Ohio State Appoints New College of Optometry Dean
Dr. Jeffrey Walline to assume role July 1
The Ohio State University has selected Jeffrey J. Walline, OD, PhD, as its sixth College of Optometry dean, effective July 1, pending Board of Trustees approval.
Dr. Walline has spent more than two decades on the college’s faculty and brings deep institutional knowledge to this role. He joined the Ohio State faculty in 2005 and rose through the ranks from Assistant Professor to Distinguished Professor, a distinction conferred in 2023. He most recently served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
“Jeff’s leadership philosophy aligns strongly with Ohio State’s Shared Values of excellence, integrity, collaboration and respect,” says Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Trevor Brown. “Further, his extensive senior leadership experience and longstanding commitment to excellence in optometric education, research and clinical care will benefit the college’s students, faculty, staff and patients.”
A proud BuckEYE alumnus, Dr. Walline earned a master’s degree in Physiologic Optics and a PhD in Vision Science degrees from the College of Optometry he will now lead. He holds his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry.
Dr. Walline is a leading figure in pediatric vision research, with a career focused on understanding and slowing the progression of myopia (commonly known as nearsightedness) in children. He serves as study chair of the Bifocal Lenses in Nearsighted Kids (BLINK and BLINK2) Studies, a landmark National Eye Institute (NEI)-funded initiative examining whether soft multifocal contact lenses can slow myopia progression in young patients. He also co-chairs the Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness Until Treatment (DONUT) Study, an NEI-sponsored effort to investigate whether low-concentration atropine eye drops can prevent myopia from developing in the first place.
Beyond academia, Dr. Walline has been a tireless advocate for children's eye health in the community. As Medical Director of the OOA's Realeyes Program since 2014 (an initiative that has reached more than 1.6 million Ohio schoolchildren with vision education), he has personally presented to more than 19,500 students in over 750 central Ohio classrooms, more than any other volunteer in the program's history.
His service to the profession is equally extensive. Dr. Walline was president of the American Academy of Optometry, served on the FDA Myopia Control Review Taskforce, and has received numerous honors, including the American Academy of Optometry Foundation William C. Ezell Fellowship, the Global Specialty Lens Symposium Award of Excellence, the Ohio Optometric Association (OOA) Optometrist of the Year award (2018), the AOA Optometric Educator of the Year (2024), among many others.
“It is an extraordinary honor to serve as the next dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry,” says Dr. Walline. “As an optometrist and Buckeye, I am inspired by this opportunity to follow in the footsteps of giants who have advanced our mission of excellence in education, patient care, research, and leadership. The faculty, staff, students, and alumni of The Ohio State University College of Optometry are an extraordinary community whose dedication, talent, and shared purpose define our success, and I am proud to partner with them in shaping our future.”