Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Dr. Susan Cotter Garners Global Recognition for Transformative Impact in Optometry

FULLERTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 27, 2025--

Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU) today announced that esteemed professor and associate dean for university research, Dr. Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO, has been honored with two of optometry’s most distinguished accolades: the Optometrist of the Year Award presented by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT), and the 2024 University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry’s Springer Lecturer. These awards reflect her pivotal role in advancing vision science and underscore MBKU’s commitment to fostering innovation and leadership in healthcare education.

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“The Optometrist of the Year Award and the Springer Lectureship represent the collective spirit of collaboration, innovation and dedication to advancing patient care,” said Dr. Cotter. “These honors also reflect the supportive and dynamic environment at MBKU, where my pediatric optometry colleagues inspire me through their commitment to clinical research, patient care and optometric education.”

The Optometrist of the Year Award, presented annually by FOOT, recognizes exceptional contributions to the field of optometry. In December 2024, Dr. Cotter was honored in Terrassa, Spain, for her impactful contributions to pediatric clinical trials and her exemplary leadership in collaborative research studies. At the ceremony, which also celebrated FOOT’s 2024 graduating class, Dr. Cotter delivered their commencement address and was named “godmother” of the first-year optometry students, symbolizing her role as a mentor and inspiration.

The Springer Lecture series, a hallmark event at UAB, celebrates influential optometric leaders who have significantly advanced the profession. As the 2024 UAB Springer Lecturer, Dr. Cotter shared her pioneering work with the PEDIG research network in treating amblyopia, a vision disorder that has been central to her career. In her keynote, Dr. Cotter reflected on her passion for treating amblyopia, expressing the gratification of seeing children regain vision. She encouraged students to explore opportunities to treat amblyopia, stressing that achieving positive outcomes is not limited to pediatric specialists. Dr. Cotter also recognized the achievements of two of her former students, Drs. Kathy Weise and Kristine Hopkins, who are now accomplished pediatric optometrists and faculty members at UAB.

A driving force behind the academic programs and research initiatives at MBKU’s Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) for more than 27 years, Dr. Cotter is widely regarded for her dedication to mentorship and her influential research in the treatment of amblyopia, strabismus, convergence insufficiency and childhood refractive error. As the immediate past co-chair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and immediate past president of the American Academy of Optometry, she has collaborated with many eye care professionals to advance pediatric vision research and shape best practices in patient care and education.

Dr. Cotter further showcased her expertise as the inaugural speaker for the recent Lea Hyvarinen Pediatric Lecture, titled “Amblyopia Treatment: How Clinical Trials are Redefining Patient Care,” at the New England College of Optometry on January 22.

“On behalf of everyone at MBKU, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Cotter for her extraordinary contributions to the field of optometry and these remarkable, well-deserved achievements,” said Dr. Julie A. Schornack, president of Marshall B. Ketchum University. “Her landmark work not only drives the profession forward but also inspires the next generation of optometrists to strive for nothing less than excellence.”

For more information about MBKU, visit https://ketchum.edu/.

About Marshall B. Ketchum University:Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU) is an independent, private, non-profit, accredited educational institution located in Fullerton, California proudly preparing the health care leaders of the future through immersive and rigorous academic programs that teach, train and graduate tomorrow’s clinical experts. Established in 1904, more than 100 years later, MBKU today includes three primary schools: 1) Southern California College of Optometry which offers a Doctor of Optometry and a Master of Science in Vision Science degree; 2) its School of Physician Assistant Studies which awards a Master of Medical Science degree; and 3) its College of Pharmacy, that offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. With a nationally recognized faculty known for offering the highest level of expertise and experience in clinical education and training; a commitment to introducing students to the latest in technology, diagnosis and treatment; as well as small class sizes and a tight-knit family feel—MBKU graduates become part of a diverse and inclusive alumni group that includes some of the health care industry’s most accomplished researchers, clinicians and teachers. MBKU also provides personalized care to the communities it serves from two state-of-the-art optometry clinics offering comprehensive vision care for all ages, from infants to seniors. Its wide array of services include cornea and contact lenses, pediatric vision, ocular disease treatment and consultation, vision therapy, low vision and more. More services can be found online at the University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Anaheim and University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Los Angeles. Accessible primary care medical services are also available at its Ketchum Health Medical Clinic. To learn more about MBKU’s programs or public clinics visit, https://www.ketchum.edu/ or follow on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Dr. Susan Cotter, OD, MS, FAAO, receives the Optometrist of the Year Award presented by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa (FOOT). (Photo: Business Wire)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Men who were part of the group of Venezuelan migrants that the United States government transferred earlier this year to a prison in El Salvador demanded justice on Friday, days after a federal judge in Washington ruled that the Trump administration must give them legal due process.

The men told reporters in Venezuela’s capital that they hope legal organizations can push their claims in court. Their press conference was organized by Venezuela’s government, which had previously said it had retained legal services for the immigrants.

On Monday, a federal judge ordered the U.S. government to give legal due process to the 252 Venezuelan men, either by providing court hearings or returning them to the U.S. The ruling opens a path for the men to challenge the Trump administration’s allegation that they are members of the Tren de Aragua gang and subject to removal under an 18th century wartime law.

The men have repeatedly said they were physically and psychologically tortured while at the notorious Salvadoran prison.

“Today, we are here to demand justice before the world for the human rights violations committed against each of us, and to ask for help from international organizations to assist us in our defense so that our human rights are respected and not violated again,” Andry Blanco told reporters in Caracas, where roughly two dozen of the migrants gathered Friday.

Some of the men shared the daily struggles they now face — including fear of leaving their home or encountering law enforcement — as a consequence of what they said were brutal abuses while in prison. The men did not specify what justice should look like in their case, but not all are interested in returning to the U.S.

“I don’t trust them,” Nolberto Aguilar said of the U.S. government.

The men were flown to El Salvador in March. They were sent to their home country in July as part of a prisoner swap between the Trump administration and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Camilla Fabri, Venezuelan vice minister of foreign affairs for international communications, said Maduro's government is working with a bar association in the U.S. and “all human rights organizations to prepare a major lawsuit against Trump and the United States government, so that they truly acknowledge all the crimes they have committed against” the men.

Tito Martinez, a Venezuelan migrant sent by the U.S. to El Salvador and later deported to Venezuela, walks with his family after reading a statement at a government building in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Arturo Suarez, a Venezuelan migrant sent by the U.S. to El Salvador and later deported to Venezuela, walks with his family after reading a statement at a government building in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)