Keisha Elder, OD, FAAO
Dean
College of Optometry

Dr.Elder

331 Marillac Hall

Education

  • OD – UAB School of Optometry
  • MS / Instructional Design and Development – UAB School of Education

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • DEI Certification
  • Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
  • American Optometric Association
  • National Optometric Association
  • American Academy of Optometry
henry_vinita

University Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Cornea and Contact Lens

Education

  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Cornea and Contact Lenses, University of Missouri-Saint Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Contact Lenses

Academic Distinctions and Professional Societies

  • Fellow, American Academy of Optometry and Diplomate, American Academy of Optometry, Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses
  • Co-editor of the Clinical Manual of Contact Lens 5th Edition

Julie DeKinder, OD, FAAO
Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Residencies
Clinical Professor

dekinder_julie_201809_B_0593C

University Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Associate Dean of Academic Programs
  • Director of Residency Programs
  • Contact Lens clinic, Contact Lens course and labs.

Education

  • BS – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University
  • OD – Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry
  • Residency – Cornea and Contact University of Missouri-St. Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Clinical Topics in Contact Lenses
  • Contact Lenses II

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO)
  • Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society (FSLS)
  • Diplomate, American Academy of Optometry, Section on Cornea, Contact Lens and Refractive Technologies

Erin Brooks, OD, FAAO
Assistant Clinical Professor

brooks_erin

University Eye Center
Community Services

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Systemic and Ocular Anatomy/Disease, Pharmacology, Neuroophthalmology, Binocular Vision Dysfunction, Vision-Based Learning Disabilities, Public Health

Education

  • BS – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • MVS – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis

Recent Courses Taught

    • Anatomy, Physiology and Disease Processes I & II
    • Ocular Motility

Neurologic Disorders of the Eye and Visual System

  • Foundations of Ocular and Systemic Disease and Management I

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Thirty Leaders in Their Thirties for North County Incorporated, Diplomate American Board of Optometry
  • Fellow in American Academy of Optometry, American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association, St. Louis Optometric Society

Kathleen Boland, OD
Associate Clinical Professor

optometry_201809_B_0596C

University Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Driver’s licensing and vision impairment
  • The affect of carotenoid supplements on light sensitivity
  • Low Vision Rehabilitation and Geriatrics

Education

  • BA – Benedictine College
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis

Coral Dundon, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

201809_B_0610C

University Eye Center   Lindell Eye Center            East St. Louis Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Ocular Disease
  • Pharmacology
  • Primary Care Optometry

Education

  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Primary Care and Ocular Disease, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Recent Courses Taught

  • Foundations of Ocular and Systemic Disease Management I

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Missouri Optometric Society
  • St. Louis Optometric Society
  • American Academy of Optometry

Linda Du OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Nguyen

University Eye Center  Mobile Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Pediatrics
  • Ocular Disease
  • Community Health Service

Education

  • BS – University of California San Diego
  • OD – The Ohio State College of Optometry
  • MS – The Ohio State College of Optometry
  • Residency – Primary Care and Ocular Disease, Marion Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center

Recent Courses Taught

  • Ocular Motility
  • Introduction to Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning
  • Comprehensive Case Review and Analysis

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Diplomate, American Board of Optometry
  • American Academy of Optometry
  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • St. Louis Optometric Society

Aaron Franzel, OD
Associate Clinical Professor

Aaron Franzel

University Eye Center

 

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Chief of Pediatrics/Binocular Vision Services
  • The Pupil Project
  • Study of Sensory and Motor Aspects of Strabismus

Education

  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis

 

Emily Gum, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Emily Gum, OD

University Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Low Vision
  • Ocular Disease
  • Medical Mission Work

Education

  • BS – Truman State University
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Ocular Disease and Low Vision Rehabilitation, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Missouri Optometric Foundation Award for Excellence in Clinical Skills
  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • St. Louis Optometric Society

 

Carl Kramer, OD, FAAO
Associate Clinical Professor

Dr. Kramer

University Eye Center     Lindell Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Specialty Contact Lenses
  • Corneal Disease
  • Irregular Cornea
  • Myopia Management
  • Scleral Lenses

Education

  • BA – University of Kansas
  • OD – University of Houston College of Optometry
  • Residency – Cornea and Contact Lens, University of Missouri-St.Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Contact Lens I Lecture and Lab

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  •  “Peripheral Defocus with Spherical and Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses” Optometry and Vision Science, November 2013

Thomas Landgraf, OD
Associate Clinical Professor

Tom Landgraf

University Eye Center    Lindell Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Ocular Disease

Education

  • OD – Illinois College of Optometry
  • Residency – Primary Care, Pennsylvania College of Optometry

Recent Courses Taught

  • Ocular Disease Clinical and Didactic sequences

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry

Linda Marks, OD, FAAO
Associate Clinical Professor

marks_linda

University Eye Center  Mobile Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Therapy and Treatment of patients with Amblyopia, Strabismus, and Learning-related Vision Disorders
  • Pediatric Optometry

Education

  • BS – Ferris State University
  • OD – Michigan College of Optometry
  • Residency – Pediatric / Binocular Vision, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Clinical Topics in Pediatrics and Binocular Vision
  • Binocular Vision  Anomalies
  • Pediatric Optometry

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
  • American Optometric Association
  • College of Optometrists in Vision Development

Tareq I. Nabhan, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Tareq Nabhan

University Eye Center  Community Service

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Primary Care and Ocular Disease Clinics
  • Community and Public Health
  • Hardware-Software Telehealth Solutions
  • Teleretina Clinical Services
  • Artificial Intelligence in Eye Care
  • Humanitarianism
  • e-Simulation Development

Education

  • BS – Pittsburg State University
  • Post Grad – University of Kansas
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Telehealth
  • Introduction to Optometry (co-instructor)
  • Problem Based Learning (PBL)/Case Based Discovery (CBD)

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • UMSL Optometric Educator of the Year, 2017
  • UMSL Optometric Educator of the Year, 2023
  • Board of Directors, VOSH International
  • VOSH/I Franklin Harms Society
  • Clinical Advisory Board, OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation
  • Clinical Advisory Board, RestoringVision
  • CMS Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee
  • Vision Services Committee, Association of clinicans for the Underserved
  • Board of Directors, St. Louis Optometric Society
  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • GlobalSTL Community of Health Innovation Leader
  • Missouri Telehealth Network
  • Fellow, St. Louis University Taylor Geospatial Institute
  • Fellow, UMSL Global International
  • 2020 National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
  • International Optometric Educators Committee, ASCO
  • Educational Technology Committee, ASCO

Angel Novel-Simmons, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Novel-Simmons

University Eye Center    East St. Louis Eye Center Community Services

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Ocular Disease Management, Cultural Competence
  • Case-Based Discovery
  • Ocular Pharmacology

Education

  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Primary Care and Ocular Disease Management, VA Hudson Valley

Recent Courses Taught

  • Ocular Disease Management Laboratories in 2nd and 3rd year
  • Case Based Discovery
  • Cultural Competence

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Missouri Optometric Association, Member and PR Chairperson

Casey Peterson, OD, FAAO
Associate Clinical Professor

hamm_casey

University Eye Center      East St. Louis Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Ocular Disease
  • Biochemistry of the eye

Education

  • BA – Illinois Wesleyan University
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Primary Care with emphasis in Ocular Disease, Nova Southeastern University

Recent Courses Taught

  • Biochemistry with Ocular Emphasis
  • Foundations of Ocular and Systemic Disease and Management II
  • Interpersonal Communications
  • Comprehensive Case Review and Analysis

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
  • Professional Member of the National Academies of Practice
  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • St. Louis Optometric Society

Mary Beth Rhomberg, OD
Associate Clinical Professor

Rhomberg
University Eye Center
Lindell Eye Center
East St. Louis Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Family Practice
  • Ophthalmic Optics
  • Ocular Disease

Education

  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Optometry Family Practice, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Recent Courses Taught

  • Clinical Optometry I
  • Ophthalmic Optics and Dispensing
  • Comprehensive Case Review and Analysis
  • Clinic Seminar
  • Foundations of Ocular and Systemic Disease Lab

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • St. Louis Optometric Association

Patrick Stark, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Stark
University Eye Center
Lindell Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Ocular Anatomy
  • Clinical Optometry
  • Optometric Technology

Education

  • BA – Saint Louis University
  • OD – University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Residency – Primary Care and Ocular Disease, NSU Oklahoma

Recent Courses Taught

  • Ocular Anatomy and Physiology
  • Clinical Optometry
  • Case Based Discovery

Academic distinctions and professional societies:

  • American Academy of Optometry
  • American Optometric Association
  • Missouri Optometric Association
  • St. Louis Optometric Society

John Szewczyk, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

John Szewczyk, OD

University Eye Center

Jessica Tu, OD
Assistant Clinical Professor

Dr. Jessica Tu

University Eye Center
Lindell Eye Center

Teaching/Research Interests

  • Anterior Segment Diseases and Disorders
  • Specialty Contact Lenses, Scleral Lenses
  • Myopia Control

Education

  • BS – University of British Columbia
  • OD – InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry
  • Residency – Cornea and Contact Lens Indiana University School of Optometry
Academic distinctions and professional societies:
  • Fellow Candidate of American Academy of Optometry
  • 2017 Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care
  • Humanitarian Community Service Award