Posted:  Fullerton, CA, May 22, 2012

Southern California College of Optometry President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D., will be inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame for his contributions to the profession.  The National Optometry Hall of Fame, administered by Optometry Cares® – The AOA Foundation, will welcome five new inductees into the elite group of optometrists during Optometry's Meeting® in Chicago, IL, on Thursday, June 28 from 7 – 8 p.m., McCormick Place. Dr. Alexander is a 1976 graduate from The Ohio State University College of Optometry.  After receiving his graduate degrees, he taught at his alma mater for seven years.  During this time, Dr. Alexander established a private optometric practice in Columbus, OH.

In 1987, Dr. Alexander became the Center Director for The Eye Center of Toledo, where he pioneered optometric co-management of surgical patients and established a residency in ocular disease.  He joined Retina Vitreous Associates, a 14 location ophthalmological practice limited to vitreo-retinal disease in 1994, where he established an optometric referral network and created the first optometric fellowship in vitreo-retinal disease.

In 2000, he left clinical practice to become Dean of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University.  His leadership there led to an updated curriculum, full re-accreditation of the Doctor of Optometry program, an increase in the number of residency programs and a capital campaign to construct a new optometry building.

Dr. Alexander became the seventh President of the Southern California College of Optometry in 2008, where he established a graduate degree program leading to a Master's degree in Vision Science and expanded the mission of the College to include interdisciplinary education by adding a Physician Assistant program.

Dr. Alexander has shared his knowledge throughout his career.  He has presented more than 275 lectures in 15 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in five foreign countries on three continents.  He has authored numerous articles and was the editor of Lippincott's Manual of Primary Eye Care.  Dr. Alexander was the principal author of the AOA Clinical Practice Guideline – Care of the Patient with Anterior Uveitis.

Dr. Alexander has also spent countless hours volunteering for optometric organizations.  He served as President of the Ohio Optometric Association from 1995–96.  For six years he served as a regional consultant for the AOA Council on Clinical Optometric Care and served three years on the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.  He served on the AOA Board of Trustees for 10 years and was President in 2007–08 where his leadership led to the creation of the National Commission on Vision and Health and the American Board of Optometry.  Dr. Alexander has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), serving as President from 2011–12.

Dr. Alexander's fellow Hall of Fame inductees include:  James A. Boucher, O.D., Laramie, WY; William E. Cochran, O.D., D.O.S., Cordova, TN; Frank Fontana, O.D., St. Louis, MO; and Thomas L. Lewis, O.D., Ph.D., Dresher, PA.