The Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University (SCCO/MBKU) will celebrate its one-hundredth and tenth commencement on Thursday, May 22, 2014. Ninety-nine members of the Class of 2014 will receive their Doctor of Optometry degree at the 5:30 p.m., ceremony to be held on the University's campus, 2575 Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831.
Other highlights of the ceremony include the delivery of the Commencement Address by the Chairman/CEO of Snyder Langston Stephen Jones; the presentation of the College's prestigious Award for Meritorious Service; the announcement of the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year; conferring of a Master of Science degree; and the acknowledgment of 46 optometrists who have successfully completed one-year residency programs.
The Class of 2014, educated to provide tomorrow's eye, vision and health care, includes 99 individuals, four of whom are second-generation optometrists. Fourteen members of the graduating class have earned Summa Cum Laude honors; 10 earned Magna Cum Laude honors; and 18 students attained Cum Laude recognition. The new Doctors of Optometry represent 13 states including: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Two students earned Valedictorian honors. They are, Amy Aldrich, B.S., Gillette, WY and Lindsay F. Wettergreen, B.S., Riverside, CA. Following graduation both women will begin one-year residency programs – Ms. Aldrich will begin a program in pediatric optometry and vision therapy at SCCO/MBKU and Ms. Wettergreen will begin a residency in vision rehabilitation at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. Overall, 27 members of the Class of 2014 have been accepted into postdoctoral residency programs.
SCCO's Master of Science degree will be awarded to June L. Tse, B.A., a member of the Class of 2014 who will also be receiving the Doctor of Optometry degree. Ms. Tse was concurrently enrolled in both programs.
Snyder Langston Chairman/CEO Stephen Jones will deliver the Commencement Address, "Value in Healthcare." Mr. Jones joined the Irvine-based real estate and construction company in 1980, became President in 1986 and Chairman/CEO in 2005. He will be honored during the Commencement Exercise with the University's Award for Meritorious Service for his vision and leadership in transforming healthcare in California.
Marshalltown, Iowa Optometrist Abie R. Chadderdon, O.D., will be honored as the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year during the evening ceremony. The 1981 alumnus has an impressive record of volunteer service to his community, the profession of optometry, and his alma mater.
Forty-six optometrists will be recognized during the event for completion of their one-year residency programs. SCCO residency programs provide specialized training in cornea and contact lenses, ocular disease, low vision rehabilitation, pediatric optometry and vision therapy, neuro optometry, geriatric optometry and primary eye care optometry.
Marshall B. Ketchum University
About Us
Rooted in a tradition of excellence in Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University's (MBKU's), vision is to reimagine the future of health care education by educating caring, inspired health care professionals who are prepared to deliver collaborative, patient-centric health care in an interprofessional environment.
MBKU's Vision: To reimagine the future of health care education.
MBKU's Mission: To educate caring, inspired health care professionals who are prepared to deliver collaborative, patient-centric health care in an interprofessional environment.
MBKU's Core Values: Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Compassion and Respect.
History
Marshall B. Ketchum University is now home to the Southern California College of Optometry and the School of Physician Assistant Studies. Named after the founder of the optometric institution in 1904, the change to a university structure addresses the growing demand for highly skilled health care professionals. MBKU will provide a diversity of health care education opportunities in an environment fully focused on medical professionalism, combining advanced clinical training with innovative teaching methods. The University confers a four-year, professional degree, Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) and a Master of Science in Vision Science (M.S.) degree. MBKU's School of Physician Assistant Studies expects to award a Master of Medical Sciences (MMS) degree. MBKU has recently announced plans to establish a College of Pharmacy.
The University's superior 110-year-old optometric clinical education program provides patient care experiences in community optometric clinics; exposure to the delivery of optometric care in multi-disciplinary settings; and experiences in practices serving a wide variety of ethnic and socio-economic patient groups. Marshall B. Ketchum University owns and operates two premier eye and vision care centers – University Eye Center at Fullerton located on its campus in Fullerton, CA, and University Eye Center at Los Angeles located on Broadway at Martin Luther King Boulevard near downtown Los Angeles.
Accreditations
Marshall B. Ketchum University: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Southern California College of Optometry: Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) of the American Optometric Association.
School of Physician Assistant Studies: The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Marshall B. Ketchum University Physician Assistant Program.
Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status. The status indicates that the plans and resource allocation for the proposed program appear to demonstrate the program's ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards, if fully implemented as planned. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.