Congratulations to our 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology Awardees

Congratulations to our faculty and alumni who will be recognized at the upcoming American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting for their outstanding contributions to vision research, education, and service.

John E. Kempen, MD, MPH, PhD, MHS, to Receive Humanitarian Award 

John E. Kempen, MD, MPH, PhD, MHS, is one of two people who were selected to receive the 2020 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award, and he will be formally recognized at this year's meeting.The award recognizes his deep commitment to charitable work that aims to reduce blindness worldwide by improving access to patient care and establishing much-needed ophthalmology subspecialty training programs in developing countries.

Dr. Kempen is Director of Epidemiology for Ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear and internationally renowned for his expertise in ocular inflammatory diseases and ophthalmic epidemiology. He is Founding President of Sight for Souls—a Christian nonprofit organization that aims to eradicate global blindness by developing sustainable eye care delivery systems, providing public health outreach, and creating ophthalmology training programs in areas of greatest need. Learn more about his work.

Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD, and Alumna Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD to Receive Women in Ophthalmology Awards

Women in Ophthalmology (WIO), an organization founded to enhance and improve the professional environment for women ophthalmologists, will recognize Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD, Paul Austin Chandler Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Ophthalmology alumna Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Utah Hospitals, for their exceptional contributions to the field.

Dr. Wiggs will receive the 2021 Scientific Contribution Award which honors a physician or non-physician scientist who has made a significant scientific contribution in the field of ophthalmology. Dr. Hartnett will receive the 2021 Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman Award which recognizes an ophthalmologist who has done the most in the immediately preceding year to advance and enhance the position of women in ophthalmology.

Drs. Wiggs and Hartnett will be honored at the WIO Awards Ceremony and Networking Reception—held during the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in New Orleans.

AAO Achievement Awards

Guest of Honor
Paul P. Lee, MD (alumnus) 

Senior Achievement Award 
Douglas R. Frederick, MD (alumnus)
Victor H. Gonzalez, MD (alumnus)
John E. Kempen, MD, MPH, PhD, MHS
Howard D. Pomeranz, MD, PhD (alumnus)
Rishi P. Singh, MD (alumnus)
Sarkis H. Soukiasian, MD (alumnus)

Achievement Award
Nicholas J. Butler, MD
Peter Hovland, MD, PhD (alumnus)
Carolyn Kloek, MD (alumna)
Mark R. Melson, MD (alumnus)
Bobeck S. Modjtahedi, MD (alumnus)
Christina R. Prescott, MD (alumna)
Ankoor S. Shah, MD, PhD
Lucy Q. Shen, MD
Christopher E. Starr, MD (alumnus)
Michael K. Yoon, MD
Joshua A. Young, MD (alumnus)

Secretariat Award
James Chodosh, MD, MPH
Louis R. Pasquale, MD (former faculty)
Philip J. Rosenfeld, MD, PhD (alumnus)
Hana L. Takusagawa, MD (alumna)

International Scholar Award
Marc Toeteberg-Harms, MD (alumnu