The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) is offering educators the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year. The title will be awarded to three individuals across IACLE’s global regions – Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa- Middle East.
IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo (left) and Dr Gary Orsborn (right), Vice President, Global Professional and Clinical Affairs at CooperVision, pictured with some of the 2019 IACLE Awards winners (l-r) Dr Fabrizio Zeri (Italy), Professor Craig Woods (Australia), Joseph Afonne (Malawi) and Dr Rubén Velázquez (Mexico), and BCLA President Professor Sunil Shah (second right), at the 2019 British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference.
The award recognises the achievements in contact lens education and is open to all IACLE members who have been paid-up members for at least three years. The winners will each receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards their travel to the annual American Academy of Optometry (AAO), Academy 2020 Nashville, Tennessee, USA in October.
Applicants must demonstrate use of IACLE resources, engagement with IACLE, impact on their institution and the ways that they inspire their students to become future contact lens practitioners.
Dr Shehzad Naroo, IACLE President said, “I would encourage all members to consider applying for the 2020 awards or perhaps nominate someone for an award. We are grateful to all our sponsors for their support, to CooperVision for continuing to sponsor the Educator Awards, and to the American Academy of Optometry and AOCLE for additional support.”
“Continuous advances in contact lens technology require ongoing evolution in contact lens education,” said Dr Gary Orsborn, Vice President of Global Professional and Clinical Affairs for CooperVision. “We are proud to continue our partnership with IACLE to recognise the educators who never cease to give their students the best possible preparation for a career in optometry – today, tomorrow, and well into the future. We look forward to celebrating those who rise to the top in 2020.”
The IACLE Travel Awards are sponsored by IACLE through the generous support of all IACLE’s sponsors – Alcon, CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bausch + Lomb and Euclid.
Members can either nominate themselves, or be nominated by another member, their IACLE regional / country coordinator or IACLE staff. Entries must be submitted using the application forms at www.iacle.org by midnight (EST) on Friday 28 February 2020.
