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Leadership Team

Co-Chair: Dede Rios

Rosenberg School of Optometry, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas

Dede Rios is the Director of Optometric & Clinical Library Services for the Rosenberg School of Optometry, University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. She holds a Master of Science (Library) from the University of North Texas, and a PhD in Leadership in Higher Education from Capella University.  She is a new senior member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, and an active member of TLA, MLA, SCC/MLA, and AVSL.

Co-Chair: Heather Edmonds

Heather EdmondsNew England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts

Heather Edmonds is the Director of Library Services at the New England College of Optometry Library, where she has worked since 2007.  She holds a MSLIS from Simmons College.

Secretary: Karen Alcorn

Karen AlcornMCPHS University, Worcester, Massachusetts 

Karen Alcorn has been a Reference and Instruction Librarian at MCPHS University (formerly the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences), in Worcester, MA, since 2011. Librarianship is her second career after spending over 20 years as a chemical technologist analyzing pharmaceutical products in Western New York. She graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2006 with her MLS. Karen has been a member of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the Association of Vision Science Librarians (AVSL) since 2011. She was a co-author of the AVSL Standards for Vision Science Libraries: 2014 Revision published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA). She has worked on keeping the optometry board review material lists current for the AVSL website and is an active member on the Vetted Journal List. Her areas of interest are Evidence-Based Practice, Health Information Literacy, and Embedded Librarianship.

Archivist: Gale Oren

University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, John W. Henderson Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Leadership Team Organization

The leadership team includes two Co-Chairs, and a Secretary. The Co-Chairs and the Secretary hold office for two years. The current and last two Chairs serve as a committee to nominate the next Secretary/Chair-elect. The Secretary nominee is subject to approval by Association members.

Past Leadership:

Chair:

  • 2018-2020, Rudy Barreras, Western University of Health Sciences
  • 2014-2018, Leslie Holland, Southern College of Optometry
  • 2014-2016, Kristen Motte, New England College of Optometry
  • 2011-2014, D.J. Matthews, Marshall B. Ketchum University
  • 2009-2011, Gale Oren, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center
  • 2008-2009, Pamela Sieving, National Institutes of Health
  • 2007-2008, Cindy Hutchison, New England College of Optometry
  • 2006-2007, Pamela Sieving, National Institutes of Health
  • 2004-2005, Elaine Wells, SUNY College of Optometry
  • 2002-2003, Maureen Watson, Michigan College of Optometry
  • 2000-2001, Bette Anton, University of California, Berkeley
  • 1998-1999, Judith Schaeffer-Young, Wills Eye Hospital
  • 1996-1997, Douglas Freeman, Indiana University
  • 1994-1995, Gerald Dujsik, Illinois College of Optometry
  • 1992-1993, Madelyn Hall, Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center
  • 1990-1991, Lynne Silvers, New England College of Optometry
  • 1988-1989, Bette Anton, University of California at Berkeley
  • 1986-1987, Laurel Gregory, Pacific University
  • 1984-1985, Suzanne Ferimer, University of Houston
  • 1982-1983, Pat Carlson, Southern California College of Optometry
  • 1980-1981, Eleanor Warner, New England College of Optometry
  • 1978-1979, Nancy Gatlin, Southern College of Optometry
  • 1976-1977, Peg Lewis, SUNY College of Optometry
  • 1974-1975, Alison Howard, University of California at Berkeley
  • 1972-1973, Elizabeth Egan
  • 1970-1971, Tom Lange
  • 1968-1969, Grace Weiner, Los Angeles College of Optometry

Treasurer:

  • 2010-2019, Elaine Wells, SUNY College of Optometry
  • 1999-2010, Judith Schaeffer Young, Dixon School of Nursing Library
  • 1994-1998, Laurel Gregory, Pacific University
  • 1982-1993, Alison Howard, University of California at Berkeley
  • 1976-1981, Pat Carlson, Southern California College of Optometry

Archivist:

  • 1997-2010, Doug Freeman, Indiana University
  • 1988-1997, Bridget Kowalczyk, International Library Archives and Museum of Optometry
  • 1986-1988, Maria Dablemont, International Museum & Archives of Optometry

Last Updated:  4/29/20

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