Spring CE Speakers
Penny Asbell, MD
Dr. Asbell is the chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine and Director of the Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).
Prior to coming to UTHSC, Dr. Asbell was a Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Cornea Service at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) in New York. She founded the Ocular Inflammatory Biomarker Laboratory at Mount Sinai.
She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and her MBA as valedictorian from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in New York. She obtained her medical degree from the State University of New York. Dr. Asbell completed her postdoctoral training at Yale New Haven.
Chris Borgman, OD
Dr. Chris Borgman is an assistant professor at the Southern College of Optometry. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology at Central College in Pella, Iowa and his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. Following graduation, Dr. Borgman completed a one-year residency in Primary Care and Ocular Disease at the Illinois College of Optometry/Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago, Illinois.
Prior to joining the faculty at SCO, Dr. Borgman spent three years in a multi-doctor, private ophthalmology practice in Des Moines, Iowa which specialized in primary care, ocular disease, cataract surgery, and laser refractive surgery. He is a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), the Tennessee Association of Optometry Physicians (TAOP), and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. He has authored numerous articles published on the topics of various ocular disease conditions, and has also lectured in many continuing education venues, both nationally and internationally, on the topics of primary care ocular diseases, ocular pharmacology, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases, and neuro-optometric diseases.
Dr. Borgman currently sees patients and supervises students in a clinical setting at The Eye Center at SCO, and also teaches two classroom courses: Systemic Pathology, and Integrative Analysis. His areas of professional interest include: primary care ocular disease, ocular manifestations of systemic disease, and neuro-optometric diseases.
Francis Bynum, OD
Dr. Bynum was born in Tallahassee, FL and raised in Crawfordville, FL. After graduating from Wakulla High School in 1988, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and her Doctorate of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. She completed externships at Baptist Eye Institute, Jacksonville, FL and Drs. Woods, Lanier & Bowman in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Bynum then moved to Martin, TN where she practiced with Eye Care Center for four years. She now has her practice in Martin and Greenfield, TN. Dr. Bynum is married to Tim Bynum and they have a son, Aubrey. A highly respected optometrist in this area, Dr. Bynum’s technical expertise has contributed much to bringing the latest state-of-the-art procedures into the practice. Dr. Bynum has a strong background in contact lenses, ocular disease, and pathology, as well as refractive surgical care. Dr. Bynum is a National Board of Optometry Examiner and an active member of the American Optometric Association, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians and the Northwest Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians. Locally, she is the president of the Martin Kiwanis Club, and a member of the Fine Arts, First United Methodist Church Stephen Ministry and United Methodist Women. She has also completed the Leadership Weakley County Program. Dr. Bynum is also a fellow of the Tennessee Academy of Optometrists.
Michael Chaglasian, OD
Dr. Michael Chaglasian is an Associate Professor at the Illinois College of Optometry and Chief of Staff of the Illinois Eye Institute. He is a graduate of State University of New York College of Optometry and completed a Residency in Primary Eye Care/Ocular Disease at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Dr. Chaglasian is in charge of the Glaucoma Service at the Illinois Eye Institute, providing patient care while instructing residents and students. His clinical practice is directed exclusively to patients with glaucoma while co-managing surgical care with two glaucoma specialists. His research interests include normal tension glaucoma, automated perimetry and the clinical use of OCT imaging. He is a founding member and currently President of the Optometric Glaucoma Society. He has a number of published articles and has contributed chapters to several popular textbooks on the topics of glaucoma and visual fields. He sits on the editorial board for Optometry Times.
Haley Cottrill, OD, FAAO
Dr. Cottrill currently serves SCO as a clinical instructor where she supervises student clinicians in the Adult Primary Care and Low Vision Rehabilitation departments.
A West Virginia native, Dr. Cottrill earned her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. After earning her Doctor of Optometry degree at Southern College of Optometry in 2016, Dr. Cottrill completed a residency in LowVision Geriatric Optometry at the Birmingham VA Medical Center in Birmingham, AL.
Dr. Cottrill is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Her professional areas of interest include low vision, primary care, ocular disease, nursing home care and neuro-optometric diseases.
When not providing patient care or teaching students, Dr. Cottrill can be found spending time with her husband, Tyler and two dogs, Barbara Ann and Eleanor.
Mike Dorkowski, OD
As an associate professor at the Southern College of Optometry (SCO), Dr. Dorkowski supervises student clinicians in The Eye Center in the areas of Adult and Pediatric Primary Care and Advanced Care Ocular Disease and Nursing Home Service. He is the Clinical Coordinator for the Nursing Home/Assisted Living Program.
Prior to joining SCO, Dr. Dorkowski worked in private practice at West Tennessee Eye serving as Chief of Operations, and was an associate with Visionary Eye Care, an ophthalmic referral center specializing in pediatric and oculoplastic surgery.
Dr. Dorkowski presents clinical workshops to practitioners at both state and national optometric educational meetings. Dr. Dorkowski is a member of the American Optometric Association. In the state optometric association, he has served on the Board of Trustees, and Dr. Dorkowski served as Vice-President and President for the West Tennessee Optometric Physician Society.
Scott Ensor, OD
Dr. Scott Ensor teaches the Systemic Pharmacology Courses. Since becoming a faculty member, Dr. Ensor has lectured both locally and internationally.
Prior to joining the SCO faculty, Dr. Ensor served as Assistant Center Director at Eye Health Partners of Middle Tennessee, a multi-location optometric referral center in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to serving a large patient base, Dr. Ensor presented lectures on ocular disease and surgical co-management to a network of over 300 optometrists and also served as the supervisor of the Ocular Disease residency program. His professional areas of interest include glaucoma, retinal pathology, surgical co-management, and the promotion of optometric residency programs.
Dr. Ensor is a member of the American Optometric Association, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and the West Tennessee Optometric Physicians Society.
Michael Gerstner, OD
A 1997 graduate of Southern College of Optometry, Dr. Michael Gerstner completed his Residency in Ocular Disease at Southern Eye Associates in Memphis, Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Indiana University in 1993. He is currently a professor at Southern College of Optometry, and serves as the Chief of Advanced Care Ocular Disease in The Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry. He is also a partner at Midtown Eye Care, a private practice located in Memphis. Dr. Gerstner is a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Optometry. His professional areas of interest include cornea disease, retina disease, glaucoma, and surgical co-management. Dr. Gerstner enjoys competitive trail and mountain biking, indoor soccer, and is a self-proclaimed grill master.
Lori Grover, OD, Ph.D
TBA
Jessica Haynes, OD
Dr. Haynes is a graduate of Southern College of Optometry. Post Graduation, she completed a primary care residency at the Memphis VA Medical Center and then a two year vitreoretinal optometric fellowship at Charles Retina Institute. She is currently an associate optometrist at Charles Retina Institute and consulting faculty at Southern College of Optometry in the Advanced Care Ocular Disease Clinic. She is a member of the American Academy of Optometry.
Mary Hoang OD
Dr. Mary Hoang earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS and her Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in 2014. Following graduation, Dr. Hoang completed a one-year postgraduate residency in Hospital Based Primary Care Optometry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, TN.
Dr. Hoang currently serves as a clinical instructor, supervising student clinicians in Adult Primary Care. She is a member of the American Optometric Association, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and West Tennessee Optometric Physicians Society. Dr. Hoang is licensed to provide optometric care in the states of Tennessee and Mississippi. Her professional areas of interest include primary care and ocular disease.
Tyler Kitzman, OD
Before coming to Tennessee, Dr. Tyler Kitzman received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He then came to Memphis where he earned his Doctor of Optometry Degree from Southern College of Optometry. After graduation, Dr. Kitzman pursued a one-year residency in Cornea and Contact Lens at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. Upon completion, he returned to Southern College of Optometry as a Clinical Instructor. He is licensed in Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Dr. Kitzman currently serves as an Instructor in the Cornea and Contact Lens department as well as the Adult Primary Care suites in The Eye Center. He is also a member of the American Optometric Association.
Wilson McGriff, OD
Prior to entering the optometric field, Dr. McGriff worked as an epidemiology fellow for the United States Air Force at Brooks City Base in San Antonio, TX, and served as a program coordinator for the UAB School of Public Health.
At SCO, Dr. McGriff sees patients in the Adult Primary Care Clinic in The Eye Center. Dr. McGriff teaches Basic and Medical Pathology and assists in the Public Health course. He also serves as Director of Service-Learning for FOCUS, SCO’s service-learning curriculum.
Dr. McGriff is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Optometric Physician Association, and the Tennessee Public Health Association.
Christina Newman, OD, FAAO
Christina Newman, OD, FAAO, is an Assistant Professor at the Southern College of Optometry (SCO). She received her Doctor of Optometry from the Nova Southeastern University in 2007. Upon graduation Dr. Newman accepted a position at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, FL, where she worked for 3 years. After completing a residency in Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Surgery at SCO, Dr. Newman joined the SCO faculty in 2011. Her responsibilities include instructor for the Contact Lens Lab courses and clinical instructor in the Cornea and Contact Lens and Adult Primary Care clinics. Dr. Newman is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. She was honored with the George Mertz New Educator Award from the AOCLE in 2012. Dr. Newman frequently conducts research as an investigator for private industry projects, multicenter studies and research projects with the SCO summer research program. Her research interests include contact lenses, anterior segment of the eye, and ocular surface disease.
Jennifer Snyder, OD
After completing a residency, Dr. Snyder joined the Southern College of Optometry faculty in 2013. She teaches courses in Ocular Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Anterior Segment Disease. Her professional areas of interest include primary eye care, ocular disease, pre- and post-operative surgical eye care, and performing primary care surgical procedures.
Dr. Snyder is a member of the American Optometric Association, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, West Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.
Karen Squier, OD
Dr. Karen Squier is an Associate Professor at Southern College of Optometry and teaches the Vision Rehabilitation and Geriatrics course. She is the Chief of Low Vision Services at The Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry. She graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2001, and completed a residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Feinbloom Center at The Eye Institute in Philadelphia, PA. She received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Vision Research from Nova Southeastern University in 2017.
Dr. Squier is a Diplomate in the Low Vision Section of the American Academy of Optometry, and currently serves as Diplomate Chair for the Low Vision Section. She is secretary of the Tennessee Public Health Association as well as a member of the APHA and AOA.
Marc Taub, OD
Dr. Marc Taub is a professor and Chief of Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Services at Southern College of Optometry. He teaches vision therapy and is active in clinical research. He is also the supervisor for the Pediatric and Vision Therapy Residency.
Dr. Taub is the Editor-in-Chief of the Optometry & Visual Performance and serves on the review board of Optometry Times. He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles and has lectured and presented posters at national and local conferences. He is the lead editor and a multiple chapter author on Visual Diagnosis and Care of the Patient with Special Needs.
Dr. Taub is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and is active in the Optometric Extension Program Foundation.
Lisa R. Wade, OD ‘84
Dr. Wade has served in many capacities during her tenure at Southern College of Optometry (SCO). She has taught in both the didactic and clinical programs, served as Director of Applicant Resources, Chair of the Admissions Committee, and as the Director of Continuing Education. In 1994, she was named Vice-President for Institutional Advancement in which she served until 2006 when she left SCO to pursue an entrepreneurial enterprise. In 2014, Dr. Wade returned to SCO to teach Practice Management, and was named Director of the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence in 2015.
Dr. Wade has served the profession through numerous activities on behalf of the National Institutes of Health-National Eye Institute, the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Optometric Association, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the Southern Council of Optometrists, and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. She has lectured extensively in the areas of public health, vision and learning, and business principles.
Lily Wang, OD
Cornea and Contact Lens Resident
Melissa Zarn, OD
After completing her residency, Dr. Zarn spent 12 months working at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) clinic. She, along with a dedicated vision therapy technician, established optometry and vision therapy services in the new TBI clinic. She provided primary optometric care and vision therapy services to Army, Air Force, Marine, and Navy service members both during and following deployment. As a provider in the TBI clinic, she worked closely with other members of the rehabilitation team including Physical and Occupation Therapy, Psychology, Speech and Language Pathology, and Neurology. Dr. Zarn also consulted on patients with military optometrists throughout the U.S. Army European Medical Command.
Dr. Zarn, an assistant professor, works with students in the Vision Therapy, Pediatrics, and Adult Primary Care clinics. Her interests include visual development, neuro-rehabilitation, and neurological disorders. Dr. Zarn is passionate about bringing vision and movement rehabilitation to the forefront of TBI care.