ALUMNI
From the alumni president
As I write this letter I can look out my window and see a brilliant clear blue autumn sky here in South Carolina.
I know it is around 70 degrees today and I wish I was outside enjoying the day rather than having just finished my clinic for the day. No matter where you live now, I am sure you can remember how awesome this kind of fall day could be when you were a resident or fellow in Atlanta. As my father Johnny Wells (res. '66-69) says, "It's just another glorious day in the South!"
And it is another glorious year for Emory Eye Center. The Eye Center continues to thrive and is ranked among the leaders in the nation in residency training, research, and clinical care. Several faculty and alumni have been honored this past year. Three members of the class of 2000 received the AAO Achievement Award this year: Michael Collins, William Lahners, and Brian Sippy, as did Sunil Srivastava '02. Chairman Tim Olsen received the Senior Achievement Award. These awards recognize contributions to the AAO such as presentations at meetings and service on Academy committees. Congratulations to all the recipients!
Most impressive, however, is Dr. Jeffrey Boatright's election as president of ARVO, the world's premier eye research organization. Did you know that Dr. Phinizy Calhoun Sr. was president of ARVO in 1929? Dr. Boatright's work in retinal degenerations is widely recognized and he is a leader in his field. He joins Drs. Henry Edelhauser and Grady Clay from Emory to receive this high recognition.
While clinical care and research bring the revenue to the Center, we all have the deepest appreciation for the residency training program. This is where we learned from some of the best teachers in the country and we use that knowledge and skill everyday to help our patients and to earn our living. The news from the residency program is that the nationally honored Maria Aaron (res. '96-99) has been succeeded by Paul Pruett (res. '08; glaucoma fellow '09) as the residency program director. Thanks to Maria for a job exceptionally well done and best wishes to Paul to continue the tradition started by Geoff Broocker. Speaking of Geoff, I hope you are all aware of the effort to raise funds to support the Broocker professorship at Emory. I have made a commitment to this fund and I urge you to do so too!
As autumn races toward winter I wish for each of you to have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Jack Wells (res. '88-91)
