A.D. Ruedemann, Sr., M.D. Lectureship
A.D. Ruedemann, Sr., M.D. played a key role in the organization of the Kresge Eye Institute, which was incorporated November 22, 1948, “for the purpose of conducting science to improve the status of eye care…” Dr. Ruedemann was the first Director of the Kresge Eye Institute, serving until 1967. The activities of the Institute were expanded in 1951 under his direction to include the biochemistry and biophysics, orthoptics, and ophthalmology residency programs.
Dr. Ruedemann served as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 1963; as secretary for instruction, 1938-61; and as secretary for public relations, 1964-67. In addition, he was Chairman of the Section of Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association, and President of the American Society of Ophthalmologic and Otolaryngologic Allergy.
Dr. Ruedemann was a “giant” in ophthalmology, respected by his colleagues and beloved by those he trained. The A.D. Ruedemann, Sr., M.D., Memorial Lectureship was founded to honor Dr. Ruedemann’s place in the history of the Kresge Eye Institute and ophthalmology in metropolitan Detroit.
Deborah A. Iverson, M.D. Lectureship for Women in Ophthalmology
In tribute to Dr. Iverson’s many accomplishments, this endowed lectureship features outstanding women in ophthalmology.
Dong H. Shin, M.D., Ph.D. Lectureship in Glaucoma
Dong H. Shin, M.D., Ph.D. served the greater metro Detroit community as a devoted physician, expert surgeon, and gifted teacher for over 25 years. His touch brought the gift of sight to thousands of area residents, while his medical research advanced the cause of ophthalmology around the world.
In 1977, Dr. Shin began his exceptional career at Wayne State University in association with Kresge Eye Institute where he ultimately became a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology. His interests were threefold: as a physician, as an educator, and as a researcher. As a clinician, Dr Shin was the Director of the Glaucoma Service where his leadership spanned more than two decades. He treated thousands of patients and conducted numerous glaucoma clinical studies, always with the highest degree of kindness and selflessness.
Admired by students, Dr. Shin always emphasized medical education in his work. Over the years, he trained numerous medical students, residents and glaucoma fellows. He had an extraordinarily creative mind and his students could rely on him to always suggest a unique project they could develop for presentation or publication.
Recognized internationally for his expertise and research, Dr. Shin made many contributions toward the advancement and understanding of glaucoma. He was one of the first surgeons to popularize the glaucoma triple procedure and the releasable suture closure technique. His other research interests included optic disc analysis, perimetry, pharmacology of glaucoma drugs, and the role of antiproliferative agents in glaucoma filtration surgery. He published in countless journals and books and gave numerous presentations worldwide.
The Dong H. Shin, M.D., Ph.D. lectureship was established to honor Dr. Shin and his outstanding contributions to ophthalmology.
The Frank A. Nesi, M.D. and Evan H. Black, M.D. Endowed Lectureship in Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery
FRANK A. NESI, MD, FACS, FAACS
Frank Nesi, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.C.S. is board certified in Ophthalmology and is a Fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), which indicates that he has special training and expertise in the subspecialty of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. He currently serves as Chief of Oculolplastic Surgery at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak and is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. He also holds a faculty appointment as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Following his residency at the Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Dr. Nesi completed his fellowship training at prestigious Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York where he worked under Dr. Byron Smith who pioneered the field of Oculoplastic Surgery. Dr. Nesi is interested in all aspects of plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the eyelids, tearducts and orbit. Dr. Nesi is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.).
In addition to his practice, Dr. Nesi is the founder and Chairman of the Alliance for Vision Research, a Michigan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is “to restore, preserve, and improve vision.” Over the past decade, the organization’s major fundraising event the ‘A Night for Sight’ charity wine auction has raised over $1 million to support local vision researchers and organizations supporting the visually impaired and their families, with a special emphasis on organizations working with visually impaired children.
EVAN H. BLACK, MD, FACS, FAACS
Evan Black, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.C.S. received his medical degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at University of North Carolina followed by a two-year Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital and Kresge Eye Institute.
He is a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is Board certified in Ophthalmology. He is past president of the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Black specializes in cosmetic eyelid and brow surgery, Botox treatments around the eyes, as well as the surgical management of diseases such as eyelid ptosis (drooping eyelids), eyelid tumors and reconstruction, tearing eye problems, lower eyelid malpositions, thyroid eye disease, and orbital tumors.
His research interests include advances in tearing treatments, laser tearing surgery and botulinum toxin investigations. He lectures nationally and internationally, has numerous publications, and is Program Director of the WSU Fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Black has been voted Best Doctors in America® each year from 2005 through 2015.
The Frank A. Nesi, M.D. and Evan H. Black, M.D. Endowed Lectureship in Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery was created in honor of both doctors by providing lectures on scholarly topics in the field of ophthalmic plastic surgery.
Gary W. Abrams, M.D. Lectureship in Vitreoretinal Disease
Gary Abrams, M.D. is an internationally recognized vitreoretinal surgeon and leader in ophthalmology who is known as a surgical innovator and teacher. Dr. Abrams graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine and completed a residency in ophthalmology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and a fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. Following two years on the faculty of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Dr. Abrams spent 12 years at the Eye Institute of the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he rose from assistant professor to professor and headed the retina service. From 1994 to 2011 he was professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and Director of Kresge Eye Institute, holding the David Barsky, M.D. Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology.
Throughout his career, Dr. Abrams has been a leader in the development of surgical techniques for repair of complex retinal detachments. He has served as president of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the largest vision research organization in the world, and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. He was also chair of the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research and was included as a member of the prestigious inaugural class, Fellow of ARVO, Gold Level (2009).
Dr. Abrams has served on several national committees concerning clinical study trials, including being a member of the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee with both the Submacular Surgery Trials and the Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Study. He serves on the Scientific Selection Committee of Alcon Research Institute and was on several ad hoc study sections through the National Eye Institute. He was also Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on more than 20 clinical trials, several funded through the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Abrams received the Secretariat Award and the Life Achievement Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Paul Kayser International Award in Retina Research from the Retina Research Foundation. Dr. Abrams takes great pride in the many outstanding vitreoretinal fellows and ophthalmology residents he has trained and mentored during more than 30 years as a teacher.
The Gary W. Abrams, M.D. Lectureship was established with contributions received from his colleagues upon Dr. Abrams’ retirement as Department Chair in 2011, honoring Dr. Abrams’ distinguished leadership.
John D. Baker, M.D. Lectureship in Pediatric Ophthalmology
John D. “Jack” Baker, M.D. is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine and did his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. Dr. Baker completed his residency at the Detroit General Hospital, followed by a pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC. He has been a practitioner in Detroit associated with Children’s Hospital of Michigan since completion of his fellowship in 1972, as well as Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wayne State University Department of Ophthalmology since 1998. Previously, Dr. Baker was Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology from 1989 to 1998, Clinical Assistant Professor from 1981 to 1988, and clinical instructor from 1973 to 1980.
From 1985 to 2004, Dr. Baker was Chief of Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Michigan then from 2004 to 2010 became the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Children’s Hospital of Michigan where he is currently a member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, since 2011 he has been a member of the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation Board of Trustees and was Board Chairman in 2011.
Dr. Baker has delivered several named lectures having spoken all over North America and in many foreign countries. Dr. Baker’s clinical and research interests encompass pediatric cataracts, strabismus and retinopathy of prematurity, participation in National Institute of Health/ National Eye Institute sponsored research trials, and authoring numerous publications and textbook chapters. Dr. Baker has been named in The Best Doctors in America, the Best Doctors in the Midwest and “Top Docs” in Hour Detroit. He is currently Secretary of the Children’s Eye Foundation and past-president of numerous other ophthalmological organizations, as well as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society and Wayne County Medical Society.
Dr. Baker’s former residents have regarded him an outstanding teacher of pediatric ophthalmology, and his exemplary career accomplishments speak to his excellent, well-deserved national reputation in pediatric ophthalmology. This lecture was created to honor Dr. Jack Baker by providing scholarly lectures on pediatric ophthalmology.
Luther L. Fry, M.D. Lectureship in Cataract Surgery
Luther Fry, M.D. was born in Dodge City Kansas on November 5, 1941, and lived in Montezuma, Kansas, a “wide spot in the road” just outside of Dodge City, from birth through elementary and middle school. He attended Dodge City High School and later attended the University of Kansas as a Math Major, completing his degree in 1963. Dr. Fry was accepted into the University of Kansas Medical School in Kansas City, graduating in 1967, before completing an internship at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, AZ. From there, Dr. Fry served two years in the United States Army, first with the First Air Calvary in Viet Nam, followed by another year in Ft. Carson, Colorado. He completed an Ophthalmology Residency at the Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit from 1971 to 1974, under Robert S. Jampel, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Fry’s private practice, Fry Eye Associates, began in 1974 and continues today in Garden City, Kansas. He was the first and for more than 20 years, the only Ophthalmologist in Garden City. Dr. Bill Clifford joined Fry Eye Associates in 1995, where he specializes in glaucoma, cornea and cataract surgery. Dr. Gloria Hopkins, a medical optometrist, also joined the practice in 1995. Dr. Luther Fry’s son, Dr. Eric Fry, came on board in 2007. Dr. Eric specializes in oculoplastic procedures and cataract surgery. Dr. Clifford and Dr. Eric jointly own our multi-specialty Surgicenter, which was built in 1997 and is AAAHC accredited.
This annual cataract surgery lecture was created to provide an educational program for Kresge Eye Institute residents. The lectureship was designed to feature some of the premier cataract surgeons in the country.
Michael A. Wainstock, M.D. Lectureship in New Discoveries in Ophthalmology
Michael Wainstock, M.D. received the Smithsonian Institution’s Pioneer award for his work in ultrasound and for helping to make ophthalmologic ultrasound possible in the United States. He was the first to bring ultrasound for ophthalmology use to the U.S. after being introduced to it in Vienna. In 1955, while a faculty member at the University of Michigan, he designed an instrument, eventually called an ultrasonic guided gamma probe, which non-invasively detects malignant tumors in the eye. He was the first to devise a specialized silicone contact lens that, combined with ultrasound and X-ray, allowed pinpoint localization of foreign bodies near the whites of the eyes, eliminating X-ray inaccuracies in areas near the whites of the eyes.
Wayne State University, University of Michigan, Beaumont and Henry Ford Hospital were greatly benefited when Dr. Wainstock established ultrasound departments for these institutions. He has contributed many instruments, articles, lectures and books to the advancement of ophthalmology in this country.
Dr. Wainstock has established The Doctor Michael and Lee Wainstock Endowed Lectureship in Ophthalmology in honor of his late wife, the lovely Lee Wainstock.
Prechter Endowed Lectureship in Neuro–Ophthalmology
For a quarter century, Waltraud (“Wally”) Prechter served as the advisor and confidant to her late husband, entrepreneurial visionary Heinz C. Prechter, quietly helping build the business empire that was Prechter Holdings.
Driven by the spirit of giving back to the community, the Prechter family established the World Heritage Foundation, a philanthropic entity dedicated to helping make a difference, primarily in the areas of health and education. Wally has served as President of the World Heritage Foundation-Prechter Family Fund since its inception in 1985.
Wally has been a positive force in her community, state and country. She serves in leadership positions in numerous civic and charitable organizations including the University of Michigan President’s Advisory Group, the University of Michigan Depression Center National Advisory Board, the University of Michigan School of Education Dean’s Advisory Council, the Kresge Eye Institute, the Robert and Gerry Ligon Research Center of Vision, Downriver Council for the Arts, Henry Ford Health System Foundation Board of Trustees, Taubman Medical Research Institute Advisory Board, the United German-American Committee of the USA, Inc. Advisory Board and Covenant House of Michigan Advisory Board.
Born in Alfershausen, Germany, Wally attended the University of Erlangen. She emigrated to the United States in 1977 and completed her education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education with honors.
Wally Prechter is a long-time supporter of the Kresge Eye Institute and its mission, and is a valued member of the Kresge family.
The Prechter Endowed Lectureship in Neuro-Ophthalmology is a part of the distinguished lecture series held within Kresge Eye Institute, School of Medicine at Wayne State University. This lectureship focuses on visual problems that are related to the nervous system.
Robert S. Jampel, M.D., Ph.D., Lectureship in Ophthalmology
Robert S. Jampel, M.D., Ph.D. chaired the Department of Ophthalmology at Wayne State School of Medicine from 1970 until 1994. He unified four separate residency programs at Detroit General, Harper, Grace and Children’s Hospitals as a central entity, creating a role model for other Institutions to emulate in terms of efficiency and quality patient care. During his tenure, Kresge Eye Institute’s tremendous growth led to its being relocated twice. Dr. Jampel recruited outstanding clinical faculty and full-time research scientists to the Institute. With members specializing in cataracts, cornea and external disease, glaucoma, oculoplastics and reconstructive surgery, retina and neuro-ophthalmology, the Institute became a major referral center.
The Robert S. Jampel, M.D., Ph.D., Lectureship in Ophthalmology was established with contributions received from his colleagues upon Dr. Jampel’s retirement as Department Chair in 1994, honoring Dr. Jampel’s distinguished leadership in perpetuity.
Robert and Gerry Ligon Lectureship in Vision Research
Robert and Gerry Ligon are the creators of the The Ligon Research Center of Vision. The Ligon Research Center of Vision is a multidisciplinary center of Kresge Eye Institute and Wayne State University. The Ligon Research Center of Vision is one of only a few centers in the world that is exploring the possibility of restoration of vision in blind persons. The Ligon Research Center of Vision invented a novel technology, optogenetic strategy, for restoring vision.
The center is a collaborative effort between the departments Ophthalmology and Anatomy & Cell Biology at Wayne State University.
The creation of the center was made possible through a series of very generous gifts made by Robert Ligon, his late wife Gerry and their family.
The lectureship was created to bring in the best and brightest in ophthalmology research.
Robert J. Netzel, M.D. Lectureship in Ophthalmology
Robert J. Netzel, M.D. received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan, finishing the latter in 1954. Following his Internship at the University of Oregon, he served in the United States Army for two years in Germany. After completing his service obligations, he entered his Residency in Ophthalmology at Kresge Eye Institute under Dr. A.D. Ruedemann, Sr. and completed the requirements in 1959. Dr. Netzel then entered private practice in Pontiac, Michigan, where he practiced until 2006.
It was during his residency that he met Dr. Gordon R.A. Fishman, and the two would become lifelong friends, often assisting each other in surgery. It was because of their friendship that Dr. Fishman established this memorial endowed lectureship in Dr. Netzel’s name. Dr. Netzel remained a veritable student during his entire practice life, incorporating and learning every new modality and amenity in ophthalmology. His patients benefited from his concern to remain current.
He believed it was the duty of every ophthalmologist to remain up to date for the sake of the esteem of the science of Ophthalmology and for the respect of his patients. Dr. Netzel will best be remembered as a great humanitarian, treating patients with disease rather than treating disease in patients. Every patient was considered an individual, often addressing each by their first name and often making post-op house calls to their homes when they did not have the means of coming to the office. Dr. Netzel will remain as an icon to personal service in the field of Ophthalmology, which has sometimes become commercialized in the world of fast-paced modern medicine.