ROCKVILLE Md.—The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has announced the recipients of the 2026 Special Recognition Awards. Award winners will be acknowledged during ASCO’s annual business meeting on June 17 in Phoenix, Ariz. “This year’s Special Recognition Award winners are extraordinary and we are pleased to recognize them in this way,” said Alicia Feis, OD, ASCO president. “Their contributions to optometry and optometric education cannot be overstated and we are thrilled to honor them during ASCO’s annual business meeting.”
The 2026 Special Recognition Award Winners include the following:
ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award
David A. Heath, OD, is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The ASCO Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an outstanding individual who, over an extended period of time, provided exceptional leadership to ASCO and to optometric education; made outstanding contributions to the optometric community; and displayed exemplary commitment and dedication to ASCO.
David A. Heath, OD.
Dr. Heath served as the third president of the SUNY College of Optometry from 2007 to 2024, following a distinguished tenure at The New England College of Optometry where he held several leadership roles including vice president and dean of academic affairs. A graduate of Ithaca College and NECO, he also earned a masters in education from Harvard University.
Dr. Heath is best known for his work in educational program development and international vision care. In 2001 and 2007, he was the recipient of the Jack Bennett Innovation in Education Award from ASCO for his leadership in optometric education nationally. He was recognized and awarded the status of Distinguished Scholar in the National Academies of Practice in 2009. He also served twice as president of ASCO during the 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 academic years.
“I am honored and deeply appreciative of being awarded ASCO’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Given my own journey in optometric education, this award will hold a special place in my heart,” said Dr. Heath. “My career has always focused on advancing optometric education and been based on the recognition that the voice of ASCO and academic leadership is central to the development of the profession. I encourage our educational leaders to not lose sight of the power of their voice and ensure that diverse perspectives and the unique expertise they bring to bear, are heard and lead our profession forward.”
Herbert Wertheim Award
Mitchell M. Scheiman, OD, Ph.D., is the fifth Dr. Herbert Wertheim Award recipient. This award recognizes individuals or organizations that have accomplished high-impact, groundbreaking, and innovative programs or initiatives, and contributed substantially, or have the potential to sustainably address, eye and vision health and/or the social determinants of eye health and vision care, at the local, national, or global level.
Mitchell M. Scheiman, OD, Ph.D.
Dr. Scheiman is senior associate dean of research and professor of optometry at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Drexel University. An internationally recognized clinician-scientist, he has played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding and treatment of binocular vision disorders, amblyopia, and vision dysfunction associated with concussion.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Dr. Scheiman has led landmark multicenter clinical trials—including the National Eye Institute–funded Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial—that helped establish evidence-based care for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children. He has authored more than 265 scientific publications and influential textbooks, including “Clinical Management of Binocular Vision.” His research has been cited more than 20,000 times and has helped shape modern clinical practice while mentoring generations of clinicians and vision scientists.
“I am deeply honored to receive the ASCO Herbert A. Wertheim Award. Much of my career has focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of binocular vision disorders, amblyopia, and vision problems associated with concussion, and I have been fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues, students, and collaborators who share a commitment to advancing both research and patient care. I am grateful to ASCO for recognizing the importance of innovation and mentorship in improving visual health and quality of life,” said Dr. Scheiman.
Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award
Roanne E. Flom, OD.
Roanne E. Flom, OD is this year’s Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award recipient. The award was established in March 2000, to recognize an ASCO volunteer for an outstanding innovation to optometric education. The award was named in June 2000 in honor of Dr. Bennett, a leader in optometric education, who served as dean at three optometric institutions.
Dr. Flom studied human biology at Stanford University before earning her doctor of optometry degree from UC Berkeley and completing a residency in Vision Rehabilitation. She initially developed a low vision service at Johns Hopkins University before joining The Ohio State University College of Optometry, where she has served for over 30 years. Currently, she is the chief of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Service and an educator focused on the cognitive and emotional needs of patients.
“It feels great to be recognized for my efforts to elevate the teaching of optometric low vision rehabilitation. I especially appreciate the role ASCO played by creating a home for the Low Vision Educator’s SIG that I was able to co-found and see flourish,” according to Dr. Flom. “I have also been lucky to partner closely with colleagues in developing novel teaching activities, including ways for interns to do their first trial frame refractions with a digital ‘patient’ and to do their first serious news conversations with actors, using communications strategies developed in palliative care. I remain deeply grateful to the people and institutions that support me in doing the fascinating and deeply meaningful work of an optometric educator.”
ASCO Rising Star Award
This year’s Rising Star awardee is Amy Logan, OD. The ASCO Rising Star Award is given to an outstanding faculty member or administrator with less than seven years of service who has made noteworthy contributions to fulfilling the mission, strategic objectives, or programs of ASCO.
Amy Logan, OD.
Dr. Logan received her doctor of optometry degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry (UABSO) and completed a primary care residency at the Salem VAMC. She is an associate professor at UABSO and is course director of Assessment of Systemic Diseases in Optometry and the Advanced Procedures of the Posterior Segment lab. She serves as an attending doctor in the in-house ocular disease department and at two external interprofessional sites, one of which is a clinic for HIV patients.
Dr. Logan is an associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry (UABSO) and serves as an attending doctor in the ocular disease department. Since 2019, she has been a key leader in the Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) SIG and IPRF Committee, contributing to toolkit updates and faculty development initiatives.
“It is a true honor to be nominated and selected for this award. I am deeply passionate about serving my patients, teaching my students, and advancing the field of optometry. ASCO has provided me with incredible opportunities to contribute to the profession, and I am profoundly grateful for the many ways I have been able to get involved,” said Dr. Logan.
ASCO Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award
Michele Andrews, OD.
Michele Andrews, OD, is this year’s Industry Leadership Award recipient. The ASCO Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award recognizes an individual from a current or past corporate contributor partner company that demonstrates exemplary support of ASCO and its member institutions. The individual serves as an example for his/her colleagues in industry and has made exceptional and meaningful contributions to the advancement of ASCO and optometric education.
Dr. Andrews is the chief medical officer of VSP Vision, where she guides strategy across all clinical modalities. She oversees the alignment of clinical standards in optometric care and supports the development of programs that expand access to high quality, patient centered eyecare for VSP’s diverse member populations.
With more than three decades of experience, Dr. Andrews has held leadership roles spanning retail and private optometric practice, managed vision care, and medical device manufacturing and distribution. Prior to joining VSP Vision, she served as vice president of marketing and professional affairs at CooperVision, where she oversaw marketing and professional affairs strategy for the Americas, including academic partnerships, advocacy initiatives, and professional education. She previously served as executive vice president of professional services at For Eyes Optical and held senior leadership roles with EyeMed Vision Care and LensCrafters.
An alumna of the Illinois College of Optometry Illinois College of Optometry, Dr. Andrews began her career as a practicing optometrist across a range of clinical environments, including private practice, multi unit ophthalmology, and LASIK co management. She completed her residency at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va.
“I am honored to receive the Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award from ASCO,” said Dr. Andrews. “Supporting ASCO’s mission—especially its efforts to elevate diverse perspectives and ensure more voices are represented in our profession—has been incredibly meaningful to me. I am grateful to the ASCO board, my fellow optometrists, and the many colleagues I’ve had the privilege to partner with and help expand opportunities for optometry’s next generation.”
ASCO Student Award in Clinical Ethics
Eliana Goncuian.
ASCO and the Ethics Educators SIG announced Eliana Goncuian as the winner of the 2026 Student Award in Clinical Ethics. This annual national award provides the winner with a cash award of $1,000 and an acrylic engraved plaque. Goncuian is a student at Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University and is expected to graduate with her doctor of optometry degree this year.
This annual national award is available to optometry students during any point of their professional program at an ASCO-affiliated school or college of optometry in the United States and Canada. The application consists of an essay of up to 1,500 words describing any one of the following scenarios:
- A patient-based case-study that the student encountered as part of their clinical learning experience.
- A research-based case scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning experience.
- A professional ethics-based scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning.
Her winning essay, “Bridging the Gaps: Ethical Advocacy for Patients with Disabilities,” will be featured in an upcoming issue of the journal, Optometric Education.