IACLE calls for award entries

Past IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year award winners

Three contact lens educators from around the world will travel to the 4th World Congress of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) and the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) clinical conference and exhibition in June as winners of the 2023 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards.

IACLE is offering educators worldwide the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educators of the Year and travel to the BCLA’s biennial conference in Manchester. The 2023 awards ceremony will take place during the gala dinner at IACLE’s 4th World Congress, which immediately precedes the BCLA. The title of IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE’s three global regions:

• Americas
• Asia Pacific
• Europe, Africa and Middle East

These awards recognise and award achievements in contact lens education and are sponsored by CooperVision. The winners will each receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending the BCLA this year and permission to use the title 2023 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year for their region.

The awards are open to all contact lens educators who have been IACLE members for at least three years. Applicants can either nominate themselves or be nominated by another member or IACLE staff. Educators must demonstrate how they impact their institutions and inspire their students to become future contact lens practitioners.

Director, global professional affairs at CooperVision, Karen Walsh, said: “The IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards provides a great opportunity for those involved in teaching the next generation of eyecare professionals to be recognised for their work on the international stage. CooperVision, as long-term supporters of these awards, look forward to celebrating with the successful nominees later in the year.”

IACLE president, Professor Philip Morgan, commented: “I encourage our members to consider nominating themselves or a colleague to be recognised in this way. Thanks to CooperVision for once again sponsoring the IACLE Educator of the Year Awards.”

The deadline for entries for the 2023 awards is midnight (EST) on Friday 17 February. Entries must be submitted using the application form here. To nominate a fellow educator, entries must be submitted using the form here.

Our photograph shows Professor Morgan with award winners from 2020, 2021 and 2022 (l-r): Dr Carole Maldonado-Codina (2022), Professor Renée Reeder (2020), Dr Lindsay Sicks (2022), Dr Byki Huntjens (2021) and Dr Johanna Garzón (2021), at the 2022 American Academy of Optometry.