(PRESS RELEASE) BOSTON, MA — New England College of Optometry (NECO) announces that Morris Berman, OD, MS has joined the faculty as an adjunct professor. “Dr. Berman’s career has been marked by a fierce commitment to advancing the optometric profession through scholarship, service and education and we are delighted to bring his long-range view of optometry to NECO,” remarked Dr. Erik Weissberg, vice president and dean of academic affairs.
Dr. Berman received his optometric education in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1967. He earned his Doctor of Optometry (OD) and Master of Science in Physiological Optics (MS) degrees at the University of Houston, College of Optometry and completed a residency at the Optometric Center of New York in 1968.
Most recently, Dr. Morris Berman served as the Dean of the School of Optometry at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Worcester, Massachusetts. Previously he served as Provost at Marshall B. Ketchum University in Fullerton, California and Senior Vice President for Administration at the University with responsibilities including institutional research and outcomes assessment, accreditation, and planning facilities expansion for new programs. Prior to Ketchum, Dr. Berman served for 28 years as Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs at the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO).
In addition to publishing more than 30 papers and co-authoring the Dictionary of Visual Sciences and Related Clinical Terms, Dr. Berman has amassed years of didactic teaching experience in the areas of strabismus/amblyopia, electro-diagnosis, and ocular physiology and professional ethics. Among his many notable achievements serving the profession, Dr. Berman has served as the Chair for the Academic Affairs Committee of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), and as editor of ASCO’s newsletter Eye on Education. Since 2005, Dr. Berman has been a member and chair of the American Optometric Association Ethics and Values Committee. In July 2016 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCO.
“Our success in preparing today’s optometrists for tomorrow’s optometry relies on the quality of our faculty, and our ability to deliver world-class teaching and clinical training programs. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Berman to our team”, offered Dr. Howard Purcell, president of NECO.