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IOA On-Demand CE Speaker List

	Greg Caldwell, OD, FAAO Greg Caldwell, O.D., is a 1995 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He completed a one-year residency in primary care and ocular disease at The Eye Institute in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry (ABO), member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS), and member of the Optometric Wellness and Nutritional Society (OWNS). He currently works in Duncansville, Pennsylvania as an ocular disease consultant. Dr. Caldwell's primary focus is the diagnosis and management of anterior and posterior segment ocular disease, and he has been a participant in multiple FDA investigations and trials. Dr. Caldwell has integrated nutrition, prevention, and wellness into his patient care. He practices integrative optometry. Dr. Caldwell is a co-founder of Optometric Education Consultants and co-administrator of OCT Connect on Facebook. Dr. Caldwell has lectured extensively throughout the county and over thirteen countries internationally. In 2010 he served as President of the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA) and served on the AOA Board of Trustees 2013-2016. He is President of the Blair/Clearfield Association for the Blind.
	Dr. Essence Johnson Bio Dr. Essence Johnson is a community and correctional health optometrist in Dallas, TX. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University and completed a residency in Ocular Disease at Omni Eye Services of Atlanta. She is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate in the American Board of Optometry. A champion for diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Johnson received certificates in this area from Cornell University and the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Dr. Johnson is also the Chief Visionary Officer of Black EyeCare Perspective and co-advisor to the Black EyeCare Perspective Pre-Optometry Club where they are redefining the eye care industry 1% at a time by creating a pipeline for Black students into optometry.
	Austin Monroe, JD Bio Austin C. Monroe is a trial attorney handling cases in Illinois. These cases have included physician and other healthcare malpractice, trucking and automobile liability, construction and premise liability, and other claims for catastrophic injury. Mr. Monroe has been heavily involved in complex cases, from the filing of suit through trial. At Penn State Law, Mr. Monroe was a member of the school's national trial team, as well as an editor, and later executive board member, of their Environmental Law Review.Mr. Monroe completed his undergraduate studies at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. He was also a pitcher for the university's baseball team and was named an Academic All-American.Mr. Monroe has been named an "Emerging Lawyer" by Leading Lawyers, Law Bulletin Media, awarded to less than 2% of lawyers licensed to practice in Illinois. He has also been named a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers, Thomas Reuters, an honor given to no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state.
	Tracy Offerdahl-McGowan, BSc, PharmD, FAAO Assistant Professor - Salus University Bio: Dr. Offerdahl attended Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, PA, for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Upon completion of her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, she completed a Residency at Temple University Hospital, where much of her time was spent in internal medicine and infectious diseases. She is currently on faculty at Salus University in the Department of Optometry, where she is the course director and instructor for all systemic pharmacology courses for students in the optometry, audiology, and physician assistant programs. Additionally, she is a practicing clinical pharmacist with a pharmacy and a patient care practice site in Rosemont, PA. She lectures extensively in the optometry community, and is a Fellow in The American Academy of Optometry.
	Stuart Richer, OD Dr. Richer earned his undergraduate degree in 1977 from the Rochester Institute of Technology, after which he completed a dual OD MS (physiological optics) program at the University of California at Berkeley in 1981. A one-year residency in low vision / hospital-based optometry followed at the Kansas City, Missouri DVA Medical Center. He has been Chief of Optometry at DVA Medical Center, North Chicago, IL since 1983 - 2013, and D Coordinator of Optometric Residencies thereafter. He has been actively involved in teaching optometry and medical students as well as postdoctoral fellows of all disciplines. In 1996 Dr. Richer earned his PhD in human physiology and biophysics from Chicago Medical School following 15 years of practice. He's an associate professor of Family and Preventative Medicine at Chicago Medical School and Clinical Optometry at ICO and UMSL and an assistant professor of Ophthalmology, UIC Department of Ophthalmology / Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr Richer has authored papers in Current Eye Research, Experimental Eye Research, FASEB, Vision Research, Optometry & Vision Science, Optometry, and International Ophthalmology Clinics. He is the principal investigator of the Veterans Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST), the first US randomized double masked placebo controlled clinical trial of lutein and visual function published in the Journal Optometry April 2004 and the FDA/DVA approved Zeaxanthin and Visual Function Study (ZVF) - Nov 2011. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Practices in Medicine and his Team was announced as Service to America Medal finalists in Science and Technology at the US Senate Hart Bldg, June 2006. Dr. Richer was the US DVA lifetime career achievement nominee to AMSUS 117th annual meeting, San Antonio Nov 2011. He is President of the Ocular Nutrition Society. Actively involved in primary care optometry and clinical antioxidant research, Dr. Richer has special interests in aging, prescribing nutrients in the intervention of age-related macular degeneration, low-tension glaucoma, diabetic macular edema, prevention of cataracts and dry eye. Dr Richer is president of the Ocular Wellness and Nutrition Society www.ocularnutritionsociety.org and has an interest in aging.