In this 2011 award nomination season, I want to highlight one such magical moment. In the mid-1990s, before Thom Freddo, Don Korb or Chris Johnson chaired the Awards Committee, the awards ceremony was pretty open-ended. Acceptance speeches could be a bit expansive, and we had no orchestral music to gracefully interrupt the awardees with their personal theme music.
In 1995 in New Orleans, Joseph S. Nupuf, OD, FAAO, was awarded Life Fellowship in the Academy. He was deeply honored, took the podium, and proceeded to describe the history of contact lenses in the 20th century from his up-close-and-personal vantage point. Those in attendance may remember his chronology. It was long. Those who had drunk too much coffee that morning shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The young Fellows there who couldn’t fathom the innovation of sclera lenses in the 1940s might even have yawned. A doubleback in the progress of the story from 1960 to 1945 elicited a quiet groan from the audience. Yet Dr. Nupuf’s pride and stature were evident, and as his colorful, vividly sketched life story came to its conclusion, Dr. Ben Nerenberg led a rousing standing ovation. The moment was magic and memorable.
Last week I Googled Dr. Nupuf and discovered that he passed in 2009 at the age of 97. His online obituary from Canton, Ohio described him as an “ageless” contact lens pioneer and cited his American Academy of Optometry Life Fellowship award as a significant point of pride.
Future awards programs are only as magical as the awardees who are recognized. The award nominators are the unsung heroes of the awards program. The Awards Committee owes them a huge debt of gratitude annually.
Chris Johnson, PhD, FAAO, wrote last month about the nomination process, “In the past few years, we have had outstanding candidates for the awards, and we would like to see this continue. It would be a very pleasant problem for the Awards Committee members if we have a large number of candidates with exceptional track records and accomplishments to choose from.
A couple of quick reminders: (1) If a candidate has been nominated in the past couple of years but has not been selected, they can still be re-nominated. A new set of letters of support and nomination can be generated, or the previous letters can be used. However, please let us know which option you are selecting so that we can make sure to have a complete and up-to-date package for them. A prior letter can be amended to include new accomplishments. (2) Be sure to identify the specific major accomplishments of the nominee in the opening paragraph so that the Awards Committee will be apprised of their primary contributions at the earliest time.”
Head to the Awards webpage to remind yourself about the awards and their criteria. Be our hero. Help make the magic moments for Academy 2011 Boston.
