NSU College of Optometry Receives Gift to Enhance Scholarships, Research and Profession

Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) College of Optometry announced it has received a significant philanthropic gift from National Vision, Inc., one of the country’s leaders in the eye care industry. This gift will be used toward student scholarships, faculty research and increased community service. Also, as a result of National Vision’s support, the College of Optometry will be renamed the NSU National Vision College of Optometry for an initial term of 10 years.

“We are very pleased to welcome National Vision into our growing ‘family’ of donors,” said Dr. George Hanbury, NSU’s president and CEO. “This gift demonstrates their commitment to advancing the profession of optometry, helping to ensure that our students are even better prepared to serve their future patients.”

National Vision has been a long-time supporter of NSU and its quality optometry education program, including having donated a major piece of equipment – a Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope (BIO) simulator – to the College of Optometry’s training lab in 2015. The company has also sponsored numerous student events over the past few years.

“At National Vision, everything we do is driven by our mission to provide affordable eye care and eyewear to budget-conscious people,” said Reade Fahs, CEO of National Vision. “National Vision is and will always be an ‘optometrist-centric’ organization. We strive to be a place where optometrists have an opportunity to provide quality care to patients that need it most while also finding it a fulfilling place to work and advance their careers. In fact, of the more than 40,000 practicing optometrists in the United States, more than 2,000 – or roughly five percent – of them are practicing in the National Vision network. We believe that the best way to invest in the future of the profession is to invest in the future of optometric education, which is expensive. We are trying to do our part.”

“One of our more precious gifts is sight and the optometric physician is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of this gift,” said David Loshin, dean, NSU’s College of Optometry. “We take great pride in giving our students the edge by preparing them to practice at the highest level of proficiency, integrity and professionalism when they graduate. The world of optometry has evolved with advancements in technology and innovation and with National Vision’s support, we will be on the forefront of these changes for the betterment of our students and patients.”

As part of their training at NSU, College of Optometry students — supervised by faculty — provide eye care services at five South Florida locations through The Eye Care Institute, the college’s clinical division. Services include primary eye care for adults and children, cornea and contact lenses, dry eye and ocular surface disease treatment, low vision rehabilitation, vision training and sports vision enhancement, glaucoma, diabetes and macular disease and much more. In the past year, The Eye Care Institute had 28,000 patient visits.

Founded in 1989, the NSU College of Optometry is the only optometry program in Florida and one of only 23 colleges in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is fully accredited by The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE). In addition to the Doctor of Optometry program, the college also offers a master’s degree in Clinical Vision Research and an extensive range of continuing education opportunities for optometrists.