Dr. Susan Cotter receives global recognition with recent accolades

Image credit: Marshall B. Ketchum University

Marshall B. Ketchum University’s (MBKU) professor and associate dean for university research Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO, has been recognized with 2 distinguished accolades.¹ In receiving the Optometrist of the Year Award by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT), and the 2024 University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry’s Springer Lecturer, Cotter has further cemented the significance of her role in advancing vision science, according to a news release.

“The Optometrist of the Year Award and the Springer Lectureship represent the collective spirit of collaboration, innovation and dedication to advancing patient care,” Cotter said in the release. “These honors also reflect the supportive and dynamic environment at MBKU, where my pediatric optometry colleagues inspire me through their commitment to clinical research, patient care and optometric education.”

Cotter is known for her work with the academic programs and research initiatives, including the treatment of amblyopia, strabismus, convergence insufficiency, and childhood refractive error, at MCKU’s Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO), which spans almost 3 decades. She is also the immediate past cochair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and immediate past president of the American Academy of Optometry.¹

Cotter received the award in December 2024 in Terrassa, Spain during a celebration that also celebrated the FOOT 2024 graduating class. She delivered the commencement address and was named the “godmother” of the first-year optometry students in honor of her mentorship and inspiring character. FOOT’s Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes “exceptional contributions to the field of optometry,” according to the release.

As the UAB Springer Lecturer, Cotter presented her work with the PEDIG research network in treating amblyopia, a condition that she has specialized in. During her presentation, she encouraged students to explore opportunities to treat amblyopia and stressed that achieving positive outcomes is not limited just to pediatric specialists.¹ Cotter then recognized the achievements of 2 of her former students, Kathy Weise, OD, MBA, FAAO and Kristine Hopkins, OD, MSPH, FAAO, who are now pediatric optometrists and faculty members at UAB, the release stated.

Cotter also presented a Lea Hyvarinen Pediatric Lecture on January 22 at the New England College of Optometry, titled “Amblyopia Treatment: How Clinical Trials are Redefining Patient Care.”¹

“On behalf of everyone at MBKU, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Cotter for her extraordinary contributions to the field of optometry and these remarkable, well-deserved achievements,” said Julie A. Schornack, OD, MEd, president of MBKU, in the release. “Her landmark work not only drives the profession forward but also inspires the next generation of optometrists to strive for nothing less than excellence.”

Reference:

1. Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Dr. Susan Cotter garners global recognition for transformative impact in optometry. News release. Marshal B. Ketchum University. January 27, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.ketchum.edu/about-us/news-mbku/dr-susan-cotter-garners-global-recognition-transformative-impact-optometry