Recipients to formally accept awards at the 11th Annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit in July
Prevent Blindness is issuing the call for nominations for the “2022 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health,” and the third annual “Rising Visionary Award.” Both the awards will be formally presented at the 11th Annual Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health National Summit, to be held virtually, on July 13-14, 2022. An all-volunteer committee will review all nominations and select the award recipients.
The submission deadline for both awards is Feb. 4, 2022 at noon ET. The award recipients or representatives (if a group or organization) must be available to present (virtually) at the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit.
The Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health recognizes an individual, group, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national, and/or international level. The award serves as a living memorial to Jenny Pomeroy, who was the CEO of Prevent Blindness Georgia from 1996 until 2013, and a strong advocate for the advancement of public health and policy for vision and eye health issues.
The recipient of the 2021 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health was R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA, FACS, Professor and Head, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The John H. Panton, MD Professor of Ophthalmology, Director, Pediatric Retina and ROP Service at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Past award recipients include the Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Program (CVRP) at West Virginia University (2020); Cynthia Owsley, PhD, MSPH, Nathan E. Miles Chair of Ophthalmology and Director of the Clinical Research Unit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (2019); the Johns Hopkins University School-Based Eye Care Team (2018); John E. Crews, DPA, retired from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017); Bruce Moore, OD, retired from the New England College of Optometry (2016); and Richard T. Bunner, retired from the Ohio Department of Public Health (2015).
The third annual Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to an optometry, ophthalmology, primary health care, nursing, or other health professional student or resident in the United States who has the best overall application and essay addressing the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Eye-conic Approaches to Eye Health.
The 2021 Rising Visionary Award recipient was Shervonne Poleon, Vision Science Graduate Program student, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). And, the 2020 recipient was Araba Otoo, an optometry student at The Ohio State University.
“Prevent Blindness is honored to recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to eye and vision health,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “If you or someone you know is creating positive change in the vision health of the public, we encourage you to submit a nomination or application today!”
For more information on the Prevent Blindness Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health, please visit preventblindness.org/jenny-pomeroy-award-for-excellence-in-vision-and-public-health/. Information on the Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award may be found at preventblindness.org/rising-visionary-award/. Or, contact Nita Sinha, director of Public Health, at (800) 331-2020 or [email protected].
Download a copy of the Jenny Pomeroy and Rising Visionary Awards media release.
