Mr. McManus, executive director of National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research in Washington, D.C., is being honored with the Special Recognition Award for dedicating his entire career to the support of vision research. For almost 30 years, he served as executive officer and deputy director and senior advisor at the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He was instrumental in developing the concept of implementation of strategic planning at the NEI and using this process to win Congressional support for the NEI. He was also actively involved in the development of the first clinical trials sponsored by the NEI, the annual planning process and technology transfer programs. He has served as a mentor for scores of vision scientists and academic ophthalmologists and is recognized as a powerful advocate for preserving the vision of the American people.
Dr. Jones, the Sid W. Richardson professor, Margarett Root Brown chair of ophthalmology and distinguished professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, is receiving the Special Recognition Award for his innovative and scholarly research in the field of corneal and external disease, his motivation of young ophthalmologists and his contributions to the training and education of ophthalmologists worldwide. His courses are a favorite at the Academy's Annual Meeting and his lectures are legendary in their organization, content, scholarship, innovation and lively delivery style. Dr. Jones has previously served the Academy as secretary for instruction, a member of the board of trustees, and a member of the Basic and Clinical Science Course faculty and the Ophthalmology Knowledge Assessment committee.
Dr. Brown, Santa Barbara, Calif., is being honored with the Special Recognition Award for motivating ophthalmologists to transform the lives of blind and economically disadvantaged individuals throughout the developing world. In 1974, Dr. Brown founded Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International to mobilize volunteer eye surgeons from all over the world to donate their time and talents to restore the sight of the disadvantaged blind in medically underserved areas. Currently, more than 700 eye surgeons have joined SEE as volunteers. In 2002, SEE conducted 98 sight-restoring surgical expeditions in 53 countries, restoring vision to thousands of patients. Dr. Brown is a previous recipient of the Academy's Outstanding Humanitarian Award.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons – Eye M.D.s – with more than 27,000 members worldwide. For more information about the Annual Meeting, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org/annual_meeting/.
Contact: For more information or for photos of the award recipients, contact the Academy's media unit at 415-561-8534 or by e-mail at media@aao.org. To register for media credentials to attend the Academy's Annual Meeting, visit www.aao.org/aao/newsroom/mediainfo.cfm.