College of Optometrists in Vision Development Awards Board Certification

Aurora, OH-College of Optometrists in Vision Development welcomed 19 Fellows (FCOVD), and 27 new Certified Optometric Vision Therapists (COVT) of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development at the 51st Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The newly certified were inducted on April 8th, 2022 at the 51st Annual Installation and Induction Banquet.

To become a Fellow (FCOVD), the doctor must have graduated from an Accreditation Council for Optometric Education (ACOE)‐accredited institution; been in active clinical practice for at least three years, at least two of which have included the direct diagnosis and management of vision therapy patients; completed 100 hours of relevant CE or a relevant residency program; successfully completed the guided study portion of the process set forth by International Examination and Certification Board (IECB) which includes 3 case reports and 6 open book questions as prescribed by the Fellowship Candidate Guide; and successfully completed the oral and written examinations according to the established criteria of the IECB.

This year, COVD welcomed the following new Fellows:

Marina Abdallah, OD, FCOVD   Ryan Capouch, OD, FCOVD   Sabih Chadhury, OD, FCOVD   Charlotte Forgie, OD, FCOVD   Kiera Garner, OD, FCOVD   Cara Lai, OD, FCOVD   Melissa Lambright, OD, FCOVD   Aaron Nichols, OD, FCOVD   Rabindra Kumar Pandey, OD, FCOVD   Catherine Radakovic, OD, FCOVD   Olga Savitska, OD, FCOVD   Andy Teo, OD, FCOVD   Alexandra Wiss, OD, FCOVD   Alicia Wong, OD, FCOVD   Michelle Wong, OD, FCOVD   Jillian Youngerman, OD, FCOVD   Leigh Purvis, OD, FCOVD   Takeia Locke, OD, FCOVD   Wynn Tran, OD, FCOVD  

To become a Certified Optometric Vision Therapist (COVT), an individual must work for a determined number of eligibility in office hours and must be employed by or under the direct supervision of an optometrist who has completed a fellowship (FCOVD) with the COVD International Examination and Certification Board (IECB), complete a guided study process that includes 9 open book questions, and pass a written exam and an oral interview administered by the IECB. The certification process provides an opportunity for optometric vision therapists to expand their knowledge and skills in providing vision care as related to development and behavior in optometric vision therapy.

This year COVD welcomed the following new Certified Optometric Vision Therapists:

Julie Anderson, COVT   Joyanna Barth, COVT   Ariana Callahan, COVT   Lauren Chadwick, COVT   Mindy Cooper, COVT   Swithin David, COVT   Erin Devine, COVT   Dana Formaini, COVT   Nicole Fossella, COVT   Alexa Frye, COVT   Michael Johnson, COVT   Jill Maxfield, COVT   Susan McCall, COVT   Kelsey McIntyre, COVT   Amber McKenzie, COVT   Juliana Meltzer, COVT   Rowan Mitchske, COVT   Joshua Nottingham, COVT   Sandra Pollock, COVT   Julie Smith, COVT   Nanette Sotelo, COVT   Jennifer Trenkle, COVT   Courtney Ubben, COVT   Gracie Wang, COVT   Mitchell Warners, COVT   Kristen Weathers, COVT    

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development extends gratitude to all of the mentors and employers of the candidates who worked diligently this past year to support and guide through this process, we thank you.

And from the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, a huge congratulations to all of the newly certified FCOVDs and COVTs!

For more information about certification, please visit https://www.covd.org/page/certification.

About COVD

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international, non-profit optometric membership organization that provides education, evaluation, and board certification programs in behavioral and developmental vision care, optometric vision therapy, and visual rehabilitation. The organization is comprised of doctors of optometry, vision therapists, and other vision specialists. For more information please visit http://www.covd.org.

Contact:  Kathryn S. Kirschner, MS, CAE

COVD Executive Director

Phone: 330.995.0718

Email: katie@covd.org

Website: www.covd.org