Increasing access to optometry education while deepening community engagement in Central NY

UTICA, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) today announced a new partnership with SUNY College of Optometry, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at a press conference earlier today on SUNY Poly’s campus.
The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration to expand academic pathways, enhance experiential learning opportunities, and foster faculty and student engagement in areas related to vision care, research, and professional development. 

Through this partnership, SUNY Poly undergraduate students will benefit from strengthened advising and clearer pathways toward pursuing a Doctor of Optometry degree. The collaboration is further enhanced by SUNY College of Optometry’s new Syracuse location at SUNY Upstate, creating greater accessibility and a more seamless transition for SUNY Poly students seeking to continue their education within Central New York.

The collaboration will also support joint workshops, guest lectures, and other academic engagements designed to connect students and faculty across disciplines, while encouraging future educational and research partnerships. 

“At SUNY Poly, we are committed to creating pathways that empower our students to pursue meaningful careers that improve lives,” said SUNY Poly President Dr. Winston Soboyejo. “This partnership with SUNY Optometry reflects our shared vision of advancing education, research, and community impact, particularly in areas that address critical needs in vision care and accessibility. Together, we are building opportunities that are not only academically enriching, but deeply human-centered in their purpose.”

“Becoming an eye doctor requires years of training in a demanding post graduate clinical curriculum. However, preparation begins much earlier, during college,” said Dr. David Troilo, SUNY Optometry president. “Our collaboration with SUNY Poly and CABVI will focus that preparation and create a unique career path in eye care.” He added, “Together with the expansion of our Doctor of Optometry program to Syracuse next year, in collaboration with SUNY Upstate Medical University, we aim to provide vital eye care to the central New York communities that need it most.”

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “The partnership between SUNY Poly and the SUNY College of Optometry exemplifies SUNY's unwavering commitment to upward mobility for our students and to the well-being of our communities. Through this collaboration, SUNY is building a clear pathway that increases accessibility to a high-quality education that helps students achieve their dreams in the field of optometry and moves us further to fulfill the crucial need for optometrists across New York State.”

A Shared Commitment to Community Impact
A key component of the partnership includes collaboration with the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI), a regional leader in services for individuals that are blind or visually impaired. Together, the institutions will explore internships, externships, and community-engaged programming focused on low vision and accessibility. 

SUNY Poly’s interdisciplinary Humanitarian Engineering program has a strong history of collaboration with CABVI, supporting impactful, real-world projects. Most notably, students have contributed to the development of Braille Blocks, an innovative educational tool designed to support tactile learning and accessibility. These collaborations were further strengthened following the launch of the SUNY Poly’s Center for Health Innovations and Humanitarian Engineering in 2024, which is led by Dr. Joanne Joseph, Professor of Psychology and Community Behavioral Health.

“For many decades, there has been a severe shortage of low vision trained optometrists. SUNY is well known for educating the leaders of tomorrow,” said Ed Welsh, CABVI President and CEO. “The collaboration between SUNY Poly and SUNY Optometry will provide a tactical solution for a vexing strategic problem facing the low vision community. With CABVI’s support to provide paid internships in Syracuse and Utica, we hope to attract Optometry students to the low vision field and help launch those vital careers. This partnership is Humanitarian Engineering in action. We are grateful for the opportunity to play a small role in this program and thankful for SUNY's leadership, particularly SUNY Poly Professor Joanne Joseph.”

Expanding Opportunities Through Collaboration
The MOU reflects a shared commitment to fostering innovation, expanding access to professional education, and preparing the next generation of leaders in healthcare and technology. While the agreement is non-binding and serves as a framework for future initiatives, both institutions emphasized their intention to pursue meaningful collaborations in the months ahead. 

“This is about creating opportunities—for our students, for our faculty, and for the communities we serve,” Dr. Soboyejo added. “It is about what we can achieve together.”