Dr. Kristen Brown

BOSTON—The New England College of Optometry (NECO) has announced that Dr. Kristen Brown has been selected to be the associate dean of clinical affairs. The appointment comes at “the conclusion of an extensive search process where the committee met with many talented applicants,” the announcement noted. Dr. Brown received her Doctor of Optometry from the University of California Berkeley, School of Optometry, in 1992. She completed two Ocular Disease Residencies (from NECO and Boston University School of Medicine) and a two-year fellowship at the Pacific Cataract and Laser Center.

“We are very happy to welcome Dr. Brown back to the NECO family,” NECO president and chief executive officer Dr. Howard Purcell said in comments to the college. “The ever-evolving world of optometric clinical education provides a wide range of opportunities and I am confident Kristen is the right person at the right time for the college.”

Dr. Brown has 27 years of experience as a clinician, an educator and an industry leader. She has held academic appointments at multiple optometric institutions, including NECO, serving in a number of different leadership roles. Most recently she was the clinical director for The Laser Center (TLC) Boston and Providence, R.I., where she was responsible for managing clinical operations and maintaining a large affiliated doctor network, according to the announcement.

The New England College of Optometry is an independent graduate college of optometry that educates students for careers in eyecare delivery, research and education. The school enrolls more than 500 students in its four-year Doctor of Optometry, Accelerated Optometric Degree Program, international, and graduate programs.