Commencement Program

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

Founded in 1971 and located in New York City, the State University of New York College of Optometry is a leader in education, research and patient care, offering the Doctor of Optometry degree as well as MS and PhD degrees in vision science. The College also conducts a robust program of basic, translational and clinical research. SUNY Optometry is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; its four-year professional degree program and residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. All classrooms, research facilities and the University Eye Center, which is one of the largest optometric outpatient facilities in the nation, are located on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in midtown Manhattan.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER • DAVID TROILO, PhD

Dear Class of 2025,

Today, as you stand on the threshold of your careers, we gather to celebrate not only your academic achievements but also your unwavering perseverance, passion, and dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of others. As SUNY College of Optometry graduates, you embark on careers deeply rooted in patient care, the intricate science of eyes and vision, and a commitment to serving others. Whether you’ve earned the OD, MS, or PhD, your work will contribute to improving vision, enhancing health, and creating a brighter future for countless individuals and communities.

Be proud of all you’ve accomplished and embrace the excitement of what lies ahead. You’ve acquired the knowledge and skills to lead the field, as you elevate the standards of eye care within the profession or innovate in eye and vision science. Embrace your accomplishments and let them fuel your confidence and propel you forward. On behalf of the SUNY Optometry community, I would like to express our gratitude for choosing us as partners in your educational journey. We deeply appreciate the invaluable contributions you have made already that helped shape the College into the institution it is today. We eagerly anticipate the remarkable achievements and successes you will achieve as our alumni.

Congratulations, and welcome to your next chapter!

Warmest wishes,

David Troilo, PhD President

ORDER OF EXERCISES

Academic Procession

Music by The Chamberlin Brass

The National Anthem

Anna Kathleen Camporese

O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Welcome

David Troilo, PhD President, SUNY College of Optometry

Greeting from the

William Doan Nguyen Neha Vidyadhara Gubbi

Class President & Vice President

Commencement Address

Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman

Presentation of the Presidential Medallion

Dr. Troilo

Presidential Medallion Recipient

Richard Madonna, OD ‘85

Conferral of the Honorary Degree Recipients

Dr. Troilo

Honorary Degree Recipients

William K. Stell, PhD, MD Theodore G. Long, MD

ORDER OF EXERCISES

Presentation of Candidates for the Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science

Tracy Nguyen, PhD

Interim Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs Stewart Bloomfield, PhD Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research

Master of Science in Vision Science

Conferral of Candidates for Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science Master of Science in Vision Science

Dr. Troilo

Presentation of Candidates for Degree of

Dr. Nguyen

Doctor of Optometry

Guilherme F.C. Albieri, PhD Vice President for Student Affairs

Conferral of Candidates for Degree of

Dr. Troilo

Doctor of Optometry

Recitation of Optometric Oath Oath included on next page

Dr. William Doan Nguyen Dr. Neha Vidyadhara Gubbi

Closing Remarks & Congratulations

Dr. Troilo

Guests are asked to remain in their seats

Recessional

OPTOMETRIC OATH

With full deliberation I freely and solemnly pledge that: I AFFIRM that the health of my patient will be my first consideration.

I WILL practice the art and science of optometry faithfully and conscientiously, and to the fullest scope of my competence. I WILL uphold and honorably promote by example and action the highest standards, ethics and ideals of my chosen profession and the honor of the degree, Doctor of Optometry, which has been granted me. I WILL provide professional care for those who seek my services, with concern, with compassion and with due regard for their human rights and dignity. I WILL place the treatment of those who seek my care above personal gain and strive to see that none shall lack for proper care. I WILL hold as privileged and inviolable all information entrusted to me in confidence by my patients. I WILL advise my patients fully and honestly of all which may serve to restore, maintain or enhance their vision and general health. I WILL strive continuously to broaden my knowledge and skills so that my patients may benefit from all new and efficacious means to enhance the care of human vision. I WILL share information cordially and unselfishly with my fellow optometrists and other professionals for the benefit of patients and the advancement of human knowledge and welfare. I WILL do my utmost to serve my community, my country and humankind as a citizen as well as an optometrist. I HEREBY commit myself to be steadfast in the performance of this my solemn oath and obligation.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Alicia L. Hyndman Assemblywoman

Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 3rd, 2015, in the 29th AD, encompassing the neighborhoods of Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, Addisleigh Park, Hollis, Springfield Gardens, and Jamaica. The daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Assemblywoman Hyndman emigrated to the U.S. from London, England, as a young child. She spent her formative years growing up in Hollis & South Ozone Park attending public schools P.S. 34, I.S. 109, J.H.S. 226 & John Adams High School. Assemblywoman Hyndman serves as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Higher Education. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, Ms. Hyndman served on the

NYC Department of Education’s Community District Education Council 29 (CEC29) for ten years, the last four years as President. Leading advocacy for the 36 elementary and middle schools in the district, through collaborative leadership, she was able to bring in $30 million in capital funding for technology upgrades, facilities improvements, playground rehabilitation and other amenities to enhance the quality of education for students. Assemblywoman Hyndman’s professional career spans over fifteen years with the NYS Department of Education as a Senior Professional Conduct Investigator, overseeing adult trade and vocational schools. She previously held many positions in the field of education, including but not limited to: Counselor for the Brooklyn College Educational Talent Search Program; Director of Minority Affairs at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT; and Assistant with the New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education. Her dedication to career education is exemplified by bills she has brought forth in the New York State Assembly. As a longtime education advocate, Assemblywoman Hyndman has focused heavily on creating educational opportunities for the Queens community through the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport, growing small businesses, and providing access to living-wage jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. She has continued her advocacy by authoring the landmark legislation of Juneteenth day in New York State, which is now observed statewide. Assemblywoman Hyndman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Framingham State College in Massachusetts. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a member of the Queens Chapter of Jack & Jill. She currently resides in Laurelton, Queens with her family.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT • DOCTOR OF SCIENCE

William K. Stell, MD, PhD Professor Emeritus Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

Bill Stell was born, raised and educated in the northeastern United States, the older child of art and language teachers. He graduated with a BA in Zoology (High Honors) from Swarthmore College and then entered the University of Chicago, where he earned a PhD in Anatomy and an MD (Honors). During the first year of medical school he developed a passion for understanding the retina and vision. He likes to claim that the great Spanish neuroanatomist, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, was his principal teacher – that he learned from Cajal about the Golgi silver-chromate method and retinal circuitry through Cajal’s timeless monograph, La Rétine des Vertébrés (The Vertebrate Retina; 1893). In his PhD thesis, Bill introduced the Golgi-EM method and

used it to identify connections of rods and cones with specific bipolar and horizontal cells in the goldfish retina. After serving as postdoctoral fellow at the N.I.H., Bill joined the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, where he continued his studies of outer-retinal circuits in goldfish and produced an enduring model accounting for the main properties of color-coding in cone horizontal cells. In 1980, he moved to the University of Calgary, where he directed the Lions’ Sight Centre for many years and produced new works on retinal neuropeptides and efferent fibers. A lecture on myopia by the late Josh Wallman in 1990 led to the realization that myopia is an indicator of retinal function and malfunction, and from then on he sought mainly to understand the retinal circuitry and signalling mechanisms responsible for myopia. He was also deeply involved in research on inherited retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), through the RP Foundation of Canada (now Fighting Blindness Canada). Another favourite activity is mentoring young people, regarding science, research, careers, and life itself. He is proud to have participated in the training of a number of successful and well-known retina and myopia research scientists, including Professors Andrew Ishida, Bärbel Rohrer, and Andy Fischer, and future professors Hope Qing Shi, Brittany Carr, and Derek Waldner. Although he retired from the university faculty in June, 2020, he is still involved in research on the eye, retina, and vision, as official scientific advisor to research groups in Singapore and mainland China. His motto is, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming” [Goethe].

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT • DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS

Theodore G. Long, MD, MHS Senior Vice President Ambulatory Care and Population Health

Ted Long, MD, MHS, is senior vice president of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at New York City Health + Hospitals (NYCH+H), the largest public healthcare system in the U.S. Dr. Long leads ambulatory, or outpatient, care for the system that provides nearly six million outpatient visits annually. He previously served as executive director of the NYC Test & Trace Corps, the City’s operational response to COVID-19 which administered and distributed more than 150 million COVID-19 tests and over 2.2 million vaccines. He currently also leads the City’s Arrival Center and Humanitarian Centers that have helped hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers coming into NYC.

At NYCH+H, Dr. Long leads one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), transforming the health system’s portfolio of ambulatory care into an integrated and high-quality network providing care to all New Yorkers, without exception. He supervises Population Health and founded the NYC Care program, a program which provides universal access to care for all New Yorkers without exception. Today the program has 140,000 members, many of whom have not seen a doctor in decades. Dr. Long previously served as senior medical officer for the Quality Measurement and Value-Based Incentives Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where he helped lead more than 20 federal programs. Before CMS, Dr. Long served as medical director at the Rhode Island State Department of Health. Dr. Long is a practicing primary care physician who did his undergraduate work, residency training and post graduate master’s work in health services research at Yale University. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Long is a Clinical Professor at NYU Langone’s Department of Population Health, as well as on faculty at the Yale School of Medicine and the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care.

CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE, DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN VISION SCIENCE Seoyoung Kang microRNAs in Retinal Development and Cell Reprogramming Advisor: Dr. Stefanie Wohl

Daniel Larbi The Role of Müller Glia miRNAs in Retinal Injury and Disease Advisor: Dr. Stefanie Wohl

Akihito Maruya Neuronal Properties, Neural Populations, and Mental Geometry in Inferring Object Attributes Advisor: Dr. Qasim Zaidi

Farzaneh Olianezhad Neural Mechanisms of Binocular Vision and Image Processing Advisor: Dr. Jose-Manuel Alonso Sabina Poudel Functional Contributions of ON and OFF Pathways to Human Vision Advisor: Dr. Jose-Manuel Alonso

Ashwin Badrinath Pothiadia Irungovel Visual Function in mild Traumatic Brain Injury Advisor: Dr. Suresh Viswanathan

CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE, MASTER OF SCIENCE IN VISION SCIENCE Geerdhana Arun The Effect of Glare, Luminance and Contrast on Visual Acuity (VA) Advisor: Dr. Mark Rosenfield

Xiao Tong Chen Uncorrected Myopia Affects the EDTRS Visual Acuity of OFF Pathways More Than ON Pathways Advisor: Dr. Jingyun Wang Emma Goodwin Changes in Visual Function and Resolution Over the Course of the Normal Menstrual Cycle Advisor: Dr. Mark Rosenfield

Jon Kuznia ON-OFF Pathway Function in Amblyopia Advisor: Dr. Mitchell Dul

Zi Rui Li ON-Pathway Visual Acuity Deficits in 8-12 Years Old Children with Unilateral Amblyopia Advisor: Dr. Jingyun Wang Vanna Lam Vy Nguyen Differences between ON and OFF Cortical Function in Patients with Amblyopia Advisor: Dr. Jingyun Wang Sweta Patel The Effect of Repeated Biofeedback Training on Accommodation During MFCL Wear in Young Adults Advisor: Dr. Xiaoying Zhu Alexander Rief Analysis of Glia Characteristics in the RD10 Retinitis Pigmentosa Mouse in Comparison to the Müller Glia Dicer-cKO Mouse Advisor: Dr. Stefanie Wohl

Brian Young Song Effects of Induced Myopia on Inner Peripapillary Retinal Layer Structures Advisor: Dr. Alexandra Benavente-Perez

CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE, DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY Diellnor Abduramani Laila Abouhasswa Judy Aboushaar Sarah Dina Ahdut** Susan A. Antigua Gonzalez Laura Baldino** + ° Sheewani Bhugwansing Lyle Bibens Ann Boby Mathews Lyndsey Jane Campbell

Katelyn Helmold° Clare Soojoung Hwang**° Vishwa Jain** Arianne Michelle Jean-Francois Grace Ji Katsiaryna Kavalchuk Alyssa Elaine Keller** Amber Kim Kendra Hyunkyung Kim** + ° Julianna Sophie King Ayelet Klahr** Connor Lyons Kortright Katarina Jenelle Kozer Jon C. Kuznia Vivian Lam Katie Chi-Ying Law Cindy Lee + ° Zi Rui Li Nicole Loan** Konstantin Lomeyko Kelly Lu Serena Lu Naseem Yousaf Malik Salsabyl Ahmed Mansour Shawn Tazusa Kataoka Matsumoto° Kayla Allison McCutcheon

Ngozi Anita Nwabuzoh Aapti Patel Sweta Patel** Fernando Emmanuel Peralta Danilene Aquino Prodon Michael Radparvar Ravi Bhavesh Raithatha Shiwanee Rangaswamy Perla Giselle Reyes Alexander Marian Rief Sunny Sachar* Jasmeet Sandhu Jocelyn Ronit Setareh*° Diana Shalamov** Abu Bakker Siddik Sara Malka Siyunova Brian Young Song**° Jeffrey Sonnenblick Abdullah Taher Sarah Taj Amanda Tran Arturo E. Vale Cayla Brooke Werner Taylor Jacqueline White

Anna Kathleen Camporese Christina Faith Canellos**° Annie Chan Xiao Tong Chen** Chin-Yen Chou + Brandon Aaron Cohenmehr** Sanjana Dalal Alana Dang Kenneth Dao Alicia Defonte° Penelope Demetriades Joy McFadin Deshmukh**° William Doan Nguyen + °

Julianna Dolinski**° Annie Fangshu Dong Olga Draganchyuk Ryan Driscoll** Matthew L. Frankel°

Allison C. Wu + Jessie Yang Yu** + Mike Yuan° Josephine Zeng Jessica Zwilling

Maya Elbeialy Mekawy Petranella C. Mhando

Olga Goncharova Emma Goodwin**° Taylor Alexis Greaves Kevin Gress Neha Vidyadhara Gubbi + Dyala Ferial Harb

Odette Munoz Andres Munoz

Michelle Nemirovsky Rita Pham Nguyen + Vanna Lam Vy Nguyen Arden Hope Niedfeld**°

* Beta Sigma Kappa member ** 4-year BSK member + Gold Key Society member ° Microcredential Certificates

CANDIDATES FOR THE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN OPTOMETRY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Shawn Tazusa Kataoka Matsumoto

Julianna Dolinski

Neha Vidyadhara Gubbi

RESIDENCY CANDIDATES FOR THE CERTIFICATE OF ADVANCED CLINICAL COMPETENCY*

Nouralison Abdella, O.D. Geerdhana Sinthu Arun, O.D. MJ Bustamante, O.D. Amina Nasr Cheema, O.D.

Jennifer Lam, O.D. Connie See-Yan Lam, O.D. Jennifer Grace Le, O.D. Alex A. Martin, O.D.

Melissa Rezk, O.D. Tracey Nicole Rosenlicht, O.D. Elisabeth Morgan Schaffer, O.D. Emily Rose Strand, O.D. Alison Britton Taylor, O.D. Gabrielle Tull-Lewis, O.D. Zachary Madison Turple, O.D. Nithya Reddy Vemula, O.D. Emily Grace Zimmerman, O.D. Michelle Zhu Yan, O.D.

Jennifer Cheng, O.D. Katherine Ensign, O.D. Margaret Fernicola, O.D. Melanie Z. Fleyshmakher, O.D. Simon Sakkina Faizy Mohamed Sharfraj, O.D.

Serena Darlene McArthur, O.D. Allison McCain-Schroeder, O.D. Loganne Mikkelsen, O.D. Christopher Nhan-Van Nguyen, O.D. Hiral Dilipkumar Patel, O.D. Melisa Stacey Philogene, O.D. Diana Ma Pajongvirotjanasakul, O.D. Eva J. Qiu, O.D.

Max Herbik, O.D. Bhavna Joshi, O.D. Gurleen Klair, O.D.

* to be presented during residency ceremony

COMMENCEMENT AWARDS

presented during a ceremony this morning

CHANCELLOR’S AWARD for Student Excellence

Brandon Aaron Cohenmehr Kendra Hyunkyung Kim

BETA SIGMA KAPPA AWARD

Laura Baldino

for Academic Excellence

DR. FREDERICK W. BROCK MEMORIAL AWARD for Outstanding Clinical Performance in Vision Training

Jessica Zwilling

COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS IN VISION DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Kelly Lu

for Excellence in Vision Training

COLUMBIA CLASS OF 1936 AWARD for Academic & Clinical Achievement in Ocular Disease

Emma Goodwin

CLASS OF 1991 PACESETTER AWARD

Perla Giselle Reyes

for Excellence in Primary Care

DR. STANLEY EISENBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

Julianna Dolinski

for Excellence in Practice Development and Administration

DR. WILLIAM FEINBLOOM MEMORIAL AWARD for Outstanding Clinical Proficiency in Low Vision

Brian Young Song

IRA GOLDFARB MEMORIAL AWARD

Mike Yuan

for Excellence in Low Vision

DR. LOUIS HERRMANN MEMORIAL AWARD for Outstanding Compassion in Patient Care

Grace Ji

COMMENCEMENT AWARDS

presented during a ceremony this morning

MR. AND MRS. IRVING UNGER AWARD

Christina Faith Canellos

for Excellence in Optometry

THE JOSH WALLMAN, PHD MEMORIAL RESEARCH AWARD

Alexander Marian Rief

ESTHER J. WERNER MEMORIAL AWARD

Brian Young Song

for Academic Excellence

DR. MAX COHEN MEMORIAL AWARD

Christina Faith Canellos

for Volunteer Commitment to Community Service

Rita Pham Nguyen Arturo E. Vale

DR. BENJAMIN FREED MEMORIAL AWARD for Community Service Created by Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation

Arden Hope Niedfeld

MORTON L. KIMMELMAN MEMORIAL AWARD for Student Leadership in Organized Optometry

Kendra Hyunkyung Kim

BILLIE M. LYONS MEMORIAL AWARD

Shawn Tazusa Kataoka Matsumoto

for Distinguished Service to the College Community

Taylor Alexis Greaves

NEW YORK STATE OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION AUXILIARY AWARD for Outstanding Service to the Class of 2025

Neha Vidyadhara Gubbi

INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD Sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Taylor Alexis Greaves

Chin-Yen Chou

ABRAM A. HUBAL, OD, STUDENT SERVICE AWARD Sponsored by The New York State Optometric Association (NYSOA)

Allison C. Wu

COMMENCEMENT AWARDS

presented during a ceremony this morning

GP LENS INSTITUTE CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD for Outstanding Clinical Proficiency in Contact Lenses

Kendra Hyunkyung Kim

DR. WILLIAM M. EISENBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

Christina Faith Canellos

for Excellence in Ocular Disease

GOOD-LITE PEDIATRIC AWARD for Excellence in Pediatric Optometry

Clare Soojoung Hwang

ESHENBACH LOW VISION AWARD

Shawn Tazusa Kataoka Matsumoto

for Excellence in Low Vision

JOHNSON & JOHNSON EXCELLENCE AWARD for Excellence in Clinical Contact Lenses Patient Care

Laura Baldino

OPTELEC LOW VISION AWARD for Excellence in Low Vision

William Doan Nguyen

COOPERVISION 4 TH YEAR CONTACT LENS CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

William Doan Nguyen

GREETINGS & CONGRATULATIONS

The College Council extends our deepest congratulations to the Class of 2025. We are proud of all you have accomplished to reach this pivotal milestone in your academic journey. As Doctors of Optometry and vision scientists armed with the finest professional education, you will play a vital role in our healthcare system, and in doing so, change lives for the better. We salute you and all the good work you will do in the years to come. Congratulations!

Gretchen Stone, MAT Chair, SUNY College of Optometry College Council

Today you join the alumni family of more than 3,700 members who offer you their best wishes as you celebrate Commencement. This marks the beginning of your journey as part of the alumni community – our newest colleagues – and we are so proud to welcome you. We hope you enjoy this profession as much as we do, and encourage you to become involved in advancing the profession and continuing to be leaders as alumni.

Mary Botelho, OD ’17, R’18 President, Alumni Association

Class of 2025, congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone! Your dedication, resilience, and compassion have carried you to the finish line—and into a future where you’ll impact many lives. The Foundation is proud to have walked beside you on this journey, supporting your growth and potential. As you step forward into your profession, we hope you’ll carry that spirit of support with you—and one day, consider giving back to help the next generation see their way forward. Wishing you much success, fulfillment, and continued purpose in all you do.

Richard Soden, OD ‘79 President, SUNY College of Optometry Foundation

ACADEMIC REGALIA

The academic gowns that you see today represent a tradition inherited from the universities of the Middle Ages. Those institutions were founded by the Church; the students, being clerics, were obliged to wear clerical gowns and caps at all times. Throughout the ages, this regalia has been altered to accommodate both fashion and fancy. The once round caps were transformed into square mortarboards and the cowls, originally attached to the gown and used for warmth as a shoulder cape and bag for the collection of alms, became a separate garment that was fashioned into the colorful hoods currently worn. These gowns are usually black or the official color of the institution in the United States. The way they are worn and their cut distinguish the wearer’s academic degree. The hood is the most outstanding and colorful feature of the regalia. It is lined with the color of the institution from which the wearer received the degree. Its size and shape indicate the wearer’s degree; and its collar is the color of the academic discipline: Liberal Arts, white; Fine Arts and Architecture, brown; Science, golden yellow; Music, pink; Divinity, scarlet; Law, purple; Engineering, orange; Philosophy, blue; Medicine, green; Public Health, salmon; Forestry, russet; and Nursing, apricot. Seafoam green is the color adopted by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and filed with the Collegiate Bureau of Academic Costumes. The velvet trim on the hood is seafoam green. The blue and gold satin lining of the hood represent the traditional colors of the State University of New York. SUNY College of Optometry commissioned a ceremonial mace in honor of the College’s 50th anniversary. The mace reflects the three pillars of our mission – education, research, and service. It further incorporates elements related to optometry and the patients we serve in the heart of New York City. The ceremonial mace is used by Colleges and Universities to symbolize scholarship and integrity. It is used to signify that the proceedings of an event have an official sanction and is only present when the president and other presiding dignitaries are in attendance. The mace was designed and fabricated by Preston Jones. CEREMONIAL MACE

Congratulations Graduates! Welcome to the Alumni Family!