(Click here to view all the images from this event)
The class of 2013 from the New South Wales University School of Optometry and Vision Sciences has graduated.
At a graduation event on 16 June students expressed their delight in formally concluding their studies and commencing careers as optometrists.
Head of School, Professor Fiona Stapleton presented awards to graduates of the 2013 class, scholarship winners, prize winners and those students graduating with Master of Science, M Optom, PHD and Graduate Certificates.
She said graduation was an achievement for students, family, partners and friends and that the class of 2013 had joined an incredibly rewarding community, one that will have a profound affect on others. Professor Stapleton said the graduating students had “enormous opportunities ahead”.
Professor Stapleton acknowledged the sad passing of Catrin Tran, “a bright light of optometry” and urged people to share their memories and recollections of her in a memory book that was to be presented to her family at a private ceremony.
Professor Merlin Crossley, Dean of the Faculty of Science, told attendees that the School of Vision Science “is a wonderful community… with groundbreaking research… which makes a huge difference to people’s lives”. He said optometry is held together by a very strict and exacting course program, which makes it one of the hardest courses at the university.
“Vision science is hugely important to the world. All of us will be enjoying the support of optometrists or needing optometrists as we age … you’re entering a very important profession and you’ll have much useful work to do in the future,” he said.
Professor Crossley urged students to keep in touch with each other and the school.
School of Vision Science Awards
Awards were presented to the following eye health professionals:
The Specsavers Prize for the best performance in Optometry in Year 2: Jeremy Chung Bo Chiang.
Carl Zeiss Prize for the best performance in Optometry in Year 3) and The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize for Ocular Disease for the best performance in Ocular Disease in Year 3: Janelle Geyin Tong.
The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize for Optics for the best performance in Optics: Wan Lu Wang.
The CooperVision Australia Prize in Year 4 Optometry for the best performance in Optometry in Year 4: Terence Jeehol Dam.
The Luxottica Prize for Ocular Therapeutics in Year 4 for the highest average result in OPTM4151 Ocular Therapeutics 4A and OPTM42510cular Therapeutics 4B: Sarah Boneham.
School of Optometry and Vision Science Vacation Research Scholarship: Chris Lim; Pauline Khoo; Anna Fengxin Liang and Shereen Kassir.
The David Bard Scholarship: Wan Lu Wang.
The Designs for Vision Prize for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in Primary Care Optometry and The Transitions Optical Prize for the best overall performance in clinical optometry throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science Program: Rebecca Jade Pyne.
ACO Outstanding Graduate Award and The Susan Larter Vision Trust Prize
for the Best Clinical Performance in Children’s Vision, Vision Therapy and Learning Difficulties during Stage 5: Rebecca Cox.
The WA Opticians Associates Prize for Clinical Optometry for the best performance in Optometry in Year 5. Shared by: Rebecca Cox and Rebecca Jade Pyne.
UVEX Safety Australia Pty Ltd Prize for the best performance in the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science in Environmental Optometry: Priska Liem.
The Specsavers Award for Excellence in Patient Management: Donna Chen.
The Optometric Vision Research Foundation Prize for the best research project presentation in the final year of the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science. Shared by: Emily Chen and Priska Liem.
Alcon Excellence beyond Optometry Award: Leslie Tat Chung Wong.
The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize (Dispensing) for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in dispensing: Andrew Chen Pong Leung.
The BOC Head of School’s Prize for distinguished performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program: Emily Chen.
The Graham Peachey Prize for the best performance in postgraduate studies in Behavioural Optometry: Joanne Linh Tran.
The Luxottica Prize for Clinical Ocular Therapeutics in Year 5 for the highest average result in OPTM5151 Clinical Ocular Therapeutics 5A and OPTM5251 Clinical Ocular Therapeutics 5B; The ACBO Prize for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in Binocular and Childrens Vision and The Optometrists Association Australia Prize for outstanding academic performance in the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program and University Medallist: Amy Rose Moreland.
The Neville Fulthorpe Prize for Clinical Excellence for most improved in Clinical Optometry: Elie Jaa Jaa.
The BOC Ophthalmic Instruments Prize for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in Colour Vision: Catrin Tran. Ms. Tran’s prize was accepted by her sister Eileen, also an optometrist from the class of 2011.
