Transitions® Unveils 2025 Students of Vision Scholarship Program

Transitions® Optical, in collaboration with the Opticians Association of Canada announces the launch of the 2025 Students of Vision Scholarship Program. This initiative is designed to support and celebrate the next generation of opticians, optometrists, and optometric assistants. Since it3 inception in 2008, the program has proudly supported more than 50 students across Canada, helping to foster emerging talent and strengthen the future of the optical industry.

This year’s challenge invites students to develop a creative project that demonstrates how they will inspire and educate young adults (ages 18–35) to choose dynamic lenses as part of their everyday eyewear. Participants will compete for one of three scholarships – valued at $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 – along with a pair of Ray-Ban® Meta smart glasses with Transitions® lenses. The top winner will also receive an exclusive invitation to join Canadian eyecare professionals on a trip to experience the Aurora Borealis in Whitehorse, Northwest Territories.

The program highlights the importance of connecting with younger generations who live life in motion, constantly shifting between screens, sunlight, and indoor lighting. Transitions® GEN S™ lenses are designed for this lifestyle, offering ultra-fast adaptability, enhanced visual comfort, and stylish color options that reflect individuality. Yet many young adults still associate photochromic lenses with older demographics.

“Young adults are redefining what eyewear means to them. It’s no longer just about vision correction, but about lifestyle, technology, and self-expression,” says Arnaud Rajchenbach, Marketing & Sales Manager at Transitions® Canada. “This scholarship encourages students to meet that mindset with bold ideas and real-world strategies that make dynamic lenses relevant and exciting.”

Students may submit their project in the form of an essay, presentation, or video. Entries will be judged on creativity, presentation, strategic thinking, and ethics. To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled for the 2025–2026 academic year or registered for the upcoming 2026 school year.

Submissions are due by November 30, 2025, with winners announced in January 2026.

All information and details are available at https://www.transitions.com/en-canadapro/students-of-vision/.

Click HERE for the press release.

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October 23, 2025October 24, 2025

Specsavers’ First Canadian Location Reopens with Expanded Footprint

Specsavers is celebrating a major milestone with the reopening and expansion of its first store when the brand expanded into Canada in 2021.

Nanaimo continues to be one of the most successful Specsavers locations in the country with a 400% increase in eye exams per year and a 270% increase in patients per year.

Today, the store has relocated to a larger, upgraded space inside allowing the team to better serve the growing demand.

The Nanaimo store is led by Optometry Partner Dr. Ian Scholfield and Retail Partner Seija Gilks, whose teams have built strong relationships with local residents.

They’ve worked with local community organizations including the Vancouver Island Health Authority and the Salvation Army to provide eyecare.

The Nanaimo location is also one of only two stores to offer a tele-optometry clinic and has led this initiative in the community to serve over 5,000 patients and counting.

Source: Specsavers

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October 23, 2025October 24, 2025

American Academy of Optometry Announces 2025 New Fellows and Diplomates

The American Academy of Optometry recently hosted Academy 2025 Boston, in Boston, MA. During the organization’s annual meeting, the Academy welcomed a record number of 329 new Fellows to its ranks. Along with this strong showing of new Fellows, 11 current Fellows earned the distinction of Diplomate.

Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry must complete a candidacy process that includes submitting written works for peer review that demonstrate their skills as an optometrist or vision scientist. They must also sit for an oral exam at the annual meeting. It is estimated that approximately 10 percent of practicing optometrists in the United States are Fellows. Among those eligible for Fellowship are: optometrists, scientists, educators, librarians, administrators, and editors. Those who pass the rigorous criteria and application process earn the distinction and right to use “FAAO” in their credentials.

Diplomates are Fellows of the Academy who wish to demonstrate their extensive skill in a specific area. Currently, ten Sections offer Diplomate programs. These include: Anterior Segment; Binocular Vision, Perception and Pediatric Optometry; Comprehensive Eye Care; Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies; Glaucoma; Low Vision; Neuro-ophthalmic Disorders in Optometry; Optometric Education; Public Health & Environmental Vision; and Vision Science.

More information on becoming a Fellow or Diplomate can be found on the Academy’s website under Membership.

2025 Diplomates

Jacobi Cleaver, OD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Anterior Segment

Jeannette Wong-Powell, OD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Comprehensive Eye Care

Elaine Chen, OD, FAAO, Dipl AAO

Diplomate, Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies

Patrick Simard, OD, MSc, MBA, FAAO, Dipl AAO

Diplomate, Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies

Michael Kalloniatis, MScOptom, PhD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Glaucoma

Ramanpal Deol, OD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Low Vision

Jennifer Reilly, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Optometric Education

Fatima Iqbal, OD, PhD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Optometric Education

Angelica Scanzera, OD, MPH, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Public Health & Environmental Vision

Yvonne Megbele, OD, MSc, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Public Health & Environmental Vision

Lisa Ostrin, OD, PhD, FAAO, Dipl AAO Diplomate, Vision Science

For the full list of 2025 Fellows, click HERE.

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October 23, 2025October 24, 2025

SILMO Academy Takes Off for Bali!

After several successful editions, SILMO Academy continues its mission of excellence, training, and knowledge sharing in service of vision and optical professionals.

In 2026, a new and ambitious milestone awaits: for the first time, SILMO Academy will land in Bali for an international congress dedicated to visual health, research, and innovation.

For three days, from April 6 to 8, 2026, international experts, researchers, educators, and practitioners will come together to explore, learn, and exchange ideas on the major challenges shaping the future of optics and optometry.

A Scientific Program of Excellence

Five thematic sessions will structure this edition:

Putting People First

Placing the human being at the center of optical practice and patient care.

Healthy Ageing

Exploring preventive and therapeutic approaches to the visual challenges of aging.

Gaining A Competitive Edge in Practice

Enhancing the performance, differentiation, and sustainability of professional practices.

Light Management

Understanding, anticipating, and controlling the effects of light on vision and eye health.

Future Advances in Optometry and Optics

A forward-looking perspective on emerging technologies and research that will transform the profession.

Organized under the aegis of SILMO Paris, this edition of SILMO Academy Bali 2026 will offer a rich and inspiring program, combining high-level scientific content, shared experiences, and international perspectives, all in an exceptional setting. A unique opportunity not to be missed for all professionals who wish to anticipate the evolution of their field and actively contribute to the future of global visual health.

More information coming soon on silmoparis.com

Click here for the press release.

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October 22, 2025September 30, 2025

Vitamin Supplements May Slow Glaucoma Progression

A new study suggests that a mix of B vitamins and choline may help slow down or even stop vision loss in glaucoma by supporting the eye’s metabolism—independent of eye pressure. Researchers found that in animals with glaucoma, this vitamin supplement protected the optic nerve, even when eye pressure wasn’t treated. These encouraging results, published in Cell Reports Medicine, have led to a clinical trial now underway in Stockholm.

Glaucoma usually damages the optic nerve due to high eye pressure, but researchers at Karolinska Institutet discovered that a slowed metabolism in the retina might also play a key role in vision loss.

Their study suggests in glaucoma the eye struggles to use certain vitamins that are necessary to keep a healthy metabolism. By supplementing these vitamins in an animal model, researchers were able to reduce and, in some cases, even stop optic nerve damage, offering hope for a new approach to protecting vision.

About Fighting Blindness Canada

Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) is the largest charitable funder of vision research in Canada.

Over our 49-year history, FBC has contributed critical funding for the development of sight-saving treatments and cures for blinding eye diseases. By raising and stewarding funds, FBC is helping drive forward research that supports our goal of understanding why vision loss occurs, how it can be slowed and how sight can be restored.

We are an invaluable resource for individuals and families impacted by blindness, providing accurate eye health information through our website and educational events, as well as engaging with government and other stakeholders to advance better vision health policies.

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