Excelling students from the Class of 2015 at University of New South Wales School of Vision Science were recognised at the School’s annual prize-giving presentation, held at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kensington, Sydney.
Janelle Geyin Tong, Sophia Zhang, Elizabeth Yasaman Kodari and Jerome Ozkan were among the highest achieving students from the University of New South Wales School of Vision Science in 2015, recognised at the annual prize-giving presentation in June.
Professor Fiona Stapleton, head of the University of New South Wales School of Optometry and Vision Sciences congratulated the winners and families who supported all students throughout their courses.
Addressing students from the Class of 2015, she quoted a speaker from the SOVS graduation ceremony earlier that day, “you’ve joined an incredibly rewarding profession, a very close community where you can have a profound impact on the lives of others… Your own position, to put others first, to collaborate and communicate however your career develops – whether you choose to work in private practice, in industry in research, academia, public health or advocacy – each of you has enormous opportunities ahead of you and if you do the work that you love and the work that fulfils you, you’ll become open to that myriad of opportunities”.
Speaking to prize winners, Professor Stapleton said, “Getting into optometry is a huge hurdle. (At UNSW SOVS), we take the top 1 per cent of students in the State so to be judged a prize-winner within that cohort is an enormous achievement.
Professor Stapleton spoke of the “enormous changes” being introduced to the UNSW School of Optometry
and Vision Sciences. “We’re undertaking an enormous change with our optometry teaching program, moving to a post-graduate program next year… this change in our program recognises the development of the professional program and our goal as a school to provide our students with not only the skills to become great optometrists immediately they graduate, but also to continue to develop as evidence based practitioners through their career and actually be able to communicate in a meaningful way and to contribute in a very meaningful way to the communities they serve.”
2015 UNSW SOVS Prize Winners |
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The Specsavers Prize (for the best performance in optometry in year 2) Patricia Wing Lam Tsong. The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize for Ocular Disease (for the best performance in ocular disease in year 3) Jennifer Karen Banh. The CooperVision Australia Prize in Year 4 Optometry (for the best performance in optometry in year 4) Jeremy Chung Bo Chiang. 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 Wilson Luu and Janelle Geyin Tong. The Leonard Fine/ Luxottica Memorial Prize in Optometry and Vision Science (for the best performance in Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program) Janelle Geyin Tong. The Transitions Optical Prize (for the best overall performance in clinical optometry throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program) Janelle Geyin Tong. The Specsavers Prize for Excellence in Patient Management (Awarded to final year BOptom BSc Student for excellence in patient management) Janelle Geyin TongJanelle was also awarded the University Medal. The Susan Larter Vision Trust Prize (for a final year or postgraduate student who achieved clinical excellence and/or has contributed to the practise and knowledge of behavioural/neuro-developmental optometry) Elizabeth Yasaman Kodari. The ACBO Prize (for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in binocular and children’s vision) Elizabeth Yasaman Kodari. The Designs for Vision Prize (for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in primary care optometry) Matthew Eu-gene Chua. The BOC Ophthalmic Instruments Prize (for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in colour vision) Sophia Zhang. The BOC Head of School’s Prize (for distinguished performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program) Sophia Zhang. The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize (Dispensing) (for the best overall performance throughout the Bachelor of Optometry Bachelor of Science program in dispensing) Shirley Yuni Zhao. The Optometrists Association Australia Prize (for outstanding academic performance in the Bachelor of The Neville Fulthorpe Prize for Clinical Excellence (most improved in clinical optometry) Sharon Cou. The Luxottica Prize for Postgraduate Ocular Therapeutics (for Best Performance in OPTM7436) Angela Morris. |
The students’ awards were presented by University of New South Wales’ Professor Chris Tisdall, who was described by Professor Stapleton as “one of the champions of education at UNSW”.
Wilson Luu, President of the Student Society in 2015, addressed the audience, congratulating graduates and thanking their families, the sponsors, SOV and its staff for their support. “We’re going into the vast world armed with our experience and knowledge, and yes, this is the end of one chapter but the beginning of another, we can change how people view the world… it begins with you guys… let’s get out there together and make a difference,” said Mr. Luu.
