ORLANDO, Fla.—The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) has announced the 12 recipients of the 2021 William C. Ezell Fellowships. The Ezell Fellowship program is named after the founding president of the AAOF, William C. Ezell, OD. It was established to provide recognition and support to talented post-doctoral students in pursuit of an advanced degree in optometric research and education. More than 440 William C. Ezell Fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program in 1949.

Funding for these Fellowships is provided by leading optometric companies, private endowments, and other generous business organizations that represent most sectors of the industry.
 
The AAOF congratulates the following recipients who have been selected as the 2021 Ezell Fellows: 

AAO Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies (CCLRT) Ezell Fellow
Young Hyun Kim
University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry

American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Ezell Fellow
Jennyffer D. Smith, OD
University of Houston College of Optometry

American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) Ezell Fellow
Yiyi (Charlotte) Wang, OD, FAAO
University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry

Danne Ventura / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Maureen D. Plaumann, OD, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Facebook Ezell Fellow
Rebecca Deffler, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Irvin M. Borish / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Neeraj Singh, BSOptom, MPhil
Indiana University School of Optometry

John N. Schoen Ezell Fellow
Erin Sayoko Tomiyama, OD, MS, FAAO
University of Houston College of Optometry

Merton C. Flom Leadership Ezell Fellow
Breanne McGhee, OD, MEd, FAAO
Pacific University College of Optometry

Michael G. Harris Ezell Fellow
Erica R. Shelton, OD, MS, FAAO
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

Mike Daley / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Rabia Mobeen
University of New South Wales School of Optometry and Vision Science

Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS) Ezell Fellow
Janelle Tong, BOptom
University of New South Wales School of Optometry and Vision Science

Rod Tahran / Essilor Ezell Fellow
Amy Hiu Yan Chow, OD
University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science

This year’s Ezell Fellows will be honored during Academy 2021 Boston, scheduled for Nov. 3-6 in Boston.
 
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) inspires excellence in optometric practice by fostering research and disseminating knowledge in vision science through its journal, Optometry and Vision Science, and the continuing education presented at its annual meeting. Fellows of the Academy are committed to the premise that learning is a lifelong obligation of a professional, as is the commitment to expand the profession’s knowledge base through ongoing fellowship and exchange.