Daniel Creech, 40, a patient at United Ability, knew his vision had changed. After years of encouragement, he was convinced to get glasses.

Apply today to receive free vision care services at the annual Gift of Sight, hosted by the University of Alabama at BirminghamSchool of Optometry and UAB Eye Care, Dec. 1-5. The event will be held at the Jefferson County Western Health Center, located at 631 Bessemer Super Highway, Midfield, Alabama.

UAB Eye Care, the clinical arm of the UAB School of Optometry, is making it easier to see clearly and save money this holiday season.

by Tamarreo Tatum

Mallory Wright, OD, former primary care resident at the UAB School of Optometry, was named 2025’s Best in Optometry Resident by Optometry Times. The award recognizes her exceptional performance in clinical care, teaching and leadership during her residency.

by Tamarreo Tatum

Andrew Rothstein, OD, assistant professor at UAB School of Optometry, received the UAB President’s Award for Excellence, which honors outstanding contributions in teaching, service, and shared values across the community. 

Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a global epidemic that affects over 2 billion people worldwide and up to 90 percent of the population in East Asia.

Read more on UAB News

Professor Om Srivastava, PhD, has retired from the UAB School of Optometry after more than three decades of service as a researcher and educator.

Jessica Schiffbauer, OD, former Omni Eye Services in Atlanta ocular disease resident and an alumna of the New England College of Optometry, currently serves as a Medical Science Liaison at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. An optometry school classmate and externship experiences inspired her to pursue a residency.

by Tamarreo Tatum

The UAB School of Optometry’s Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) team traveled to Penonomé, Panama, treating 341 patients during the weeklong trip. This trip was funded largely through support from alumni in the Class of 1978, with additional contributions from student fundraising efforts.

Katherine Weise, OD, MBA, professor at the UAB School of Optometry, has been named the 2025 Optometric Educator of the Year by the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA).

by Satina Richardson

Amadou Bah, 33, who is visually impaired, once believed driving was out of reach. But with extensive training, support and determination, he now drives himself to work at Publix using bioptic driving, achieving one of his most significant goals.

Swetha Ravichandran, M.Optom, FAAO, and Sourav Datta, M.Optom, doctoral students in the Vision Science Graduate Program at the UAB School of Optometry, have been named 2025 William C. Ezell Fellows by the American Academy of Optometry.

Bryan Williams, OD, FAAO, FSLS, practices optometry at Insight Complete Eye Care in Fort Worth, TX. After earning his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry, Williams completed a cornea and contact lens residency at the UAB School of Optometry, which deepened his clinical expertise, providing the knowledge to introduce and grow a contact lens specialty at his current practice.

by Tamarreo Tatum

Carolene Botha, MD, a master’s student in the Vision Science Graduate Program, has been awarded a grant through the Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research program, with additional support from the National Academy of Sciences. The funding will support her work developing and building affordable retinal fundus cameras to improve diabetic retinopathy screenings and improve outcomes in underserved communities.

Andrew P. Plaxco, OD, MPH, FAAO, has joined the faculty of the UAB School of Optometry as an assistant professor.

The UAB School of Optometry is proud to welcome Heidi Hernandez, OD, as an assistant professor.

Sam Pierce, OD, Class of 1988, has been named executive director of the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA). With an extensive history of service to the optometric profession, locally, statewide, and nationally, Pierce is well-prepared for this opportunity, which marks a full-circle moment in his career.

Professor Lei Liu, MS, PhD, FAAO, is retiring after 19 years of service to the UAB School of Optometry. His research and teaching interests focused on human psychophysics, binocular vision, eye movement, and low vision.

The UAB School of Optometry offers three dual-degree programs, allowing students to pursue a master’s in public health (MPH), business administration (MBA) or vision science (MS) while earning a Doctor of Optometry degree. Gavin Buba, Class of 2027, is working toward an OD/MS. In a Q&A, he shares why he chose this path.

Lawrence Sincich, Ph.D., professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry was awarded a $2.1 million R01 grant to support a pioneering four-year research project titled “Elementary Cone Photoreceptor Representation in Primary Visual Cortex” by the National Eye Institute.