Sankara Nethralaya’s optometry star has done it again!the irreprisible champion of its initiatives in optometry in her diverse roles as a dedicated teacher, avid researcher, passionate children’s eye camp organizer, pioneer of its special initiatives like the Binocular vision clinic,Myopia Control Clinic, Special Children clinic, Vision therapy clinic and a proven subject matter expert with a Doctorate in Optometry from BITS and honour of being the First Indian to be awarded a ‘Diplomate’ by the AAO and appointed as ‘Endeavour Ambassador’ by the Australian High Commission to collaborate in education and research programs between India and Australia, Dr Rizwana Husaindeen will now be India’s voice for optometry in the global arena! The announcement from the sanctum of Optometry the ‘American Academy of Optometry’ (AAO) breaking the great news that she has been appointed as the ‘President of the AAO’s  India Chapter’ making her the Numero Uno of Indian optometry came on the 24^th of February 2020. It was a wonderful coincidence that the announcement which places India in the world map came on the 80^th birthday of Dr S S Badrinath, a befitting birthday gift to the visionary who sowed the seeds for the inception and growth of optometry in the country, the man who envisaged its role and place in overall eye care dispensing.

The news comes as a watershed development as it heralds the entry of India’s optometry into the realm of world optometry through a sanction by the American Association of Optometry to establish the long awaited India Chapter of the AAO affiliated to the US & International Chapters. A major success for the strong representation made by the President elect, to start an exclusive India chapter at the AAO during her visit to the 3^rd World Congress of Optometrists & 98^th meeting of the AAO in October 2019. This comes as a strategic development which would open the floodgates to a whole new world of opportunities in academics,research,exchange programs,collaborative study to Indian optometrists at every level.

The new role is not only an acknowledgment of Dr Rizwana’s subject matter expertise but a clear recognition and acknowledgment of her immense and proven organizational,planning,execution,administration skills and far sighted Vision for Optometry which the new role demands in abundance.It is a proud day for the Sankara Nethralaya family and Indian Optometry and we express our hearty congratulations and sincere best wishes to her to scale new heights and to place her stamp of  excellence and individuality in her new role, as she had in every role that she had donned in the past.