Young Advocate Committee
The New York State Optometric Association is proud to be supporting the American Optometric Association’s national membership growth campaign, “United in Possibilities.” Membership is the foundation and heart of our organizations, and this campaign is designed to reach and engage the newest members of our profession and future generations of leaders. One of the most important aspects of this campaign is peer-to-peer personal outreach. The NYSOA’s Young Advocate Committee, co-chaired by Drs. Marina Su and Alyssa Putman, is facilitating this outreach, and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to engage our young members on such an important initiative.
We invite you to get to know the members of the Young Advocate Committee and help us make connections between these up-and-coming leaders and the young optometrists in your own community. Please check out our Events page to view the Committee's upcoming social events. You can also visit aoa.org/united to learn more about the campaign. We are, truly, United in Possibilities!
NYSOA Young Advocates
Western New York
 Name: Carrie Joseph, OD
Local Society: Western New York Society of Optometrists (WNYSO)
Graduation Year: 2014
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Warsaw, Batavia, and Perry
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Letchworth State Park
Hobbies: Yoga, travel, biking.
Words to live by: Nothing worth having comes easy. – Theodore Roosevelt
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Alyssa Fortuna, OD
Local Society: WNYSOA
Graduation Year: 2020
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Buffalo, NY
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Beaches and the Buffalo waterfront
Hobbies: Walking my dog, working out, spending time with friends
Words to live by: One step at a time is all it takes to get you there - Emily Dickinson
Contact: [email protected]
Southern Tier
 Name: Alyssa Putman, OD
Local Society: Southern Tier
Graduation Year: 2012
School: Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
City where you work: Corning
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Waneta and Seneca Lakes of the Finger Lakes
Hobbies: Exercise, hanging with family and friends, and cooking.
Words to live by: Be Kind, Work Hard, Stay Humble, Smile Often, Stay Loyal, Be Honest, Travel When possible, Never Stop Learning, Love Always
Contact: [email protected]
Capital District
 Name: Gina Ciarmiello, OD
Local Society: Eastern
Graduation Year: 2014
School: Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
City where you work: East Greenbush and Delmar
Favorite place to unwind in NY: My home in Rotterdam, NY.
Hobbies: Hanging out with my family, baking, boating on Lake George.
Words to live by: Everything happens for a reason.
Contact: [email protected]
 Name: Jennifer Tribley–Grill, OD
Local Society: Eastern
Graduation Year: 2013
School: New England College of Optometry
Residency: Ocular Disease at VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System
City where you work: Albany
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Schroon Lake
Hobbies: Cooking, snowmobiling, yoga.
Words to live by: Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. – Mark Twain
Contact: [email protected]
Hudson Valley & Westchester
 Name: Joseph Boos, OD
Local Society: WRPOS
Graduation Year: 2015
School: SUNY College of Optometry
Residency: Ocular Disease/Primary Eye Care at VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System
City where you work: Rye
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Kensico Dam
Hobbies: Basketball, reading, billiards.
Words to live by: The most dangerous phrase is, “We’ve always done it this way.”
Contact: [email protected]
 Name: Reshma Patel, OD
Local Society: WRPOS
Graduation Year: 2015
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: West Nyack & Garnerville
Favorite place to unwind in NY: South Street Seaport in NYC
Hobbies: Traveling, baking, gym/working out.
Words to live by: Strive for progress, not perfection!
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Victoria McEwan, OD
Local Society: Hudson Valley Optometric Society
Graduation Year: 2016
School: Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
Residency: Ocular Disease/Primary Care at VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System
City where you work: Hudson, Millbrook, Hopewell Junction
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Lower Saranac Lake
Hobbies: Spending time with loved ones, traveling, exercising.
Words to live by: Live each day like it’s your last.
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Brandon Harnos, O.D
Local Society: Hudson Valley
 Graduation Year: 2019
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: New Paltz
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Lake Minnewaska
Hobbies: Running, playing the trumpet, traveling
Words to live by: The road to success is always under construction
Contact: [email protected]
New York City
 Name: Marina Su, OD, FAAO
Local Society: OSCONY, NYSOA Metropolitan Region Trustee, Co–Chair of NYSOA Young Advocate Committee
Graduation Year: 2012
School: Southern California College of Optometry
Residency: Fromer Eye Centers/SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Manhattan, Queens and Bronx
Favorite place to unwind in NY: The “rock” in Central Park or Pier A in Hoboken, NJ
Hobbies: Dancing (Ballet/Jazz/Tap/Hip Hop), travel, DIY activities.
Words to live by: Live with intention. – Mary Anne Radmacher
Contact: [email protected]
 Name: Sagar Dhandia, OD
Local Society: OSCONY
Graduation Year: 2019
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: New York City
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Gantry Plaza State Park
Hobbies: Weightlifting, basketball
Words to live by: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Michael Scott
Contact: [email protected]
 Name: Sarah Gleason, OD
Local Society: OSCONY
Graduation Year: 2018
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: New York City
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Battery Park
Hobbies: Running, snowboarding, traveling
Words to live by: Choose to be optimistic, it feels better. – Dalai Lama XIV
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Rebecca Aquije, OD
Local Society: OSCONY
Graduation Year: 2020
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Queens, Manhattan
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Local cafes and parks
Hobbies: Drawing, video games, exploring the outdoors with friends
Words to live by: This too shall pass.
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Grace To, OD
Local Society: OSCONY
Graduation Year: 2020
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Queens, Manhattan
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Local cafes and parks
Hobbies: Salsa dancing, enjoying a good book outdoors, hiking with my pup
Words to live by: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - LZ
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Emily Topi, OD
Local Society: OSCONY
Graduation Year: 2015
School: University of Missouri-St. Louis
City where you work: NY
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Devocion coffee in Williamsburg and Central Park
Hobbies: being outside with family, watching baseball, piano
Contact: [email protected]
Long Island
 Name: Corinne Blum, OD
Local Society: Suffolk
Graduation Year: 2014
School: SUNY College of Optometry
Residency: SUNY Primary Eye Care
City where you work: Babylon and Valley Stream
Favorite place to unwind in NY: Hiking at any of the beautiful state parks.
Hobbies: Anything outdoors (hiking, biking, running), baking and cooking, board games with friends.
Words to live by: Choose Happiness
Contact: [email protected]
 Name: Alison Schmidt, OD
Local Society: Suffolk/Nassau
Graduation Year: 2015
School: SUNY College of Optometry
City where you work: Commack and Greenvale
Favorite place to unwind in NY: The beach in Montauk.
Hobbies: Hiking, paddle boarding, traveling.
Words to live by: You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that every single day.
Contact: [email protected]
Name: Timothy Yuan
Local Society: OSCONY/Nassau
Graduation Year: 2022
School: SUNY Optometry
City where you work: Flushing, NY
Favorite place to unwind in NY: The Piers
Hobbies: Singing/Piano and Fitness
Words to live by: "Live life to the fullest, make a difference along the way"
Contact: [email protected]
Rochester
Name: Katelyn E. Vilasi
Local Society: Rochester Optometric Society
Graduation Year: 2017
School: New England College of Optometry
City where you work: Rochester, NY
Favorite place to unwind in NY: At home with my west highland white terrier
Hobbies: Spending time with friends, making wreaths, watching movies
Words to live by: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched
– they must be felt with the heart." Helen Keller
Contact: Email: [email protected] Ph: 585-360-6858 |
