2023 Annual report

An Evolving Vision: Building Upon a Legacy of Accomplishment

Reflecting on this annual report is bittersweet as it marks the last time I will share the amazing accomplishments of this vibrant institution and highlight the promise of the future. The SUNY College of Optometry has been my professional home for nearly 17 years and each year, I am proud of the accomplishments of our leadership team, our faculty, our staff, our students and

laboratories, patient care facilities, library, and Student Center has positioned us to thrive for years to come. Our campus supports our mission and reflects our sense of purpose and community. When I arrived, the College had only occupied the building for a few years and was just beginning to develop a vision as to how to create a first-class facility that advances our educational, research and patient care mission. We have come far indeed and the progress

our residents. They are the backbone of the College and truly have made my journey a story of success.

will continue into the foreseeable future with the renovation of our

My introduction usually focuses on key highlights throughout the year, but with this issue, I am taking a longer view. In the upcoming pages you will see how far the College has come as well as some of our milestone

Primary Care Eye Center, 16th Floor Research Laboratories, and the development of a new Center for Teaching and Learning.

From the establishment of the College in 1971, under the leadership of Dr. Alden N. Haffner through today, we as a community have always been steadfast in the vision that the College be a leader in optometric education and the profession. We are committed to the advancement of knowledge through research, and in our role as an integral partner within the health care delivery system. I have had the unparalleled privilege to lead that vision forward during my time here. It is because of you, our supporters, alongside an outstanding team of faculty and staff, that the College has been able to embrace this obligation and grow the institution to what it is today. I am confident that the College will continue to evolve as a dynamic leader that educates and empowers our students, expands access to eye care, and engages in transformative research that touches thousands of lives around the world. I thank each and every one of you for your dedicated and unwavering support throughout my tenure and I trust your support of the College will continue well into the future.

achievements in 2023. During my tenure, the College of Optometry has accomplished a great deal as a community and I am

proud to say we are one of the leading optometry programs (if not “the leading program”) in the nation. Among our many accomplishments are key areas of

growth: we increased our enrollment by 30% without a loss of quality in admissions; expanded our matriculation of underrepresented minority students from under 5% to approximately 14%; nurtured our residency program from 27 positions to 43; and amplified our research activity from $2.45M to well over $4.08M per year. We provided our students with innovative, value-added opportunities and multiplied SUNY program partnerships with Stony Brook, Downstate, and Upstate, as well as the NYC Health + Hospitals system. And, through our focus on partnership and service to the community, our faculty, students and residents now support over 250,000 patient visits each year in NYC, NYS and beyond. The campus has seen significant renovation with the support of the State University Construction Fund (SUCF), providing us with a state-of-the-art teaching, research, and patient care facility. A strong investment in our facilities including our classrooms, research

David A. Heath, OD, EdM President

2023 ANNUAL REPORT 3