Caroline Pate, OD, FAAO, residency program director at the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO), announced the incoming residents for the 2025-2026 academic year and placements for UAB Optometry's class of 2025.
The newly graduated optometrists who will embark on their UABSO-affiliated residency programs this summer hail from various parts of the country.
"We are thrilled to welcome our new optometry residents!” Pate said. “Their fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and dedication to advancing their field knowledge is inspiring. We look forward to their incredible contributions at their respective residency sites."
The 2025-2026 residents are as follows:
Residency in Pediatric Optometry at UABSO
- Leah Grant (SCO)
Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at UABSO
- JoAnndria Brown (SCO)
Residency in Primary Care Optometry at UABSO
- Savana Bullard (UABSO)
Residency in Pediatric Optometry at Vanderbilt Eye Institute
- Lauren King (UCB)
Residency in Vision Rehabilitation/Low Vision Rehabilitation/Ocular Disease at the Birmingham VAMC
- Grace Defoor (UABSO)
- Brianna Studer (ICO)
Residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care Optometry/Retina at the Tuscaloosa VAMC
- Sammy Haskins (UABSO)
- Ashley Price (UABSO)
Residency in Ocular Disease at Omni Eye Services of Atlanta
- Adela Coy (AZCOPT)
- Diana Scavuzzo (UPIKE)
- Emely Minino Soto (NECO)
Residency in Ocular Disease/Refractive and Ocular Surgery at Eye Center of Texas
- Daniela Mariano (UIW-RSO)
- Sweta Patel (SUNY)
- Dorcas Owusu (SCO)
- Ruchita Sharma (IUPR)
Additionally, 21 percent of UABSO’s graduating class received residency placements across the nation. Some of their names are listed above, while the names of others are included in the list below.
UABSO Students who received placements are as follows:
Residency in Primary Care Optometry/Ocular Disease at the WJB Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC
- Samantha Becker
Residency in Pediatric Optometry/Vision Therapy and Vision Rehabilitation at the University of the Incarnate Word Eye Institute, San Antonio, TX
- Vontavia Davis
Residency in Ocular Disease/Brain Injury Rehabilitation at the Audie Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, San Antonio, TX
- Matthew Farnsworth
Residency in Ocular Disease at the Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, OH
- Makayla Hall
Residency in Ocular Disease at the Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN
- Tallis Herron
Residency in Ocular Disease at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, FL
- Alice Kim
Residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care Optometry at the Northern Navajo Medical Center, Shiprock, NM
- Kimberly Martocci
Residency in Pediatric Optometry at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Tyler Thomas
“These residencies present the opportunity to advance clinical skills and establish specialties,” Pate said. “For some, the experiences will yield the next generation of optometric educators and leaders within the profession. The future is bright indeed!”
The UAB School of Optometry offers advanced clinical education in specialty areas of optometry through three in-house and four affiliated residency programs. Currently, eight residency programs offer a total of 16 positions. All of the residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.