by Nathan Anderson

Steven H. Schwartz, OD, PhD, has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professorship, the State University of New York’s (SUNY) highest academic rank. He joins a select group of professors who have earned this distinction.

Schwartz is a professor of biological and vision sciences at SUNY College of Optometry, where he teaches courses on visual perception, optics and personal financial planning. He graduated from the UAB School of Optometry’s Vision Science Graduate Program in 1982 with a PhD in physiological optics. His PhD advisor was Dr. Michael Loop. Schwartz also holds an OD from UC Berkeley.

“I was surprised to be appointed as a Distinguished Teaching Professor at SUNY College of Optometry,” Schwartz said. “Although my professional career has been focused on teaching, education and the writing of textbooks, I didn't anticipate this honor.”

The Distinguished Teaching Professorship recognizes and honors mastery of teaching. For someone to be considered for this honor, candidates must have demonstrated consistent mastery of teaching, service to students, and commitment to their ongoing intellectual and professional growth. The Distinguished Academy currently comprises 517 Distinguished Professorships across SUNY’s 64 campuses.

“I teach because I enjoy helping students learn material that can be difficult to understand, yet rewarding to know,” Schwartz said. “This information is important for the care they deliver to their future patients.”

Schwartz, who has had a diverse professional journey, has been with the College since 1997, starting as an associate professor in the then-department of vision sciences and serving as vice president and dean for academic affairs for a decade. He has earned both the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the President’s Merit Award in Excellence.

“While I have had many roles in my career, including practicing optometry, conducting research, serving as a dean at two colleges of optometry and serving on the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), my true passion has always been teaching optometry students,” Schwartz said. “This motivated me to write two textbooks that are intended to present challenging material in a student-friendly, yet rigorous, manner.”

Schwartz has authored textbooks on visual perception and optics, both published by McGraw-Hill and widely utilized in the United States and abroad. Visual Perception: A Clinical Orientation is in its fifth edition and Geometrical and Visual Optics: A Clinical Introduction in its third edition. Through his work, he has used his education, clinical and laboratory experience to create clinically relevant basic science courses as well.

“I see my appointment as Distinguished Teaching Professor as a recognition of these efforts,” he said. “I feel enormously fortunate to be honored for doing what I love.”