AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY RECOGNIZES TWO OPTOMETRY FACULTY Academy President Dr. Karla Zadnik, O.D., Ph.D., presents the Prentice Medal to Dr. Larry N. Thibos, Ph.D. Dr. Sarita Soni, O.D., M.S. Dr. Larry N. Thibos and Dr. P. Sarita Soni received awards at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) 91st Annual Meeting held in Phoenix on October 26. CHARLES F. PRENTICE MEDAL In recognition of a career-long record of advancing knowledge in vision science, Dr. Larry N. Thibos received the Charles F. Prentice Medal, which is considered to be the most prestigious of the academy’s awards for achievement in research. “Winning the Prentice award is a rare honor for IU, as the only previous recipient was in 1976: Professor Henry Hofstetter, the founder of the IU School of Optometry,” IU School of Optometry Dean Joseph Bonanno said. “We are now recognized as the premier institution in the world in the field of visual optics research and its clinical applications. That reputation will be further enhanced by having the 2012 Prentice Medal in our school’s showcase.” Dr. Thibos, who in 1991 received the academy’s Glenn A. Fry Lecture Award for research contributions by distinguished scientists and clinicians, was also recognized in 1999 as IU’s distinguished faculty research lecturer. His research interests include the effects of optical aberrations of the eye on visual performance, the limits to spatial vision imposed by retinal architecture, and the characterization of vision in the peripheral field. “He is a scholar who is most deserving of this award, given all his contributions to basic ophthalmic science and clinical optometry,” said Chris Johnson, chair of the AAO awards committee. WILLIAM FEINBLOOM AWARD For her “distinguished and significant contribution to clinical excellence and the direct clinical advancement of visual and optometric service, and thus the visual enhancement of the public,” Dr. P. Sarita Soni received the William Feinbloom Award. “Dr. Soni has made a significant mark on the profession of optometry and on the Indiana University School of Optometry,” Bonanno said. “By contributing to major advancements in clinical care, and by representing the needs of patients both in her own community and around the world, she most certainly fits the spirit of the Feinbloom award.” Dr. Soni served the IU School of Optometry as associate dean for research from 1992 to 2004, and as interim dean from 2008 to 2010. Her research focuses on the cornea and the development and correction of refractive errors. 13