Awards

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

In pursuit of Women in Ophthalmology’s (WIO) goal to enhance and improve the professional environment for women ophthalmologists, the WIO Board of Directors is pleased to offer the annual WIO Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman Award, presented as part of the WIO reception held during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Dr. Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman created an endowment with the AAO Foundation that allows for an award to be given annually.

» View Dr. Véronneau-Troutman’s impressive history of contributions to the field of ophthalmology

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

This award recognizes a Women in Ophthalmology member who has distinguished herself/ himself through outstanding humanitarian service in the US or Abroad. A Humanitarian endeavors to improve the human condition through improving lives and alleviating suffering while supporting and contributing to the basic human dignity of those in need. A humanitarian gives of themselves, provides services without expectations of remuneration, respects and embraces human diversity and improves the lives of those in need through selfless, courageous, creative and compassionate acts. Recipients of the WIO Humanitarian Award must be conducting ongoing or recently completed (within five years of nomination) humanitarian efforts. These efforts do not necessarily need to be linked to ophthalmology or women’s issues.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

Mentorship is one of the most important determinants of a successful career. In recognition of the value WIO places on mentorship, the WIO Mentorship Award was created to reward outstanding mentors in the ophthalmology community. Awardees should have had a sustained career commitment to mentoring and demonstrated a significant positive impact on their mentees’ education and career, through advancing research and patient care in the field of ophthalmology. This award is based on the training experiences and success of the nominee’s mentees, not the mentor’s personal career achievements.  For the purpose of this award, mentoring is defined as the process of nurturing intellectual growth, professional guidance, supporting, career development, and promoting positive role mentoring in training and career development of mentees. Nominations will be solicited from WIO members annually.  Individual must be a WIO member if chosen for this award.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

The WIO Educators Award was created to recognize teachers who have consistently provided an exceptionally positive and rewarding experience to their medical students, residents and fellows, producing physicians who are expertly trained to deal with the challenges of their upcoming careers. Nominees can be anyone who is teaching medical students, residents or fellows (private practice, fellowship preceptors and residency teachers and fellows). Examples of actions of qualified nominees include superb teaching, significant amount of time devoted to education, standardized and regular feedback on resident performance, ensuring that those in need of extra teaching are identified and assisted in a supportive manner, providing research and conference opportunities.
Individual must be a WIO member if chosen for this award.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

The WIO Emerging Leader Award recognizes individuals who are newer to practice and have already made significant contributions to WIO and/or to the profession, and have demonstrated the potential for leadership and continuing service. The nominee must be in her first 10 years of the study or practice of ophthalmology. Specific examples of continuing activities must be provided.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

The WIO Recognition of Service Award recognizes individuals who have served in a volunteer leadership capacity for WIO (Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Program Chair, etc.) and made a significant difference in the organization. Nominations should include the nominee’s role, approximate dates of service and examples of improvements made in the organization and/or the professional environment for women in ophthalmology. Nominations will be solicited from WIO members annually.

The nominee must be a current WIO member to be nominated for this award.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HAVE NOW CLOSED

The WIO Scientific Contribution Award recognizes a physician or non-physician scientist who has made a significant scientific contribution in the field of ophthalmology. The nominee must be involved in research which has made a significant contribution to the profession and shown outstanding promise in this endeavor. Nominations will be solicited from WIO members annually. Individual must be a WIO member if chosen for this award.

The WIO Bernice Z. Brown Memorial Lecture Award is given by the WIO Board of Directors to a WIO member in honor of Dr. Bernice Brown. Recipients are members who have contributed to the profession of ophthalmology and to the advancement of women in the profession. The honored guest is asked to speak at the annual WIO Summer Symposium about her life, accomplishments and how she has overcome obstacles in her profession. This lecture offers inspiring real-life stories of professional growth and success in the practice of ophthalmology.

This award is given by the President of WIO to honor an individual who is a leader in ophthalmology and who has contributed to the profession as an educator, researcher or humanitarian. The awardee is invited to speak at the annual WIO Summer Symposium about their research, education or humanitarian efforts.

Joanne Angle served as Executive Director of ARVO for 22 years. She passed away in March 2012. She was respected throughout the eye and vision research community for her knowledge, dedication and passion for her work. She also loved and encouraged the participation of young people in scientific programs. This award recognizes the highest scoring abstract submitted each year for the WIO Summer Symposium. The winner is presented with a certificate during the meeting, a monetary award, and invited to give an oral presentation.

The Advocacy Ambassador Program was established in 2004 by the Secretariat for State Affairs to educate residents and fellows early in their careers about the importance of political action and involvement in organized ophthalmology at both the state and national levels. The Secretariat collaborates with Women in Ophthalmology to support the attendance of members-in-training at the Mid-Year Forum, Congressional Advocacy Day and the spring Council Meeting. The AAO provides complimentary registration and WIO provides a travel stipend to the chosen resident or fellow.

This highly competitive program seeks to provide both orientation and skill development to future leaders of state, subspecialty and specialized interest societies in order to groom individuals with the potential to become leaders in ophthalmology, provide orientation and skills to allow potential leaders to promote ophthalmology locally and nationally and facilitate the promotion of program graduates into leadership positions both locally and nationally.

The nominee must be a fellow or member in good standing of the Academy who has demonstrated a pattern of advocating for the profession at the state and/or federal level(s) over a period of at least several years.

Applications for 2025 will open on February 6, 2025.

WIO is pleased to offer three scholarships for women who are URiM residents in ophthalmology and encourage all that are eligible to apply. We are aware that there are many groups that face adversity in our polarized social climate and groups that face disadvantages in our society. We are focused, however, to address the problem of women who belong to the group that are under-represented in medicine (URiM). Our definition of URiM is a resident whose racial and ethnic identity is under-represented in the medical profession relative to the general population. This includes those persons who identify as African American and/or Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/American Indian, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, and Mainland Puerto-Rican.

These scholarships include complimentary Summer Symposium Registration and a monetary stipend to apply towards the costs of attending the meeting. Applicants must be WIO members and currently enrolled in a residency program.