SUNY Annual Report 2019

2019 Commencement SUNY College of Optometry held its 45th commencement ceremony on May 23 where hundreds gathered at the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan to witness the College grant 97 students their degrees for the OD, PhD and MS in vision science and advanced certificate in optometry business management. Hubert Sagnières, chairman of the Essilor Group and executive vice chairman of EssilorLuxottica, and Dr. Donald Hood, professor of psychology and professor of ophthalmic science at Columbia University, both received honorary degrees during the ceremony.

Dr. Kenneth Ciuffreda, distinguished teaching professor of biological and vision sciences, and Dr. Philip B. Kruger, professor emeritus of biological and vision sciences, both received the Presidential Medallion. “Thirty years ago, I embarked on a journey that started as a business opportunity, but later led me to a passion for changing the way the world sees.” –Mr. Sagnières

Essilor chairman Hubert Sagnières, SUNY Optometry president David A. Heath and Columbia University professor Dr. Donald Hood

Essilor chairman Hubert Sagnières delivers the 2019 commencement address

Millie Knight, Dr. David Heath, Hubert Sagnières and Barbara Saltzman at the Honorary Degree Recipient Dinner

SUNY Optometry Class of 2019 president Dr. Jason Grygier notes that their class is one year from 20/20 vision. “Anyway, in the end, any optometrist knows that 20/19 vision is slightly better than 20/20.”

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