Class Notes: Fall 2022

1960s

An informal reunion by the PCO Class of 1966 (pictured above) was held in August 2022. Six members of the class got together and reminisced. Standing, from left to right, are Dr. Irving Gurwood of Churchville, Pennsylvania, and Dr. Ihor Fedoriw of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Sitting left to right are Dr. Joel Laveson of Marlton, New Jersey, who organized the event with the help of the Salus Alumni Association, Dr. Donald Shestack of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Michael Kaplan of Margate, New Jersey, and Dr. Edward Campell of Ewing, New Jersey.

1970s

Richard Shuldiner, OD ’70, FAAO, reports that he has made great strides in improving the care of those with vision loss. He has educated and lectured to remind doctors that referral for low vision care is now the standard.

Harold G. Kohn, OD ‘70, has retired after 48 years of practice in New York, Pennsylvania and with the U.S. Army. He served six years of active duty and 32 years in the Army Reserve. Overseas assignments included South Korea and a short humanitarian mission in Nicaragua. His two highest medals were the Army Commendation Medal and the U.S. Army Achievement Medal.

Bernice Machamer, OD ‘74, has been practicing optometry for more than 40 years. She works part-time now but still enjoys seeing patients.

Eugene Mc Donough, OD ‘77, is finishing up 10 years on the New York State Optometry Board. He has served as chairman for the past four years.

Ken Hue, OD ‘77, is in private practice in Indiana, Pennsylvania and he just welcomed his first grandchild in March 2022. His younger son, Jonathan, is a surgical resident at University Hospital in Cleveland Ohio, and his wife is an emergency medical doctor. Dr. Hue’s oldest son, Ryan, is a lead scientist at Bridgestone in Ohio.

Janet Summers, OD ‘78, is a clinical assistant professor at the Roseberry School of Optometry in San Antonio. She recently obtained a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.

1980s

Marla Moon, OD ‘82, FAAO, is a consultant at Heimer, Fiore, and Turco Eyecare and Surgery Group in State College, Pennsylvania. She also serves as a consultant to the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO).

Marc Weiner, OD ‘83, suffered a skiing accident in 2018 that left him with multiple injuries. Dr. Weiner refused to listen to his medical doctors, who said he would never walk normally again or do any sports. Through physical therapy, he has worked himself back to hiking and biking, swimming, kayaking — and skiing better now than before.

Curtiss Anderson, OD ‘87, has been practicing optometry in the Atlanta area since 1991. He owns two offices, one in Atlanta and one in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Anderson has been married for 28 years and has two children — a son, Ryan, 27 years old, and a daughter, Margeaux, 24. Dr. Anderson is active with international missions and has been providing vision care to the people of Jamaica for 20 years.

Mark Cinalli, OD ‘82 FAAO, was recently honored with the American Optometric Association Federal Advocacy Representative of the Year Award for 2022. He is a past president of the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians and has been a strong advocate for optometry on the federal level. He is pictured (right) with AOA President Dr. Bob Layman, who presented the award at AOA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

1990s

Elisa Haransky-Beck, OD ‘92, has been a successful Vermont practitioner for many years and attributes her success to her long career in vision therapy facilitation. In addition, she is also published as one of 50 contributors to the newly released Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers. She is currently writing a book and sharing courses online.

Lisa Wallace-Davis, OD ‘92, is currently the president of the Virginia Board of Optometry. She recently attended the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry’s (ARBO) 2022 annual meeting.

Mesheca Bunyon, OD ‘99, is currently the president of the Maryland Board of Examiners in Optometry. She recently attended the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry’s (ARBO) 2022 annual meeting.

2000s

Brad Lane, OD ‘07, MBA, was recently named the Alumnus of the Year by Concord University. He earned his undergraduate degrees in sociology, psychology and pre-professional biology from the honor’s program at Concord University in 2002. He owns Appalachian Eye Care and New River Eye Care. In 2016, he completed an MBA and in 2020, he earned a Master of Education in Instructional Design. He was named Philanthropist of the Year by Concord University in 2021.

Michelle Sporn, AuD ‘09, is the Chief Medical Officer at Aria Care Partners to focus on audiology care. Dr. Sporn is an American Board of Audiology certified audiologist with an extensive background in audiology including serving in a leadership role at Starkey Hearing Technologies. In addition, she has held positions with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, supporting the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the Silverstein Institute. Dr. Sporn’s primary focus is to provide support and guidance to the Aria Care Partners team of audiologists. She will also set policies and procedures to provide quality audiological care for residents in long-term care facilities.

2020s

Marc Jacobson, MMS ‘21, was recently hired as an orthopedic physician assistant for Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, New York.