Dr. Glen Steele to retire after 53 years of teaching students and treating patients
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — After 53 years of service as a faculty member and pediatric vision provider, Glen "Bubba" Steele, OD has retired from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. SCO recently bid farewell to its longest-serving faculty member in a campus-wide event with current and past students and colleagues. Steele, who is also an SCO alumnus, introduced "just look retinoscopy," a technique commonly used by practitioners to gauge visual development in children who otherwise cannot articulate how well they see. He’s most notably known for his contributions to InfantSEE, the national public health program to bring free vision assessments to babies aged six months to 12 months, for which former President Jimmy Carter advocated.
"Dr. Steele leaves behind an indelible mark on the optometry profession as a whole, most notably in the area of pediatric optometry," said Lewis Reich, O.D., president of SCO. "Throughout his tenure, he taught more than 6,000 students, who today are represented in every corner of the optometric world. They’re advocates, educators and practicing doctors of optometry. He has shared his passion for pediatric optometry with many more around the world, a legacy that will benefit patients for years to come."
In the early stages of his career, Steele focused on vision therapy, primarily with children. He thrived on teaching his students how the simplest optometric technique could make the biggest impact on a young life. Since InfantSEE’s launch in 2005, more than 150,000 babies have received free comprehensive eye and vision assessments through the program.
"I’ve always been a big kid," Steele said. "There’s a kid in all of us, and working with children just lets that come out. Pediatric optometry requires a different attitude and special level of care, and I tried to demonstrate that to my students so they carry that attitude with them. That is what I see as my best life’s work."
SCO is currently accepting donations in Steele’s honor. Benefactors can contribute at sco.edu/steele.
About Southern College of Optometry
Southern College of Optometry was established in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1932. SCO is an independent, not-for-profit institution of higher education with more than 500 students and residents from 40 states. The Eye Center at SCO serves nearly 60,000 patients annually, helping make the college one of the top in the nation for clinical optometric education. SCO’s Community Outreach Program provides care at no cost to more than 5,000 patients annually through school-based vision screenings, on-site outreach programs and remote medical missions, among other programs. Additionally, SCO opened a second clinic, University Eye Care, on the campus of The University of Memphis in 2013, and a third clinic, FocalPoint at Crosstown Concourse, in 2017. For more information on SCO, please visit sco.edu.
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SOURCE Southern College of Optometry
