NSU’s 2012 “Faculty of the Year” Honored During 11th Annual Faculty Reception

Bai-chuan Jiang, Ph.D.

NSU faculty members recently celebrated the start of the 2012-2013 academic year by attending the 11^th Annual Faculty Reception, held in the Second Floor Gallery of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library. The reception was a chance to mingle with colleagues from throughout the university, while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres and interacting with top university administrators. Attendees were treated the opening of “The Many Faces of George Washington” exhibit which was also on display in the Gallery, while members of the “Red Vest Society” were on hand, mixing, shaking and stirring drinks for their colleagues.

The reception also served as the platform for recognizing and honoring NSU’s faculty, who were selected as “Professor of the Year” by their respective academic units. During the celebration, NSU President, George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., named Bai-chuan Jiang, Ph.D., as the 2011-2012 “President’s Distinguished Professor.” The award is conferred upon faculty who have achieved national and/or international prominence, excellence in teaching, and distinction in scholarly or creative productivity.

Professor Jiang has been a pioneer in establishing the communication of optometry between America and China. He is one of the earliest scholars to introduce modern optometric education to China, personally assisting in creating the first optometric program in China. Over the years, many of the Chinese visiting scholars or students who received training from Dr. Jiang have become faculty in top Chinese Universities, such as Beijing University, the top medical university in China. As a result, more than 20 Chinese Universities have established optometric programs, leading to the establishment of numerous ophthalmology departments and optometric practices.

A graduate of the Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences with a Ph.D. Degree in Physiological Optics, Jiang joined NSU’s College of Optometry with the rank of Professor. Professor Jiang serves as the lead instructor of the Theoretical Optics tract involving four courses taught each year to optometry students, providing the fundamental building blocks for optometrists. A gifted instructor, Jiang is known for delivering highly abstract concepts in an easy-to-understand format. Students in the Health Professions Division’s College of Optometry elected Jiang “Professor of the Year” in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011.

Dr. Jiang has also facilitated opportunities for fourth year optometry students from NSU to participate in externships at sites throughout cities in China. Additionally, Dr. Jiang has helped to facilitate collaborations for research between American and Chinese professionals in the field of vision science.

The University recognized the following faculty as “Professor of the Year” as selected by their respective academic units:

Michael Simonson, Ph.D.	Abraham S. Fischler School of Education
Mark Sobell, Ph.D.	Center for Psychological Studies
John Antonelli, D.D.S.	College of Dental Medicine
Morton Diamond, M.D.	College of Health Care Sciences
Andrew Mariassy, Ph.D.	College of Medical Sciences
Leonard Levy, D.P.M.	College of Osteopathic Medicine
Michelle Clark, Ph.D.	College of Pharmacy
Charles Zelden, Ph.D.	Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences
Gertrude Abramson, Ed.D.	Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences
Anne Rambo, Ph.D.	Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Art Weinstein, Ph.D.	H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Richard Spieler, Ph.D.	Oceanographic Center
Elena Marty-Nelson, J.D.	Shepard Broad Law Center
Bai-chuan Jiang, Ph.D.	College of Optometry