Dr. Susan Cotter Garners Global Recognition For Transformative Impact In Optometry

MBKU Faculty Member Honored with Prestigious Awards for Advancing Vision Science and Inspiring Future Optometrists 
 
Esteemed professor and associate dean for university research, Dr. Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO, has been honored with two of optometry’s most distinguished accolades: the Optometrist of the Year Award presented by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT), and the 2024 University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry’s Springer Lecturer. These awards reflect her pivotal role in advancing vision science and underscore MBKU’s commitment to fostering innovation and leadership in healthcare education.
 
“The Optometrist of the Year Award and the Springer Lectureship represent the collective spirit of collaboration, innovation and dedication to advancing patient care,” said Dr. Cotter. “These honors also reflect the supportive and dynamic environment at MBKU, where my pediatric optometry colleagues inspire me through their commitment to clinical research, patient care and optometric education.”
 
The Optometrist of the Year Award, presented annually by FOOT, recognizes exceptional contributions to the field of optometry. In December 2024, Dr. Cotter was honored in Terrassa, Spain, for her impactful contributions to pediatric clinical trials and her exemplary leadership in collaborative research studies. At the ceremony, which also celebrated FOOT’s 2024 graduating class, Dr. Cotter delivered their commencement address and was named “godmother” of the first-year optometry students, symbolizing her role as a mentor and inspiration.
 
The Springer Lecture series, a hallmark event at UAB, celebrates influential optometric leaders who have significantly advanced the profession. As the 2024 UAB Springer Lecturer, Dr. Cotter shared her pioneering work with the PEDIG research network in treating amblyopia, a vision disorder that has been central to her career. In her keynote, Dr. Cotter reflected on her passion for treating amblyopia, expressing the gratification of seeing children regain vision. She encouraged students to explore opportunities to treat amblyopia, stressing that achieving positive outcomes is not limited to pediatric specialists. Dr. Cotter also recognized the achievements of two of her former students, Drs. Kathy Weise and Kristine Hopkins, who are now accomplished pediatric optometrists and faculty members at UAB.
 
A driving force behind the academic programs and research initiatives at MBKU’s Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) for more than 27 years, Dr. Cotter is widely regarded for her dedication to mentorship and her influential research in the treatment of amblyopia, strabismus, convergence insufficiency and childhood refractive error. As the immediate past co-chair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and immediate past president of the American Academy of Optometry, she has collaborated with many eye care professionals to advance pediatric vision research and shape best practices in patient care and education.
 
Dr. Cotter further showcased her expertise as the inaugural speaker for the recent Lea Hyvarinen Pediatric Lecture, titled “Amblyopia Treatment: How Clinical Trials are Redefining Patient Care,” at the New England College of Optometry on January 22. 
 
“On behalf of everyone at MBKU, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Cotter for her extraordinary contributions to the field of optometry and these remarkable, well-deserved achievements,” said Dr. Julie A. Schornack, president of Marshall B. Ketchum University. “Her landmark work not only drives the profession forward but also inspires the next generation of optometrists to strive for nothing less than excellence.”
 
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