In Memoriam- Dr. Steven Lieberman
It is with great sadness that the New York State Optometric Association mourns the passing of past NYSOA President, Steven Lieberman, OD, FAAO, a dedicated optometrist, educator, researcher, and leader whose work made a lasting contribution to optometry and to the care of children.
Dr. Lieberman devoted more than five decades to the profession. A 1970 graduate of the New England College of Optometry, he built a career spanning clinical care, optometric education, research, public service, and organized optometry. He practiced in New York, including Rego Park, Great Neck, and Staten Island, with a particular focus on pediatric optometry, vision therapy, and pediatric eye care. He also served as an educator at the State University of New York College of Optometry and as a consultant on vision screening to the New York City school system.
His contributions to pediatric vision and vision screening were particularly significant. In 1983, Dr. Lieberman was among four recipients of the NYSOA Optometric Educator of the Year Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to optometry in research, education, and academic distinction.
That same year, Dr. Lieberman, together with Allen H. Cohen, Mark Stolzberg, and J. Michael Ritty, published The NYSOA Vision Screening Battery—A Total Approach. The screening battery, developed through a project team of the New York State Optometric Association, was designed to identify visual skills important to academic performance and could be administered by educators and parents without the need for a vision care professional. The study found the battery to be more sensitive in detecting vision problems related to learning than the Snellen test alone.
Dr. Lieberman continued this work through research on the NYSOA Vision Screening Battery, including a 1985 validation study that evaluated the battery in schoolchildren and further demonstrated its ability to identify visual problems that conventional Snellen screening could miss. He also co-authored the 1983 paper describing the NYSOA K-D Test, an objective method for evaluating saccadic performance that formed part of the screening battery.
Beyond his clinical and academic work, Dr. Lieberman was deeply committed to organized optometry and professional service. He held leadership roles within the New York State optometric community and the New York Academy of Optometry and was a longtime Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.
Through his work with patients, students, educators, colleagues, and professional organizations, Dr. Lieberman helped advance the understanding and recognition of children's visual needs and the important connection between vision and learning. His research, teaching, and decades of service have left an enduring mark on the profession.
The New York State Optometric Association extends its deepest condolences to Dr. Lieberman's family, friends, colleagues, former students, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him. We are grateful for his many years of service to optometry and honor the lasting legacy he leaves within our profession and our state.
