Alumni Focus 2025
Alumni Focus on Carole Burns (OD'84)
June 1, 2025
As an undergraduate student studying zoology, Carole Burns knew she loved the biological sciences, so she shadowed every medical professional who would let her visit. She recalls, "I never met an optometrist who didn’t love what they did, not only did they love their profession, but also their patients and their alma mater." After graduating from The Ohio State University College of Optometry, Dr. Burns' career included a residency, a fellowship and private practice. Today, she is in patient care two days per week, and says, "I am blessed to have seven incredible partners in an 11-doctor practice. We have four locations and 50 team members. Each partner is an expert in a different aspect of optometry; therefore, we are able to offer comprehensive eye care from treatment of disease, specialty contact lens care, pediatric care, vision therapy, myopia management as well as examining and treating those with autism and those with special needs."
Alumni Focus on Tyson Brunstetter (OD/MS'97, PhD'00)
May 1, 2025
Tyson Brunstetter (OD/MS'97, PhD'00) is a NASA aerospace optometrist at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, and serves as the Clinical Lead (Eyes/Vision) for a recently discovered condition that affects the eyes, brain, and vision of astronauts: Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Dr. Brunstetter says that his experiences learning at Ohio State and then serving in the Navy and at NASA, "have topped even my wildest childhood dreams." Every day is different, as he works with a team of top-tier professionals, including optometrists, ophthalmologists, flight surgeons, epidemiologists, statisticians, engineers, trainers, scientists, and astronauts/cosmonauts.
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Alumni Focus on Erica Shelton (OD/MS'18)
April 1, 2025
Erica Shelton (OD/MS'18) chose to pursue a career in optometry because, "I wanted a career in the health sciences where I could teach, provide care, learn more about the brain, and have a comfortable work/life balance." The Ohio State University College of Optometry was the perfect fit, so much so that Dr. Shelton chose to pursue her PhD in Vision Science here as well. She says, "Currently I spend my days doing research related to pediatric vision care. I spend time talking to community partners, writing my dissertation, and assisting as a teaching assistant (TA) in the Epidemiology Public Health and Environmental Vision course for the optometry students."
Read more about Dr. Shelton >>
Alumni Focus on Michael Do (OD'14)
March 1, 2025
When asked to identify who affected him positively during his time as an Ohio State Optometry student, Michael Do (OD'14) named professor after professor before finally giving up and saying, "I could reference the entire college, really." Today, as a successful private practice owner in Georgia, Dr. Do provides primary care and ocular disease management.
Alumni Focus for Paige (Scott) Ellis (OD'20) and Sawyer Ellis (OD'20)
February 1, 2025
Paige (Scott) Ellis (OD'20) and Sawyer Ellis (OD'20) met and fell in love as Ohio State Optometry students. Fast forward to five years (and two golden retrievers) after graduation, they are the proud owners of Vivid Vision Eye Care, a private practice in Ravenna, Ohio. They have worked diligently to build a loyal patient base, and they enjoy seeing patients of all ages. In another five years, they plan to acquire a second location and bring on an associate doctor.
Read more about Drs. Paige and Sawyer Ellis >>
Alumni Focus on Marielle Reidy (OD/MS’19)
January 1, 2025
As a graduate research fellow and vision science PhD student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, Dr. Marielle Reidy truly enjoys the ever-changing nature of academia. Early in her PhD journey, she was particularly fond of teaching clinically, mostly in the Binocular Vision and Pediatrics Clinic. Currently, she is working on her dissertation research project, striving to better understand myopia control treatments. She says, "It is so exciting to have options for these patients, but there are still so many unanswered questions about them. And before we can answer the questions, new treatments crop up and we’ve got more questions about those! I hope I can play even a small role in maximizing these treatments for young myopes."