Dr. Lindsey Bull currently practices at EyeCare Associates of South Tulsa, where she specializes in ocular disease and refractive surgery. In addition to her daily practice Dr. Bull is one of Northeastern State University’s residency supervisors, is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and is active in the American Optometric Association and the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians. Dr. Bull has received a number of awards including the American Optometric Association “Eyes on the Future” award, the “Golden Retinoscope” and the “Outstanding Clinician Award” both presented by Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry, she has presented research at the American Academy of Optometry conference and has been published in Optometric Management. Originally from Novi, Michigan, Dr. Bull obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2008 before heading to receive her Doctorate of Optometry from Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry in Tahlequah, in 2012. She then went to complete a residency in ocular disease and refractive surgery through NSU at EyeCare Associates of South Tulsa in 2013 where she still practices.

Dr. Paul M. Karpecki received his doctor of optometry degree from Indiana University and completed a fellowship in medical cornea and refractive surgery in Kansas City in affiliation with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, now Salus University. He currently serves as Clinical Director, Advanced Ocular Surface Disease at Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington KY. Dr. Karpecki was appointed to the Delphi International Society at Wilmer-Johns Hopkins, which included the top 25 dry eye experts in the world and the National Eye Institute’s Dry Eye Committee to provide insights around dry eye and women. He also co-chaired the Dry Eye Summit for the profession, was a director in the CJO Optometric Dry Eye Guidelines for EyeCare, was recently selected for the DEWS II Diagnostic subcommittee and most recently appointed co-chair of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Symposium in 2016 taking place in Montpellier, France. He has over two decades experience in running some of the largest dedicated dry eye clinics in the United States. A noted educator and author, Dr. Karpecki has provided over 1000 lectures at various meetings covering 4 continents. He has also authored over 1000 papers in journals, book chapters, clinical eblasts and newsletters. He has previously served the following roles: President of the Optometric Cataract, Cornea and Refractive Society, Chairman of the AOA Topical Interest Group in Refractive Surgery, Co-Chair of the Integrated Eyecare delivery task force for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, Chair of the Kentucky Education Committee, Chair of the American Optometric Association Continuing Education Committee, the AOA Congress Committee and Vice President of the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry. He currently serves as the Chief Clinical Editor for Review of Optometry, the most read journal in the profession, is director of clinical content and Chairs the New Technology and Treatment Conferences. He is also on the board for the charitable organization Optometry Giving Sight. He is most proud of his faith, his wife Chandria and his three children including twin girls and a boy.

Dr. Elliott Stephen Brafman earned his undergraduate degree from The University of Florida in 2011, where he graduated with magna cum laude. During his time there, he obtained his bachelors degree in Microbiology. Following graduation, he attended The New England College of Optometry with the Presidential Scholarship and graduated in 2011 in the top 5% of his class. In each of the four years, he was a member of the Beta Sigma Kappa Honors Society.  At the end of June 2016, he completed an ocular disease residency program at The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, where he was hired following residency as a full time optometrist. Dr. Brafman currently manages and treats patients with extensive ocular disease and manages pre and post-op cataract, LASIK, and corneal transplant cases. In addition, he was a masked examiner for the CITT trial. He is a co-author of two textbooks and many ocular disease articles. Dr. Brafman is a member of the American Optometric Association.

Dr. Maria Pribis is a Diplomate of the American Board of optometry and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Psychology. She graduated with high honors from Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University. While in optometry school she was president of SOSH. Dr. Pribis was inducted into BSK honor society. She completed an ocular disease residency at the Baltimore VA Hospital. During this time she rotated through Johns Hopkins cornea and specialty contact lens clinics. She’s a partner in private practice in Stamford, CT where she specializes in ocular surface disease and contact lenses. Dr. Pribis lectures extensively with the optometry education company, KMK. Dr. Pribis was awarded Connecticut’s young optometrist of the year award in early 2015. She is the founder of Ocularprime, which is a website that encourages you to “Live in Your OcularPrime,” which is a short phrase designed to support a commitment to consistency across the entire health spectrum for those who want to become the best version of themselves.

Dr. Andrew Rixon, originally from Hartford, CT, received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2003 and completed his postgraduate residency in Family Practice at West Tennessee Eye. Following his residency, he served on faculty at Southern College of Optometry, while concurrently serving as an associate OD and education director at a local OD/MD practice. Dr.Rixon is currently an attending optometrist and the residency coordinator at a large hospital based practice in Memphis, as well as consulting faculty at SCO. Dr. Rixon is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society, ABCMO certified, a site consultant for the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, serves on the board of a local subspecialty ophthalmology practice, has lectured regionally, nationally and internationally, has authored multiple posters and journal articles, is a peer reviewer for multiple optometric journals and on the editorial board of Clinical and Refractive Optometry. Presently he is on the executive board of the American Academy of Optometry’s Glaucoma Section and the online lectures and workshops committee and is the immediate past programs chair of the Glaucoma Section. He is currently pursuing diplomate status in glaucoma through AAO. Dr.Rixon is additionally an active participant in SVOSH, with multiple trips to Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Dr. Andrew Steele practices in a multi-specialty ophthalmology group in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated with honors from both The Ohio State University College of Optometry and Western Kentucky University in Human Biology. His training includes the Chalmers O. Wylie VA Medical Center and The Ohio State University’s Havener Eye Institute. He then received post-doctoral training at Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers where he currently practices, providing medical and surgical management of ocular disease. Dr. Steele serves as an attending physician for interns and residents and is adjunct faculty for Indiana University and the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He lectures for continuing education courses and has contributed to multiple professional journals. Dr. Steele is a fellow of the AAO and has received various honors including the AOF Practice Excellence Award, Ocular Instruments Ocular Disease Award, Beta Sigma Kappa distinction and OSU Outstanding Clinician of the Year. In addition, he achieved the highest ranking for his academic performance and leadership in his graduating class and was named President of Ohio State’s Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society. Dr. Steele is currently co-curator for Retina Rocks, the world’s largest online multimedia retina image library and bibliography repository. 

Dr. Alison Bozung graduated from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon graduation, she completed a one-year ocular disease residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) in Miami, FL. Dr. Bozung then served as a clinical assistant professor in the University of Iowa's Department of Ophthalmology, practicing in both the Cornea and Comprehensive Ophthalmology services. She later returned to BPEI where she primarily sees patients in the hospital's 24/7 Ophthalmic Emergency Department. She also serves as the clinical site director of the Optometric Student Externship Program, which hosts students from five optometry schools.   Dr. Bozung is a member of the American Academy of Optometry, American Optometric Association, and Florida Optometric Association. She is a regular contributor to optometric journals, and serves as a co-editor for the Review of Cornea and Contact Lens’ Cornea Consult column.

Dr. Richard Mangan is a board certified consultative optometrist from Boulder, Colorado. He is on faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology. His focus is in the area of ocular disease and surgical co-management. He is also certified in the state of Kentucky to perform anterior segment lasers and minor surgical procedures. Dr. Mangan has lectured and written extensively on such topics as infectious disease, ocular surface disease, advanced corneal procedures, corneal refractive surgery, advanced technology IOL’s, glaucoma, MIGS, drug delivery strategies and point-of-care technology. He is on the editorial boards for “Review of Optometry”, “Collaborative Eye”, “Modern Optometry” and “Primary Care Optometry News” and has his own bi-monthly column in “Review of Optometry” called “Urgent Care” that focuses on the diagnosis and management of Ocular Urgencies and Emergencies. He is also recognized by PCON as one of the top 250 Innovators in the Optometric Profession. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and active member of the AOA, and the Colorado Optometric Association.

Dr. Cliff Caudill received an undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky in 1991 and his optometry degree from the University of Alabama School of Optometry in 1995. He completed a residency in Primary Care Optometry at the Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Tahlequah, OK in 1996. After practicing in the Chattanooga, TN area for several years in private practice and as Assistant Center Director for Omni Eye Services of Chattanooga, he returned home and joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in 2003 providing primary eye care and serving as the optometric education coordinator and ocular disease residency director. In the spring of 2015, Dr. Caudill accepted the position of Director of Clinics at the University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry; and currently serves as the Director of Clinics and Assistant Dean of Clinic Affairs designing and implementing a network of rural eye clinic services throughout eastern Kentucky. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Optometry and the American Board of Optometry, and has received his Laser Certification from the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners. In his spare time, Dr. Caudill restores antique wooden boats and enjoys boating and lake life.

Dr. Ian McWherter is a consultative optometrist at Bennett and Bloom Eye Centers in Louisville, Ky. He is a 2012 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in Philadelphia, Pa and completed his residency in ocular disease at Bennett and Bloom Eye Centers. Dr. McWherter is the Head of Optometric Telemedicine and Emerging Technology at the Kentucky College of Optometry, Pikeville, Ky and serves as Vice President of the Louisville Glaucoma Society. Additionally, Dr. McWherter is Board Certified by the American Board of Optometry and holds Adjunct Faculty positions with the Indiana University and University of Alabama Schools of Optometry. Dr. McWherter practices optometry with an emphasis on ocular disease, lasers, and minor surgical procedures and was named Kentucky’s Young Optometrist of the year in 2018.

Dr. Lee S. Peplinski is a graduate of Ferris State University College of Optometry, having received highest honors. He received his post-graduate training at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida. Dr. Peplinski joined Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers as a consultative optometrist in 1992, specializing in medical management of eye disorders, including glaucoma, dry-eyes and pre- and post-operative care. He was the founding Director of the Residency and Externship programs at Bennett & Bloom. Dr. Peplinski was appointed by the Governor in 2017 to the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, where he currently serves as Vice President. He is a past-president of the Kentucky Optometric Association (KOA) from 2002-03, and was honored with the KOA’s 2015 Clifford Leadingham Service Award. He has also been recognized as the 1995 Young Optometrist of the Year and received the 1997 President’s Award. He is the optometric representative for the Kentucky Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee, and was a charter member of the Kentucky Medicaid Region 3 Council Board of Trustees. Dr. Peplinski is active in both Frankfort and Washington, DC, as a voice to help shape healthcare policy. He has been published in national optometric journals and lectured both internationally as well as throughout the country at various state, regional and national meetings. Dr. Peplinski has also designed and patented a device to aid in the dispensing of eye drops. Since 2011, he has led teams of students and doctors with the Fellowship of Christian Optometry on eye care mission trips to Belize, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria. In 2018 he co-founded the Ret.Pray.Love.Foundation to “meet the physical and spiritual needs of those around the world through service and education.” Dr. Peplinski is a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. He is adjunct faculty at the Indiana University School of Optometry, Southern College of Optometry, Kentucky College of Optometry, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Optometry, and the Ohio State University College of Optometry.