Professor Emeritus

Community Partner
Sights Savers America

Dr. DeCarlo received her Doctor of Optometry and Master of Science degrees from the UAB School of Optometry in 1992. She earned her Master of Science in Public Health in 2012 and her PhD in Vision Science in 2020, also from UAB. She completed residency training in vision rehabilitation at the Chicago West Side VA Medical Center and the Hines Central Blind Rehabilitation Center in 1993. She served as faculty at the UAB School of Optometry until 2001 and then at Nova Southeastern College of Optometry until 2005.

From 2005-2023, she was a member of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Director of the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation. She is a Diplomate of the Low Vision Section of the American Academy of Optometry. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute and the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research and focused on reading and vision impairment.

Prior to joining Sight Savers America (SSA) as the new CEO in October of 2023, she and SSA had a long-term partnership that provided low vision evaluations and life-changing high-tech vision aids for Alabama children and adults with low vision. This partnership eliminated the backlogged need for visual assistive technology for Alabama children and continues to maintain its success each year. Dr. DeCarlo also played an important role in helping SSA develop its Low Vision and Blindness Program into a national model.

Education & Training

Postgraduate Training
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Doctorate of Optometry, Master of Science, Physiological Optics, Master of Science in Public Health (epidemiology) 

Residency Training
Hines Central Blind Rehabilitation and Chicago West Side Veterans Administration Medical Center