Alumni Focus on Kathy Murphy (OD'82)
DR. MURPHY'S STORY
Hometown
Newark, Ohio
Which institution did you attend for your undergraduate degree? What was your major?
Miami University; Zoology
Which degree(s), related to optometry, did you earn at Ohio State?
OD'82
Who were your mentors at the College of Optometry? Who had a positive effect on your education?
Many, including Dr. Michael Polasky, Dr. Paulette Schmidt, Dr. Kevin Alexander, Dr. James Albright, and Dr. Mark Wright.
DR. MURPHY'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY
Name of your employer(s) and title, including location.
Owner, Emerald EyeCare LLC, Dublin, Ohio
Give us a glimpse of your typical day as an optometrist.
Retired
Which optometric issues concern you the most?
Insurance coverage for services; finding qualified staff.
Why did you choose a career in optometry?
Medical career helping people, but more 9-5.
Where do you hope to see your optometric career in five years?
In the hands now of my younger colleagues.
What is one piece of advice you can give OPT-IV students as they prepare to graduate and begin their optometric careers?
- Be involved in the community in which you practice.
- Never stop learning (seminars, journals, peer groups).
What do eye health and eye care mean for you?
Vision for a lifetime; seeing 3-4 generations of a family of patients.
DR. MURPHY'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE
What do Ohio State and the College of Optometry mean to you and your family?
Everything; gave me the foundation for a successful career and the means to retire.
How do you stay connected with the College of Optometry?
Regular meetings with the Development Director and staff and the Annual Appreciation Dinner with donors and scholarship recipients.
Have scholarships impacted you?
Not as a recipient personally, but I support scholarships through an Endowed Scholarship to help our current students.
DR. MURPHY'S FUN FACTS
What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?
Golf and quilting.
What is your nickname?
Classmates called me Murph for obvious reasons. Fun fact - I was the first female president of the Optometry Fraternity.
If not an optometrist, I would be …
A forensic scientist; but not a thing in the early '80s.