SUNY Optometry history

SUNY College of Optometry began with a class of 17 students that became the College’s first graduates in 1975.

With continued growth and expanding programs, the College consolidated its facilities into a 130,000 square foot space within a 20-story building at East 24th Street and Park Avenue South in 1976.

The original by-laws were amended in 1977 in order to comply with the Internal Revenue Code, as described in Section 501 (C) (3) establishing the Association as a non-profit organization for the purpose of education.

In 1978 President Haffner left the College to become the vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and professional programs for the State University of New York system.

Initially, only one contact lens educator from each school was invited to the annual meeting, but by the 1979 meeting in San Francisco, twenty four contact lens educators were in attendance.

At the annual meeting in Dallas in 1982, several members expressed disappointment with the association’s progress and its limited involvement in improving contact lens education in the Schools and Colleges of Optometry.

A resolution was passed to take steps to develop and plan such a workshop at one of the schools of optometry in the summer of 1983.

At the association’s third workshop at Ferris State School of Optometry in 1985, most of the contact lens educators received their first exposure to computer utilization in administration, clinical record keeping and computer-assisted instruction.

Doctor Edward R. Johnston became the College’s second president and remained at the helm until 1987 when Doctor Haffner returned for a second stint as president.

Doctor Hill was Dean of the College until he announced his retirement in 1995.

After a series of renovations to accommodate the College’s clinic, the move was completed in May 2000.

Founding President Haffner, after serving a total of 26 years at the helm, retired from the SUNY College of Optometry at the end of 2005.

During his tenure, Doctor Schoessler greatly expanded clinical research funding, initiating the building of the E.F. Wildermuth Optometric Research Clinic, which opened in 2006.

In 2009, the OCNY launched The Vision and the Promise, a five-year, $10 million fundraising campaign designed to support the growing and ambitious educational, research and patient care activities of the institution, and to help support its increased philanthropic work in the community.

After more than five years of planning and design—and two years of construction—the three-floor, 20,000 square-foot Center for Student Life and Learning opened in 2013.

Doctor Karla Zadnik became the College’s fifth—and first female—dean on June 1, 2014.