2025 Technician Education Seminar

2025 Technician Education Seminar

Includes Multiple Live Events. The next is on 01/31/2025 at 12:00 PM (EST)

  • Register
    • Early bird pricing available!
    • Non-member - $595
    • Member - $295
    • Regular Price after 11/23/2024 12:00 AM
    • Non-member - $695
    • Member - $395
The Technician Education Seminar is a comprehensive virtual course providing a detailed overview of eye banking. 
This hybrid course features on-demand sessions and a series of live virtual workshops. The on-demand sessions are released in January and then the live workshops facilitated on Zoom feature interactive activities, demos, and lively discussion around the topics covered in the on-demand presentations. Led by expert faculty, the seminar features lectures, live case study discussions, networking opportunities, and demonstrations. 
This course is intended for beginning eye bank professionals and focuses on the practical, technical, and scientific aspects of eye banking.  

Course Schedule
Seminar Schedule (EST) 
  • January 8       Course Opens & On-Demand Sessions Released
  • January 31     Live Session #1 (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST) 
  • February 7     Live Session #2 (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST) 
  • February 14    Live Session #3 (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST) 


The course includes:
  • Over 25 on-demand presentations
  • Participation in 3 live virtual workshops
  • Case study discussions
  • Demonstrations and interactive experiences
  • One-year access to the course presentations and materials
  • Access to a TES 2025 Virtual Course Lens Group
  • A certificate upon course completion 
Registration Information 

Fees:

EBAA Members - Early Bird*: $295 / Regular: $395

Non-Members - Early Bird*: $595 / Regular: $695

*Early bird rates end on November 22, 2024.

IMPORTANT:

If you have not registered for an EBAA event before, please create an account before registering. If you have an EBAA account but don't know your login information, use the 'forgot your password' link or contact Herocia@restoresight.org

EBAA Members: If you are employed at an EBAA member eye bank, please ensure you are receiving member pricing prior to registering. If you believe you should be receiving the member rate, but it is not appearing when you log in, contact Herocia Hawkins.

Course Information

Copyright Notice

The EBAA is pleased to share these materials with you for the purpose of your technical education. The materials are subject to the following conditions:

  • The presentations in this course are the property of EBAA and are solely for the education of attendees registered for the 2025 Technician Education Seminar.
  • These materials not to be shared with anyone other than the attendee of record registered for the seminar.
  • The materials should not be copied or used outside of the Technician Education Seminar. 
Expectations

Attendees are expected to view all presentations, attend the live session, and participate in the Lens discussions. Individuals must have access to a computer with a functioning microphone, speaker, and camera.

Presentations

The presentations are listed below. The recording time for each video is included below for your reference.

Section I

EBAA Overview (9 minutes) Speaker: Stacey Gardner

History of Eye Banking (18 minutes) Speaker: Mark Mannis, MD

EBAA Medical Standards (8 minutes) Speaker: Jennifer Li, MD

Membership, Personnel and Governance (26 minutes) Speaker: Jennifer DeMatteo, MCM, CIC

Role of the Technician (14 minutes) Speaker: Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT

Quality Assurance (32 minutes) Speaker: Matthew Arnett

Documentation (17 minutes) Speaker: Monica Freiburger, CEBT

Safety, Infection Control and Biohazard Waste (32 minutes) Speaker: Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT

Eye Bank Related Infections and Other Transmissible Diseases (2 hours and 6 minutes) Speaker: Sean Edelstein, MD 

Donor Screening (20 min) Speaker: Darrell Lee, CEBT

Authorization and Donor Risk Assessment Interview (11 minutes) Speaker: Saira Quraishy, CEBT

Section II:

Ocular Anatomy Part 1: 31 minutes Speaker: Asim Farooq, MD

Ocular Anatomy Part 11: 46 minutes Speaker: Asim Farooq, MD

Serological Testing: 33 minutes Speaker: Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT

Physical Inspection: 34 minutes Speaker: Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT

Donor Maintenance: 24 minutes Speaker: Dana Owens, CEBT

Aseptic Technique: 12 minutes Speaker: Dana Owens, CEBT

Recovery and Preservation: 42 minutes Speaker: Dana Owens, CEBT

Tissue Storage: 14 minutes Speaker: Troy Win'E, CEBT

Section III

Slit Lamp Microscopy Part 1: 43 minutes Speaker: George Rosenwasser, MD, CEBT

Slit Lamp Microscopy Part 1: 52 minutes Speaker: George Rosenwasser, MD, CEBT

Specular Microscopy: 37 minutes Speaker: Paul Graves, CEBT

Tissue Processing: 29 minutes Speaker: Chris Conwell, CEBT

Post-Processing Evaluation: 20 minutes Speaker: Anthony Vizzerra, CEBT

Ophthalmic Procedures: 1 hour 45 minutes Speaker: Joshua Hou, MD

Section IV

Hospital Development 101: 14 minutes Speaker: Fred Jordan, FSL

Sealing and Packaging (15 minutes) Speaker: Kerry Gray

Tissue Distribution (11 minutes) Speaker: Brian Philippy, CEBT

Equipment Maintenance, Cleaning, and Sterilization (21 minutes) Speaker: Nicholas Hicks, CEBT

Barcelona Principles: Graeme Pollock, PhD, Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne

Course Schedule (EST)

  • January 8      Course Begins and On-Demand Sessions Released
  • January 29     Deadline to Watch Section I & II Videos
  • January 31     Live Session (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm) 
  • February 5     Deadline to Watch Section III Videos
  • February 7     Live Session (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm) 
  • February 12   Deadline to Watch Section IV Videos
  • February 14   Live Session (12:00 pm – 2:30 pm) 

The schedule for the course can be found in the link below.

Schedule

Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT

President & CEO

Miracles In Sight

Ingrid Schunder joined the Miracles In Sight team as the Supervisor of Recovery Services in May of 2013. She came to MIS from Austin, Texas where she was Technical Director for a Lions Eye Bank for 13 years.

As Vice President of Donor Logistics, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of donor tissue recovery, hospital development and Medical Examiner/Coroner relationship development in both North and South Carolina.

Ingrid served in the U.S. Army, holds a B.A. in Psychology, B.S. in Education and a MBA in Leadership. She is a Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) and has served on the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) Technician Education committee and currently serves as faculty for the Technician Education Symposium.

Chris Conwell, CEBT, CQIA (ASQ)

Ocular Processing Supervisor

Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Chris Conwell, CEBT, CQIA (ASQ), is the Technical Programs Administrator for Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank. Starting with the organization back in 2011 as a per diem Tissue Recovery Technician, Chris now oversees ocular recovery training, corneal evaluation and processing training, and ocular related research & development.

Dana Owens, CEBT

Director, Tissue Recovery

Eversight

Dana Owens, CEBT, is the Director of Tissue Recovery for Eversight.  She began her healthcare career as an EMT and Medic in the United States Army.  Soon after, she found her niche within the world of eyes.  For the past 8 years Dana has been involved in eye banking as a recovery technician, recovery manager, business development and distribution manager, and has been the Director of Tissue Recovery for the past 9 months.  Dana lives just outside of Springfield, IL with her husband and 5 kids (all teenagers!!) and many family pets.  She also travels frequently to all of the Eversight office locations in Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio.

Chelsea Green, CEBT

Processing Services Program Coordinator

Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Chelsea Green, CEBT, is the Processing Services Manager for Iowa Lions Eye Bank. Chelsea received a BA in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies as well as a BS in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois. She came to the University of Iowa in 2011 to work in medical research and worked on multiple studies before finding her way into eye banking and earning her CEBT. She has been head of the processing department at Iowa Lions Eye Bank since 2018.

Chelsea is a member of the EBAA Technician Education Committee, the EBAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, multiple DEI committees at the University of Iowa, and founded the DEI Committee at Iowa Lions Eye Bank.  

Paul Graves, CEBT, CTBS

Senior Vice President of Clinical Services

Advancing Sight Network

Paul Graves, CEBT, CTBS, was born and raised in Alabama. He joined Advancing Sight Network in July of 1997 as a Transplant Coordinator. Over the years, he has been involved in all aspects of clinical eye banking, from Laboratory Manager to Director of Laboratory Services. Today, as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services, Paul oversees the clinical processing aspects of Advancing Sight Network, from performing tissue processing itself to developing new processing procedures to assist surgeons in the care of their patients. Paul is a Certified Eye Bank Technician and a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist. Paul currently serves on the EBAA Technician Education Committee.

Kristen McCoy, MA, CEBT, CTBS

Vice President of Surgical Applications

Miracles in Sight

Kristen McCoy, MA, CEBT, CTBS, was appointed to Technical Director in 2008 when she assumed the responsibility for corporate training and is currently the Vice President of Surgical Applications for Miracles in Sight. Kristen holds a master's degree in health and humans' services administration from St. Mary's University in Minnesota, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and is a Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) and Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (CTBS). She has served on numerous Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) committees and sub-committees over the years including the Technician Education Committee and the Certification Board. Kristen also served as a faculty member of the Technician Education Seminar for eight years.

Monica Freiburger, CEBT

Donor Eligibility Manager

Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Monica Freiburger, CEBT, serves as the Donor Eligibility Manager at Iowa Lions Eye Bank. Monica began her eye banking journey in 2008 as a part-time recovery technician and transitioned to a full-time position in 2011. She was awarded the Jachin Misko Memorial Scholarship for Technical Advancement in Eye Bank in 2014. Monica is an active member of the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), having previously served on the Technician Education Committee, the Exam Committee, the Technical Procedures Subcommittee and the Continuing Education Committee. Monica currently serves on the Technician Education Committee, the Policy & Position Review Subcommittee, and the Statistical Report Committee. 

Mark Mannis, MD

Medical Director

Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Mark J. Mannis, MD, is the Fosse Endowed Chair in Vision Science Research, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, UC Davis Eye Center at the University of California, Davis. He also serves as Medical Director of Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank in Sacramento, California. Dr. Mannis is a recipient of the R. Townley Paton Award from EBAA and was a recipient of the Lew Wasserman Award in research from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. for his work in the development of antimicrobial peptides in ophthalmology. He has received the Moacyr Alvaro Gold Medal from the Federal University of Sao Paulo for contributions to ophthalmic education in Latin America and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He was the 2014 recipient of the Castroviejo Medal for his lifetime contributions to the subspecialty of cornea and both the Claes Dohlman Award from the Cornea Society and the EnergEyes award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his mentorship and teaching accomplishments. He conducts a busy referral practice in diseases of the cornea and external eye based at the University of California, Davis.

Jennifer DeMatteo

Director of Regulations and Standards

Eye Bank Association of America

Jennifer DeMatteo, MCM, CIC, is the Director of Regulations and Standards for the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA). She oversees the EBAA Accreditation program, Medical Standards process and serves as their regulatory liaison. She received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science degree in clinical microbiology from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University). She was responsible for directing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Employee Health programs and personnel in major tertiary hospital and ambulatory care settings.  Jennifer has been a Healthcare Epidemiologist for over 20 years and is certified in Infection Control & Epidemiology (CBIC).

Jennifer Li, MD

Medical Director

Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Jennifer Li, MD, is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the UC Davis Eye Center where she is the Director of the Cornea and External Disease Service and the Fellowship Director. Dr. Li received her medical degree and completed her residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and subsequently completed a fellowship in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at UC Davis. She is also the Co-Medical Director of Sierra Donor Services in Sacramento, California. Dr. Li is the immediate past Chair of the EBAA Board of Directors and has served on various EBAA committees including EBAA Accreditation Board, the Scientific Programs Committee and as Chair of the Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Li received the R. Townley Paton Award in 2021 for her contributions to the EBAA, sight restoration and corneal transplantation.

Matthew Arnett

Chief Quality Officer

Dakota Lions Sight & Health

Matthew Arnett is the Chief Quality Officer of Dakota Lions Sight & Health (DLSH) where he has worked since 2013. Prior to joining DLSH, he worked as an analytical chemist for a FDA-regulated pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing firm. Matthew currently serves as Chair of the EBAA Quality Assurance Committee and was recently on the faculty for the QA Seminar. Matt has also served on the Mary Jane O'Neill Fellowship Selection Committee. When not at work, Matthew enjoys spending time with his family (wife & toddler son), cheering for the Green Bay Packers as a partial (1/360,760th) owner of the team, and brewing his own beer in a custom designed brewery in his garage.

Sean Edelstein, MD

Associate Medical Director

Mid-America Transplant

Sean Edelstein, MD, is an Associate Professor at Saint Louis University Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Edelstein attended Medical School at University of Cape Town, South Africa, and completed his ophthalmology residency and fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Edelstein is the Associate Medical Director at Mid-America Transplant and is an active member in the EBAA, where he currently serves on the Accreditation Board and the Medical Advisory Board.

Darrell Lee, CEBT

Laboratory & Processing Manager

Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio

Darrell Lee, CEBT, is a Laboratory & Processing Manager for Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio. He has worked for the eye bank for over 13 years, initially starting off as an eye tissue recovery technician. Darrell’s has BS in Chemistry and is a CEBT. Along with being a tissue coordinator, he is responsible for the processing of corneal tissue at LEBWCO. 

Saira Quraishy, CEBT

Georgia Eye Bank

Saira Quraishy, CEBT, obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Kennesaw State Unversity and joined Georgia Eye Bank in May 2006 as a Donor Coordinator. In April 2007, Saira transitioned into a technical/laboratory position and has been a Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) since 2007. After several years of dedicated service and outstanding job performance, Saira was promoted to the position of Laboratory Supervisor in April 2013 and in January 2015, Saira was promoted to Manager of Technical Operations. Saira manages donor recovery operations, laboratory operations, donor eligibility determinations, and tissue distribution activities. Saira serves on the Technician Education and the Scientific Programs Committees for the Eye Bank Association of America.

Asim Farooq

Assistant Professor

University of Chicago

Dr. Asim V. Farooq is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine where he was awarded a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, allowing him to devote a year to study the pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in the cornea. He then completed ophthalmology residency training at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Washington University in St. Louis.

Troy Win'E, CEBT

Surgical Product Specialist

CorneaGen

Troy Win’E, CEBT received his Bachelor's Degree in Cellular Molecular Biology from the University of Washington.  

George Rosenwasser, MD, CEBT

Gift of Life Donor Program Eye Bank

George O. D. Rosenwasser, MD, CEBT, has been associated with eye banking since 1984. He is the author of the first atlas and text on eye banking and has been a member of various EBAA committees, including Medical Advisory Board, Technician Education Committee, Scientific Programs Committee, and the International Relations Committee. He is also a member of the steering committee for the Corneal Preservation Time Study. He completely revised the Technician Education Seminar in 2009 and has given many of the lectures from 2009-2019.  He practices Cornea and External Disease in Hershey, PA, and is the Medical Director for the Gift of Life Donor Program Eye Bank.  Dr. Rosenwasser received the R. Townley Paton Award from EBAA in 2015.

Anthony Vizzerra, CEBT

Director of Clinical Services

Saving Sight

Anthony Vizzerra, CEBT, serves as Director of Clinical Services at Saving Sight. He has been in the eye banking profession for five years. Anthony earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in chemistry from The University of Arizona. In his current role, Anthony oversees the daily operations of the clinical laboratory and directly supervises the lab team.  Since being with Saving Sight, he has been able to successfully change procedural protocols to help reduce processing errors, as well as reduce overall supply costs. 

Joshua Hou, MD

Assistant Professor/Medical Director

University of Minnesota/Lions Gift of Sight

Joshua H. Hou, MD, is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Duke University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He then received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. After that, he completed both his ophthalmology residency and cornea and external disease fellowship at the University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary. Since 2015, Dr. Hou has served as Medical Director of the Lions Gift of Sight. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Hou also maintains a research laboratory at the University of Minnesota and is currently supported by the Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation. His main research interests include limbal stem cell deficiency and corneal tissue processing. Dr. Hou has been an active member of the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) since completing his cornea fellowship in 2014. He is a past participant of the EBAA Physician Leadership Program, and he currently serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Board and Scientific Programs Committee. He is also a regular physician lecturer for the EBAA Slit Lamp Microscopy Seminar.

Fred Jordan, FSL

Director of Development

Miracles In Sight

Fred Jordan, FSL, has been in eye banking since 1995 and full-time with Miracles In Sight since 2001. Fred is a licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Over his many years with Miracles In Sight, Fred has fulfilled the roles of Surgical Recovery Specialist, Lab Technician, Professional Development Specialist and is now Director of Development. He currently serves on the EBAA Donor, Partner and Community Relations Committee.

Kerry Gray

Laboratory Technician

Saving Sight

Kerry Gray has worked as a Cornea Processing Technician at Saving Sight in Kansas City for 3 years. Prior to that, she was a zookeeper, working with penguins, stingrays, otters, and polar bears. This is Kerry's first year on the Technician Education Committee and she is excited to further her education and skills as a processing technician! 

Brian Philippy, BCHE, BS, CEBT

Director of Business Development

Lions Gift of Sight

Brian Philippy, BCHE, BS, CEBT, works for Lions Gift of Sight in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Brian started eye banking in 1997 at the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank (now Lions Gift of Sight), beginning as a Lab Attendant, then Procurement Technician, Distribution Coordinator, Donor Coordinator, then Lab Manager. In 2005, Brian became the Technical & Quality Assurance Director in Norfolk, then later the Director of Transplant & Research. Brian also served as a Consultant and Director at Vision Share, concurrent with time served in Norfolk. Earning CEBT in 2003, Brian began an extensive EBAA committee service history in 2006.

Nicholas Hicks, CEBT

Director, Tissue Processing

Eversight

Nicholas Hicks, CEBT, is the Director of Tissue Processing at Eversight. He has been with Eversight for over 12 years, 10 of which have been focused on processing tissue. Nicholas currently serves on the EBAA Technician Education Committee.

 

Graeme Pollock, MD, PhD

Director

Lions Eye Donation Service, Center for Eye Research Australia

Graeme Pollock, MD, PhD, is the Director of Lions Eye Donation Service at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne. He has spent the past 30 years involved in eye banking at local, national, and international levels. Dr. Pollack completed his doctorate in the field of pathology at the University of Queensland and University of Cambridge. Graeme also holds a master’s degree in public health majoring in Health Administration from Monash University, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in University Teaching from the University of Melbourne. His interests include medical standards and guidelines in the field of eye banking. He is a past Chair of the Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand, past-President of the Australasian Transplant Coordinators Association, a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Eye Bank Association of America and a founding member of the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations. In 2019 he was awarded an Order of Australia for service to corneal transplantation and education.

Access Information

Once you have registered for the course, you will have access to it.

To access the presentations, log into eyeLEARN, click on the Components tab, and select the recording you wish to view. Once you have watched a presentation, be sure to complete the survey associated with that presentation. To receive credit for completing the course, attendees must watch all presentations, attend all live sessions, and complete all of the surveys.  

Computer Information

Attendees should have access to a computer with a camera and functioning speaker and microphone. The live sessions are designed to include active participation by the attendees and having a computer with microphone, camera and speaker will enable attendees to fully participate in the seminar. 

Questions

If you require assistance with registering or accessing the recordings, please contact Herocia Hawkins.

This content will not be available until 01/07/2025 at 9:00 AM (EST)