Call for Nominations: Prevent Blindness Seeks to Honor Leaders in Vision Health
Prevent Blindness, one of the nation’s largest eye health and safety nonprofit organizations, issued their call for nominations for the “2025 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health” and the sixth annual “Rising Visionary Award.” These prestigious awards are two of the organization’s highest honors.
"We know there is a significant number of true champions for vision and eye health across America," Jeff Todd, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness, said in a recent press release. "The Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health, and the Rising Visionary Award, give us a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate their tremendous efforts."
New this year, the award recipients or representatives will be officially announced at the virtual 2025 Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Summit on May 14, 2025. Recipients will be asked to present at the Summit, building on this year’s theme of “Perspectives on Vision.”
The submission deadline for both awards is Monday, March 10, 2025 at 12pm EST. Award recipients will be selected by the all-volunteer committee, which consists of leaders and professionals in ophthalmology, optometry, advocacy, public health and scientific communities.
Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health Award
This awards serves as a living memorial to Jenny Pomeroy, who served as the CEO of Prevent Blindness Georgia from 1996-2013. She was a fierce advocate for vision and community eye health across the country, and her legacy lives on through the recipients of this award.
This award is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national, and/or international level.
Submission requirements for the Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health include:
- Nomination form
- A 500-word (or less) description of why the nominee is deserving of this award
- A one-page biographical sketch (National Institutes of Health format), one-page curriculum vitae of the nominee, or one-page background of the group/organization
Applicants for the award may also include any additional material that may be relevant to the nomination. This must be less than 10 pages provided in PDF format.
Previous award winners are Mission for Vision (2024) and Dean A. VanNasdale, Jr., OD, PhD, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Optometry (2023) for his research and advocacy to increase community access to vision services.
Rising Visionary Award
Now in its sixth consecutive year, this award is presented annually to a student or resident in a health-related field who submits the best overall application and essay. This year’s essays should address the 2025 Focus on Eye Health Summit theme of “Perspectives in Vision.” Applicants should identify an
Now in its sixth consecutive year, the Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to a student or resident in a health-related field who submits the best overall application and essay. This year's essays should directly address the "Perspectives in Vision" Focus on Eye Health Summit theme. Applicants should Identify an opportunity in the essay where the need for a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach in development of vision and eye health research, programs, or policy can address eye health challenges.
Submission requirements for the Rising Visionary Award include:
- Application Cover Sheet
- Essay (500-words or less)
- Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement
- Letters of Recommendation
The 2024 Rising Visionary Award recipient was Erica Shelton, OD, MS, FAAO, Clinical Instructor and PhD Candidate, OSU. Christina Ambrosino, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, was the 2023 recipient.
For more information, visit the Prevent Blindness website or contact Nita Sinha, Senior Director of Public Health, at npatelsinha@preventblindness.org.