Alumni and friends of Michigan College of Optometry:
Interim Dean Daniel Taylor at the 2022 Hooding Ceremony
During the past year of transition, MCO has undergone many changes to personnel and programs. We have dealt with two separate and unrelated floods, the departure of a Dean, Assistant Dean, and Clinical Operations Manager, the hiring of staff and faculty, the welcoming of a new class of students, the graduation of a new class of optometrists, and the arrival of a new University president, Dr. Bill Pink. Through all of this, the faculty, staff, and students of Michigan College of Optometry have taken on new challenges and showed themselves good as gold. I am reminded daily how privileged I am to have been the Interim Dean this last year. Let me share with you some of the things that have reminded me of that privilege.
Earlier this summer, MCO was pleased to welcome Dr. Christopher Albright to the ranks of our faculty. Dr. Albright is residency-trained (at MCO!) in cornea and contact lens, and brings expertise, enthusiasm, and dedication. We are thrilled to have Dr. Albright on board!
As you may have heard, Dr. Phillip Walling announced his retirement from MCO effective January of 2023. Dr. Walling is a fixture at MCO, and it is difficult to think of the college without him. He has taught in our ocular disease courses for years, and his clinical excellence is obvious from his selection for the second-straight year to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Eye Doctors, this year clocking in at number 27! We will miss Dr. Walling when he retires and thank him for his many years of service.
This past June, we were happy to host many of you in Big Rapids for our Continuing Education event. Drs. Sara Weidmayer, Chris Borgman, Dawn Goedde, and Rita Walters provided tremendous education, and many participants joined us for our alumni reception Wednesday night at MCO. It was lovely seeing alumni, friends, and members of the reunion classes of 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012! Mark your calendars now for next year’s summer CE event and reunions, scheduled for June 6 through 8, 2023!
In July, MCO was fortunate to host the Michigan Foundation for Vision Awareness on our campus for its summer board meeting. The MFVA, long a supporter of MCO and her students, hosted a reception for MCO personnel that was well-attended and greatly appreciated. Thanks to the MFVA for its long-standing investment in MCO!
As a reminder, one of our emphases at MCO is to make optometric education as affordable as possible for our students. This has led to a push to raise funds to provide optometry-specific scholarships. Many of you have already been so generous in donating to establish scholarship funds, some of which have already been awarded to deserving students. If you are interested in participating in our efforts to raise funds for student scholarships, please reach out to me or make a donation.
It is a pleasure representing MCO and its tremendous OD program. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Do not hesitate to reach out.
Daniel A. Taylor, OD, EdD