related illnesses, or ocular injuries requiring medication. She operates primarily from Princeton Eye Group at their offices in Somerset and Monroe Township, New Jersey.
When Salus University alumni Rachel Plavnik, MS ’19, Shannon LaSalle, MS ’17, Amanda Kaufmann, MS ’17, and Alexa Gutman, MS ’17, embarked on their academic journeys, despite all the guidance and direction they would receive as students enrolled in the University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program, none of them anticipated their degrees leading them to the West Coast.
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/DREAMINGSLPS
Angela M. Tempesta, OD ’15, married Andrew Aidan Brown in May of 2021 at the Church of St. Gregory, Clarks Summit.
In June 2021, the University of Duesseldorf in Germany offered Michael Baertschi, PhD ’15, MSc ’97, MEd, the opportunity to participate in its space science campaign for the systemic microcirculation in weightlessness (zero-g). They observed the retina during regular-g, hyper-g and zero-g phases of 93 parabolic cycles in three scientific flights intensively. Additionally, intraocular pressure, blood pressure, pulse and systemic oximetry, as well as a variety of proteins and inflammatory markers from blood samples were investigated.
Mashael Y. Al- Namaeh, OD ’10,
MSc, PhD, FAAO, was recently recognized by Women in Optometry for her development of a virtual eye research center for ODs who want to do clinical research but do not know how or where to begin. Dr. Al-Namaeh is the founder of the Eye Research Center. Her PhD focus was in biomedicine and eye movement. Since graduating, she has spent her time at several universities.
Kelly O’Shea, OD ’08, and Bradford Harrington recently announced their engagement. They will be planning a wedding for Fall 2022.
2000s
Essentia Health welcomed Amy K. Rothermel, AuD ’06, in June 2021. In addition to hearing loss, she also specializes in auditory-processing disorders, which involve the brain’s
ability to process sounds effectively. She enjoys working with hearing aids and has a passion for assistive listening devices.
Robert M. DiSogra, AuD ’03, has been lecturing both live and remotely on the Audiological Management of COVID19 Survivors to state academies of audiology and state speech and hearing associations since fall 2020. He has also published eight articles for the American Academy of Audiology’s Coronavirus Resource page. (www.audiology.org). Dr. DiSogra was the recipient of the 2020 Award for Clinical Excellence from the American Academy of Audiology.
Sean W. Smolenyak,
OD ’01, joined the Edenton location of Albemarle Eye Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in spring 2021. Nearsighted since kindergarten, it was his early visits to the eye doctor’s office that stirred a passion in helping others maximize their vision and protecting their eye health. Dr. Smolenyak initially started his career at Albemarle Eye Care in 2001, but was subsequently recruited to join The Kelly Eye Center in Raleigh in 2005. During his tenure in Raleigh over the last 16 years, he was exposed to and utilized some of the newest technologies and treatments for a range of ocular diseases. Dr. Smolenyak specializes in the medical management of eye diseases including ocular emergencies, ocular surface disease, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and glaucoma. He also has extensive experience in the pre-and post-operative management of cataract surgery, having helped manage more than 40,000 patients.
An interest in eyes led Sakesha Caston, OD ’00, to PCO and eventually to a successful career as an optometrist. But it’s her interest in the opposite end of the human body — particularly in tiny toes — which gave her success of another kind, that of children’s author. She has published her first children’s book, titled “Mommy Loves My Little Toes,” and it’s been a long journey from the time she had the concept to the time it culminated into a reality.
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/CASTONAUTHOR
1990s
Luanne Chubb, OD ’90, was appointed to a second term for the Pennsylvania State Board of Optometry and currently serves as its chair. Additionally, she will also be serving a second term on the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) and participating on several committees within the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO). Dr. Chubb currently practices at the Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.
Laurie Lesser, OD ’92, is now the eyecare director for Bailey Nelson, an Australian multinational optical retail chain in North America and the United Kingdom.
Michele
Donovan, OD ’99, is currently serving on the board of directors for the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Association (SCOPA) as president. She has served as a member for the past five years where she was a director, vice president and president-elect. She will continue to serve on the board next year as the immediate past president.
1980s
Snead Eye Group announces that Brenda J. Polewac, OD ’84, has joined the practice. Dr. Polewac grew up outside of Pittsburgh and earned her Bachelor of Science degree at West Liberty University and her Doctor of Optometry degree from PCO. She is board-certified and a current member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), the Florida Optometric Association and Southwest Florida Optometric Association. Dr. Polewac has been in practice for more than 30 years in Southwest Florida and has recently moved her practice to Snead Eye Group’s Bonita Springs and Naples, Florida locations. She is married to Norman Arons, OD ’84, whom she met at PCO.
Cathy D. Stern, OD ’80, retired at the end of 2020 following a 40-year career of helping both children and adults with vision therapy and vision rehabilitation, treating students at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton, Massachusetts, working with athletes who want to be better at what they do, those who have suffered a stroke or brain injury and maintaining a private practice. For more than 20 years, her focus has been on using vision therapy and vision rehabilitation to provide successful learning and recreational experiences no matter how clear a patient’s vision might be. In addition to her professional work, Dr. Stern was an elected town meeting member in Brookline, Massachusetts, is active with the Lions Club in Canton, is the board chairman for Hillel Council of New England, and volunteers at the South Shore food pantry.
During this year’s Optometry’s Meeting, Salus University president Michael H.
Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, MBA, FAAO,
FACHE, was enshrined in the National Optometry Hall of Fame. For 22 years, the Hall of Fame has honored Doctors of Optometry who have made significant contributions to the optometric profession. Dr. Mittelman, originally
inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, but unable to attend the ceremony, was also officially recognized during the optometry profession event, which took place in Denver.
1970s
Janet E. Summers, OD ’78, is pursuing a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership at the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas. She is currently an assistant professor at the Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, Texas.
Satya Verma, OD ’75, FAAO, DPNAP,
Diplomate, was named as one of the 2020 inductees into the National Optometric Hall of Fame. He is currently an associate professor and director, externship program, at PCO/Salus. He has served with distinction in countless roles and developed a keen interest in geriatric optometry. He currently serves on the AOA’s Ethics and Values Committee.
Robert W. Ford,
OD ’72, is now the chief of optometry at a Community Health Center in Brockport, New York, which has seven locations in western New York and provides comprehensive optical and dental services, general medicine, pediatric care and behavioral health. Prior to that, he worked in the Medical Department at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, following graduation. After 20 years, Dr. Ford became the director of the Kodak Vision Care Program Worldwide.
1960s
Louis (Lou) Catania, OD ’69, FAAO, has always advised his colleagues in optometry that you should “reinvent yourself” from time to time to enjoy life. Living in Atlantic Beach, Florida, for the past 26 years, he has become an authority on sea turtles through the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) as well as a National Park volunteer ranger and civic leader. Meanwhile, professionally as a clinician and educator, after graduation in 1969 from PCO, he instituted and advanced the concept of primary eye care and therapeutics for optometry through the 1970s and 1980s;
furthered the concept of primary care optometry internationally from the ’80s into the 21st century; introduced and taught refractive laser care to optometry and ophthalmology in the ’90s; and has studied ocular and general immunology (PCO and UPenn) since the early ’90s. Since discontinuing active practice eight years ago, he didn’t exactly retire. Rather, he “reinvented” himself once more doing postdoctoral work in AI (MIT) and immunology (Stanford) and has written three books, “Foundations of AI in Health Care and Bioscience” (Elsevier, 2020); “AI for Immunology” (T&F, 2021); and “The Enemy Within Us: Understanding immunology, inflammation, autoimmune disease, cancer and COVID-19” (Elsevier, in print for Fall, 2021). But Dr. Catania has certainly not forgotten optometry and eyecare. He is currently revising (3rd edition) his award-winning textbook, “Catania’s Primary Care of the Anterior Segment” with coauthor Dr. Brian Armitage due out in Spring 2022.
John R. Anthony,
OD ’65, FAAO, worked 40 years in a private optometric practice in San Diego, California, before retiring. Dr. Anthony served three years on active duty in the Navy and stayed active in the Navy Reserve for a total of 27 years. He is the past president of the California State Board of Optometry and the past president of the San Diego County Optometric Society. Dr. Anthony has been married 53 years to Betsy Limbach. Together, they have two daughters and four grandkids. His daughter Julie Arcemont is also an optometrist, practicing in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Richard A.
Feldstein, OD ’62, is still practicing and enjoys seeing patients. Dr. Feldstein currently works with blind children learning to play tennis by sound through incorporation.
Where are they now?
CASEY HEFFELFINGER, MS ’20, CCC-SLP
During the pandemic, Casey Heffelfinger, MS ’20, CCC-SLP, kept herself challenged by doing puzzles, which she admits has caused her to be on the receiving end of some razzing from her circle of friends.
But, when it came time to choose a career to pursue, that was an easier puzzle to solve for Heffelfinger.
Since the age of 12, she knew she wanted to someday go into the medical field, although she didn’t want to be a doctor or a nurse. So, as she continued along her educational path, Heffelfinger started to explore the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology (SLP).
She eventually settled on the SLP profession and didn’t look back. She secured a job as a SLP in a skilled nursing facility in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. She also finished her clinical fellowship and received her Certification of Clinical Competence (CCC).
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/CASEYHEFFELFINGER DEVIN WILLIAMS, OD ’17
One of the career aspirations Devin Williams, OD ’17, had when he was younger was to be a doctor. He just didn’t quite know what particular kind of doctor he wanted to become.
While at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he pursued a degree in Biology, he decided to shadow professionals in the career paths he was most interested in which were dentistry and optometry.
“I think once I learned the foundation of optics and how the eye worked, that influenced me to decide on optometry,” said Dr. Williams.
The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University was his next stop. He was also inspired by his personal optometrist in Virginia, another PCO/Salus grad, Kristy (Chmeilewski) Ambrose, OD ’07. She would be the first optometrist Dr. Williams shadowed and would continue to be instrumental during his graduate school years. All of the in-depth training he received at PCO/Salus along with the mentorship from Dr. Ambrose filled Dr. Williams with an increased confidence when graduation arrived and he was able to make his mark as a professional.
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/DEVINWILLIAMS ELIZABETH PATTERSON, AUD ’09
There is nothing to fear from change. And, sometimes, audiologists need to put themselves in a position where they are the instruments of change.
That’s the message Elizabeth Patterson, AuD ’09, who has been a practicing audiologist for more than a half century, would like to impart on her colleagues — that audiologists should recognize change as an opportunity to help better the profession.
In 2006, mid-career, Dr. Patterson enrolled in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) School of Audiology. The name changed in 2008 to the Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), when Salus was established. She received her degree online in 2009.
