Congratulations Board Chair Ronda Kotelchuck | SUNY College of Optometry Honorary Degrees

Original press release from the SUNY College of Optometry

Honorary Degrees for SUNY College of Optometry 49th Commencement Ceremony

On May 25th, the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry awarded honorary degrees during the 49th Commencement Ceremonies to two distinguished professionals who have made substantial contributions to the advancement of optometry and public healthcare: Anne B. Fulton, MD and our very own board member chair, Ronda Stilley Kotelchuck.

The honorary degrees will be conferred to both recipients during the College’s

commencement ceremony on May 25, after a commencement address by Dr. Wayne Riley, President of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

Dr. Kotelchuck received a doctor of humane letters, honoris causa, served as the founding CEO of the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC). Currently, Dr. Kotelchuck chairs the Board of Directors of the NY School-Based Health Foundation and serves on the boards of Community Health Network and

Nonprofit New York. She is being recognized as a seminal figure in the effort to transform the delivery and quality of primary health care services in low-income and underserved communities in New York City as well as her ongoing leadership in addressing resources to help overcome social determinants of health such as housing, food, education, and transportation.

The Foundation would like to extended our sincerest congratulations to Dr. Kotelchuck for her achievements and thank her for her tireless efforts to advocate and uplift school-based health centers.

About SUNY Optometry

Founded in 1971 and located in New York City, the State University of New York

College of Optometry is a leader in education, research, and patient care, offering the Doctor of Optometry degree as well as MS and Ph.D. degrees in vision science. The College conducts a robust program of basic, translational and clinical research and has 65 affiliated clinical training sites. SUNY Optometry is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; its four-year professional degree program and residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. All classrooms, research facilities, and the University Eye Center, which is one of the largest optometric outpatient facilities in the nation, are located on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in midtown Manhattan.

To learn more about SUNY Optometry, visit www.sunyopt.edu

Download and read the full press below:

2023_05_08 - Press Release - SUNY awards honorary degrees.docx

Download DOCX • 68KB