AAO bestows awards upon industry veterans

During the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting, three optometrists were recognized for their contributions to the profession.

Brien A. Holden, PhD, DSc, LOSc, was awarded the Charles F. Prentice Medal, and Ron Melton, OD, FAAO, and Randall Thomas, OD, MPH, FAAO, were awarded the Vincent Ellerbrock Clinician Educator Award.

According to a press release from the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Holden’s award acknowledged his 50 years of contributions to the advancement of knowledge in vision science. Throughout his career, he has studied the cornea, the requirements and solutions for safe and comfortable contact lens wear, surgical vision technologies, the major causes and solutions to blindness and impaired vision from refractive error, and the global epidemic of myopia. He has been “a global leader in research and innovation in the measurement, correction, management, treatment, and social and economic impact of vision correction and blindness prevention,” according to the release.

Melton and Thomas, founding editorial board members of Primary Care Optometry News, received the Ellerbrock award for their contributions over 20 years to the academy’s lectures and workshops programs, according to the academy. Each year, the lecture team suggests various diagnosis and management approaches to attendees in the areas of ocular disease, inflammation, infection and trauma.