We ran a press release this week touting the induction of a new member into the University of California Berkeley Optometry Hall of Fame.
It got us thinking. Was this a class of one? Who else received the honor this year?
Turns out that 21 individuals were part of the 2023 induction class to The Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley Hall of Fame. (That title certainly is a mouthful… an eyeful? But we digress.)
We read the profiles of all the accomplished men and women to receive the honor this year for their numerous contributions to the university and the field of optometry.
Needless to say, it is a well deserving group. We encourage you to read about each new Hall of Fame member’s list of accomplishments here. To whet your appetite, we pulled out one fun and/or interesting fact about each new inductee.
Kudos to the distinguished Class of 2023!
Raymond Alan Applegate, OD, PhD, FAAO: His PhD work was the first to demonstrate active photoreceptor phototropism based on pupil location.
Ian L. Bailey, OD, MS, FBCO, FAAO: There were five optometry graduates in 1962 at the University of Melbourne. Three of which are now in the UC Berkeley School of Optometry Hall of Fame.
Martin S. Banks, PhD: Earned his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1976. (Once he paid his library fine, that is.)
Joseph A. Bonanno, OD, PhD, FAAO, FARVO: Studied Xenopus toad developmental biology in the UCB Molecular Biology graduate program before entering optometry school.
Arthur Bradley, PhD: Has trained approximately 2,000 Doctor of Optometry students, and almost 50 PhD students, as a professor at Indiana University.
Abraham Bromberg, OD: Has been an academic and professional leader for the profession for more than 50 years in Mexico.
Jorge Cuadros, OD, PhD: Co-creator of EyePACS, a web-based telehealth platform that uses an open source design allowing low cost access for clinics caring for underserved patients.
Bernard. J. Dolan, OD, MS, FAAO: Was the first optometrist hired at San Francisco VA Medical Center.
Suzanne M.J. Fleiszig, OD, PhD, FAAO: Her lab’s research has branched into the fields of cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, engineering, imaging, and most recently neuroscience.
Stanley A. Klein, PhD: He and fellow Hall of Famer Dennis Levi had nearly identical Guinness World Records for Hyperacuity (less than 1% different).
Dennis M. Levi, OD, PhD: In April 1984, he repeatedly identified the relative position of a thin bright green line within 0.85 seconds of arc.
Leon Lewis, MD: The World War II veteran spoke out against a “loyalty oath” that was enacted by the Board of Regents of the University of California. He said, “the Levering Act is an intolerable perversion of law in the eyes of liberty loving Americans.”
Donald Mutti, OD, PhD, FAAO, FARVO: Member of the research team that provided the first large-scale, longitudinal evidence of the protective effect of time outdoors reducing the risk of the onset of myopia.
Clyde W. Oden, Jr., OD, MPH, MBA, MDIV: Received the 2023 Peter E. Haas Public Service Award, which recognizes UC Berkeley alumni who, through their personal efforts, have made a significant contribution to the public good in the United States.
Vincent Michael Patella, OD, FAAO: Began his career as a US Air Force meteorology officer, and then worked as an aerospace engineer on the NASA manned spaceflight project called Skylab.
Gunilla Haegerstrom-Portnoy, OD, PhD, FAAO: Dedicated one day each week for more than 30 years to examin children clinically.
Edward J. Revelli, OD, FAAO: His career at UC Berkeley started at age 11, selling soda in Memorial Stadium on game days.
Clifton M. Schor, OD, PhD: Was a pioneer in the study of abnormal monocular eye movements in amblyopia. His father and two uncles also were optometrists.
Larry N. Thibos, PhD, DSc, FAAO, FOSA: His research in visual optics with perennial colleagues (and fellow 2023 Hall of Fame inductees) Arthur Bradley and Raymond Applegate focused on the nature of the eye’s optical flaws and how those flaws affect vision.
Christine F. Wildsoet, OD, PhD, FAAO, FARVO: Was the first to demonstrate that eyes largely regulate their own growth, without need for input from the brain.
Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD, FAAO: Her lifetime research funding plus NEI-supported training grants totals $40 million. She has published 177 peer-reviewed papers to date.