Press Release: Search begins for 2017 IACLE Award winners

Search begins for 2017 IACLE Award winners

Four exceptional contact lens educators will be joining celebrations for the British Contact Lens Association’s 40th Clinical Conference and Exhibition next year, as winners of the 2017 IACLE Awards.
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators is offering educators around the world the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year and travel to the BCLA’s anniversary event in Liverpool, UK (9-11 June).
These awards recognise and reward achievements in contact lens education worldwide, and are sponsored by CooperVision and supported by the BCLA.
IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE’s three global regions:
• Asia Pacific
• Europe / Africa – Middle East
• Americas

The winners will each receive:
• A bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending the 40th British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference and Exhibition.
• Permission to use the title 2017 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year for their region.
• A certificate to mark the award, to be presented at the conference.
• Publicity relating to the award in IACLE communications and other media.
The IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards are open to all IACLE members from any country, with preference given to members who are active FIACLEs (Fellows of IACLE) or have attempted the IACLE Fellowship Exam. The awards will recognise work by those who are established contact lens teachers. Equally, the award may be given in recognition of a useful educational contribution by an Associate Member, actively involved in IACLE and in contact lens education.
The IACLE Travel Award, offered for the first time in 2013, is a travel bursary for an IACLE Educator Member starting out on his / her career who would not otherwise be able to attend a major international conference. The IACLE Travel Award is sponsored by IACLE and supported by the BCLA. The winner will receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending BCLA 2017, where the award will be presented.
Commenting on her experience of winning the 2016 IACLE Travel Award, Eman Alzghoul, lecturer in contact lenses at the Jordan Institute of Science and Technology, said: ‘The award has been the biggest opportunity I’ve had since I started teaching and practicing contact lenses. Thanks to this opportunity, my experience, knowledge and confidence increased incredibly.’
IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo urged all IACLE members to consider entering this year’s awards. ‘We’re delighted that our 2017 award winners will be invited to attend the BCLA conference in Liverpool. We are grateful to CooperVision for continuing to sponsor the Educator Awards and to the BCLA for supporting the Travel Award. Remember you can be nominated by a colleague or self-nominate.’
‘As one of the world’s leading soft contact lens manufacturers, we understand the importance of contact lens education and its influence on the future of the eye care profession,’ said Dr Gary Orsborn, Vice President, Global Professional and Clinical Affairs at CooperVision. ‘We are proud to partner with IACLE to recognize those who dedicate themselves to teaching others in extraordinary ways. We look forward to meeting this year’s honorees at the BCLA.’
The deadline for entries for the 2017 awards is midnight on Tuesday 31 January 2016. Entries should be submitted by email to IACLE Director of Operations Bonnie Boshart at [email protected] using the application forms to be found at www.iacle.org (Awards).
-ENDS-

Eman Alzghoul receives the 2016 Travel Award from Dr Shehzad Naroo at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Anaheim, California in November
For media enquiries please contact:
Alison Ewbank
Public Relations | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
London | United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Work: + 44 208 390 9378 | Mobile: + 44 7732 121 959
Skype: alisonewbank1 | Web: www.iacle.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards.
2. Click here to find out more about the IACLE Travel Award.
3. Read more about last year’s IACLE Award winners here.
4. Read about Eman Alzghoul’s experiences of winning the Award and the importance of IACLE to her work and career here.
5. Dr Shehzad Naroo is Reader at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.
6. Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available at www.iacle.org.
7. Details of the 40th BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition are here.

ABOUT IACLE
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 776 active members in 71 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: platinum sponsor Alcon, silver sponsors CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, and donor sponsor Euclid.

ABOUT COOPERVISION

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

ABOUT BCLA

The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is the UK’s leading source of information and education on contact lenses and the anterior eye. Its mission is to educate, interact and promote growth within the field of contact lenses and related areas – and to be the leading resource gateway for the contact lens community. The BCLA’s Clinical Conference and Exhibition is one of the largest international events dedicated to contact lenses, and regularly attracts more than 1,000 delegates to hear from the world’s leading experts in their fields.