Introduction to Eye Banking Course

Beverly Forsyth, MD, has a dual appointment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and the Department of Medical Education. She has an BA from Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, and received her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Forsyth completed her Internal Medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her Infectious Diseases Fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, she is a clinician-educator and she combines a clinical HIV practice with teaching and participation in scholarly work in medical education. She is also the Director of Education Infection Prevention and Emergency Management for the medical and graduate programs. Dr. Forsyth currently serves as a member of the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration's Medical Advisory Board and is on the Editorial Board for the EBAA Journal, Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation. 

Ula Jurkunas, MD is a clinician-scientist who performs corneal and refractive surgery at Mass Eye and Ear and conducts basic science research on Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy and stem cell transplantation at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear. In addition to being one of the highest volume refractive and transplant surgeons at Mass Eye and Ear, she teaches residents and fellows about corneal, cataract, and refractive surgery as well as the clinical management and diagnosis of corneal and refractive conditions. Dr. Jurkunas is the Associate Director of the Cornea Service at Mass Eye and Ear and Co-Director of the Harvard Ophthalmology Cornea Center of Excellence.

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.

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, CA.  Dr. Li is an active member of EBAA, serving on the Board of Directors, the Accreditation Board, the Scientific Programs Committee, and the Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Li previously served as the Chair of the Medical Advisory Board and is the Immediate Past Chair of the EBAA Board of Directors and Governance Committee.  She received the EBAA R. Townley Paton Award in 2021.

Martin de la Presa, MD, is an ophthalmic surgeon specializing in cornea, cataract and ocular surface reconstruction.  Dr. de la Presa attended medical school at the University of Utah followed by a general surgery internship at the Oregon Health & Science University. He then attended the University of Minnesota for comprehensive ophthalmology residency and completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Cincinnati Eye Institute. He has earned numerous honors and awards for his research including the NASA Earth & Space Health Innovation Award, AMA Healthier Nation Innovation Award, ASCRS Resident Excellence Award, and is a recent participant in the EBAA Physician Leadership Program. Dr. de la Presa is the Associate Medical Director for Saving Sight and currently serves on the EBAA Accreditation Board.

Divya Srikumaran, MD, is an associate professor of ophthalmology in the Division of Cornea and External Disease at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. She received her M.D. degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, after which she completed her ophthalmology residency and cornea fellowship training at the Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. Srikumaran’s research interest includes the assessment of corneal transplant outcomes and risk factors for receiving keratoplasty through big data sources including administrative claims data. She received the Hoskins Center IRIS Registry Research Fund Award through the American Academy of Ophthalmology as well as the EBAA Pilot Research grant to study real-world endothelial keratoplasty outcomes. Dr. Srikumaran is leading a team to integrate Wilmer’s Clinical data into the IRIS registry and the SOURCE EHR repository.  She is also a renowned educator and currently serves as Vice Chair of Education and was previously residency program director. As Vice Chair of Education, she has an interest in medical education and studying best practices to support doctors in training. Blending her passion for both education and expertise in corneal surgery, Dr. Srikumaran has also studied barriers to adoption of advanced keratoplasty procedures in the US and abroad. Dr. Srikumaran is a participant in the EBAA Physician Leadership Program and serves on the Scientific Programs Committee.  

Joshua Hou, MD, is an Associate Professor and the Lyon Chair of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota. He received a BS in Chemistry from Duke University (Durham, NC), where he graduated summa cum laude. He received his MD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO). He then completed an ophthalmology residency and a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Hou currently serves as the Cornea Fellowship Director at the University of Minnesota and maintains a busy tertiary referral practice specialized in complex corneal transplantation and severe ocular surface disease. He is currently the Medical Director of the Lions Gift of Sight Eye Bank, serves as  Chair of the EBAA Scientific Programs Committee, and is an Associate Editor of the Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation Journal. He leads an NIH funded laboratory at the University of Minnesota and his research interests include eye banking, tissue processing, and limbal stem cell deficiency.

As Vice President of Operations, Mike is responsible for developing long-term strategies, creating lean and efficient operational processes, improving customer relationships and monitoring the successes of each operational department.

Mike started his career in the organ, tissue and eye donation industry more than 20 years ago as a recovery technician, where his skills and attention to detail helped him routinely win the coveted Technician of the Month award. His calm demeanor, excellent interpersonal skills and industry knowledge make him an outstanding and successful leader. He later moved to Carolina Donor Services as Tissue Recovery Manager where he led the department to win the Golden Quill and Golden Scalpel Awards for minimal errors in both documentation and surgical technique. Mike came to Miracles In Sight in 2006, where he quickly was able to use his skills to forge many process and procedural improvements and lead the company to become one of the top eye banks in the world. Mike is an advocate for donation. He is active on multiple EBAA committees, leads technician education trainings, and lectures on eye banking domestically and abroad.

After graduating high school, Mike enlisted in the US Army as a laboratory technician and worked towards completing a diploma in surgical technology. He received his Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Mt. Olive College and his Master of Business Administration from Winston-Salem State University.

Jessica Bramow, an accomplished IT professional with over 25 years of experience, has been a Senior Database Administrator at the Iowa Lions Eye Bank for the past five years. In her role, she excels in database administration, ETL processes, writing complex data queries, and creating insightful dashboards and reports. Her expertise has significantly improved data-driven decision-making processes within her organization. She is adept at using a wide range of tools and technologies, including SSMS, Power BI, DAX, SSIS, Python, Power Automate, and more.

Jessica’s extensive career includes a notable 20-year tenure at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. During this period, she advanced from an IT Support Analyst to a Senior Systems Administrator. She spearheaded the implementation of several ophthalmic software systems, developed custom scripts for data extraction that were used to clean and normalize data, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. Additionally, she introduced innovative data visualization solutions, including BI dashboards, which significantly improved the efficiency of data dissemination and decision-making across the department.

Jessica’s background is further distinguished by her service in the United States Marine Corps and the Iowa National Guard, showcasing her dedication and leadership skills. She holds a Data Analytics Certificate from Cornell University and has completed numerous courses in business intelligence and data analytics, underscoring her commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Outside of her professional life, Jessica enjoys camping, spending quality time with her family, and cheering for the San Francisco 49ers.

Barbara Rubel is a leading authority and award-winning author on managing burnout, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. As a nationally recognized keynote speaker, she motivates professionals to build resilience through the lens of vicarious trauma-informed care. Her programs help first responders, mental health teams, healthcare leaders, and victim service providers in trauma-informed organizations, manage workplace chronic stressors. Barbara has presented to over 1,000 organizations since 1991, including state and national associations, and non-profits. As a Board-Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress and Diplomate with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, she helps leaders retain employees who struggling with workplace stressors and gives attendees practical wellness strategies. Barbara received a BS in psychology and a MA degree in community health, with a concentration in thanatology, both from Brooklyn College.

Babara is the co-author of, Living Blue: Helping Law Enforcement Officers and Their Families from Recruitment to Retirement, and But I Didn’t Say Goodbye: Helping Families After a Suicide (3ed). (2020), and four editions of the 30-hour CE course for Nurses, Loss, Grief, and Bereavement: Helping Individuals Cope (4ed), (2018), Elite Healthcare. Barbara is a contributing writer to Thin Threads: Grief and Renewal; Fresh Grief; Coaching for Results; and Keys to a Good Life. For over twenty years, she has been a Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Consultant. She co-authored the OVCTTAC Training Curriculum, Compassion Fatigue. You have seen Barbara’s work in Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Health, and Shape magazines. Her work has appeared on TODAY, FOX Business, and many others. Three weeks before giving birth to triplets, Barbara’s father, a retired law enforcement officer, died by suicide. Her story was featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary, Fatal Mistakes, Families Shattered by Suicide narrated by Mariette Hartley.

W. Barry Lee, MD, FACS, is a partner and fellowship director at Eye Consultants of Atlanta, affiliated with Piedmont Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he specializes in Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery.  Dr. Lee has served as Co-Medical Director of the Georgia Eye Bank since 2009. Dr. Lee has served on various EBAA Committees including the Accreditation Board as Co-Chair, the EBAA Board of Directors, and the Medical Advisory Board.  Dr. Lee is the President of the Cornea Society and Past President of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology. In 2018, Dr. Lee received the EBAA R. Townley Paton Award for his significant contributions to eye banking and sight restoration. Dr. Lee has also received the Senior Achievement & Secretariat Awards from the AAO.  He is co-editor of the textbook, Ocular Surface Disease: Cornea, Conjunctiva, and Tear Film, published by Elsevier in 2013.

Wayne Dietz, CEBT, is the Quality Assurance Director at the San Diego Eye Bank.  Yes, when he started, Eye Banks were not performing serological testing in 1985.  After leaving the United States Navy he brought his surgical scrub skills to the technical department, becoming Technical Director in 1988.  Prior to entering the Quality Department, Wayne was the Tissue Distribution Manager.  Working with Verble Worth and Verble, he helped to establish the consent program at the Medical Examiner’s Office.  He has served on the following EBAA committees:  Technician Training, Technician Certification, Research and Quality Assurance.

Chelsea Green, CEBT,is the Processing Services Manager for the Iowa Lions Eye Bank. Chelsea received both a BA and BS with a focus in research from the University of Illinois Chicago. 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 currently oversees the processing department at Iowa Lions Eye Bank. Chelsea is a member of the Technician Education Committee.

Annie Kuhl serves as Chief Communications Officer at Saving Sight, an eye tissue bank serving Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois.  She has worked at Saving Sight and within the field of transplantation for over 20 years.  Annie leads the organization's communications and external relations strategies in her job role, overseeing the Hospital Development and Communications teams. Annie is a passionate advocate of the healing gifts of organ and tissue donation and serves as a State Team Mentor and Advisory Council member for Donate Life America. Annie graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism and is an avid Mizzou Tigers fan. In her free time, you can find her on the trail training for her next marathon.

Joshua Griffin, CEBT, is the Director of Operations for theEast Tennessee Lions Eye Bank. With over 18 years of experience in eye banking,Josh has worked in various roles including Recovery Technician, LabCoordinator, Lab Technician, Technical Director and his current position asDirector of Operations. Josh earned an associate’s degree in Microbiology. 

Bruce Varnum, MS, serves as the Chair of the Georgia Eye Bank Board of Trustees, and is the former CEO & President of the Georgia Eye Bank. Bruce has been associated with GEB for 37 years, first as Chair of the Executive Advisory Board (1987-1996), then elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees in 1996, and then transitioned into Chair, President and CEO. In 2013, Bruce turned over the responsibilities of President and CEO and continued as Chair of the Board of Trustees. During his career in eye banking, Bruce has been an active member of EBAA. Bruce began serving the EBAA on the Finance Committee in 1998. Two years later he joined the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. From 2001-2012, Bruce was an active member of the EBAA Board of Directors, serving as Chair-Elect from 2006-2008, as Chair from 2008-2010, and as Immediate Past Chair from 2010-2012. Bruce served as chair of the Audit Committee and was involved in numerous other subcommittees and projects to help grow and shape the association. in 2011, Bruce received the Leonard Heise Award for his service and commitment to EBAA, eye banking, and the gift of sight.  Bruce earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Lehigh University College of Business. Bruce is a corneal transplant recipient and continues to support eye banking as the Chair of the Georgia Eye Bank Board of Trustees. 

Monica Freiburger, CEBT, has been with Iowa Lions Eye Bank since 2008, beginning her career as a Recovery Technician and advancing to her current role as Donor Eligibility Manager. Since 2018, she has actively contributed to the Eye Bank Association of America through various committees, including the Continuing Education Committee, Exam Committee, Statistical Report Committee, Technical Procedures Manual Subcommittee, and currently serves on the Policy and Position Research Subcommittee and Technical Education Committee.

Emmitt A. Savannah, III, CTBS, serves as the Manager of Tissue Recovery and Research Training at LifeGift Organ Donation Center, where he provides leadership, supervision, development and implementation of training programs for LifeGift in all its Texas regions that reinforce accepted industry practices and comply with organizational operating procedures, AATB standards, and FDA regulations. Emmitt has worked in the donation industry for over 14 years, and is passionate about leading, training, educating and developing people and teams as well as developing the programs in which they work to achieve goals efficiently.

Stephanie Cottrell is a Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) and has over 20 years of experience working in the field of eye & tissue donation. Stephanie currently oversees Quality Compliance for Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank and has extensive experience with donor eligibility, auditing, regulatory and accreditation inspections. She is a certified Quality Improvement Associate through the American Society for Quality (ASC) and certified in medical coding through MTI College.

Chris Conwell, CEBT, CQIA (ASQ), is the Technical Programs Administrator for Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank. He began his tenure 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. Chris serves as a member of the EBAA Technician Education Committee and as a faculty member of the Technician Education Seminar.

Nicholas Hicks, CEBT, serves as the Director of Tissue Processing at Eversight. Nicholas has been with Eversight since 2012. Throughout his tenure, he has prepared over 4,000 corneas for transplantation and actively contributed to numerous research studies to advance sight restoration. Nicholas is a Certified Eye Bank Technician and plays a significant role in the eye banking community, serving on the Eye Bank Association of America's Technician Education Committee and Accreditation Board. In September 2024, he participated in a transformative training session during the World Eye Bank Symposium in Jakarta, Indonesia, underscoring his commitment to global collaboration in combating corneal blindness.

Shawn Sanford, CAE is an experienced membership engagement strategist who specializes in supporting associations in building and executing diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.

Shawn currently serves as the Head of Membership and Community Engagement at CLOC, a small association of 8,000 members where she leads membership recruitment and retention strategy and has implemented a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategy for the organization. Separately, Shawn supports other associations in developing and launching a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. Prior to CLOC, Shawn led membership and diversity, equity and inclusion strategic initiatives and planning at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) and has supported members in industries such as legal, IT professionals, education and healthcare.

Shawn is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and a certified DEI practitioner. Shawn is the grateful recipient of the Association Forum’s 2021 Welcoming Environment Award and the 2021 Forty Under 40 Award. She is also an active volunteer at the Association Forum and the Association of Society Association Executives (ASAE).

Shawn is a proud alumna of the University of Notre Dame and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Saint Francis. She currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her daughter. 

Jerilyn Giardina is the Executive Vice President at AltruVision in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked at AltruVision for ten years and received her Master's Degree in Nonprofit Leadership from La Salle University. Jerilyn currently serves as the Chair of the EBAA Donor, Partner, and Community Relations Committee.

Kip Hoffman, CQT (ASQ), is the Quality and Compliance Coordinator at Iowa Lions Eye Bank and the Chair of the EBAA Quality Assurance Committee. He cares for audits, document control, compliance, data analysis and the like, having prior experience working with quality and purchasing in the manufacturing sector. He is an ASQ Certified Quality Technician and specializes in SOP creation and Lean concept.

Ann Kent, CEBT, is a Certified Eye Bank Technician and the Recovery Services and Training Supervisor at the Georgia Eye Bank.  She has been in eye banking for over 10 years and has prior experience in donor coordination, recovery services, and clinical services.  Ann is responsible for the training of laboratory staff in many functions including tissue recovery, evaluation, and donor eligibility.  She currently serves on the EBAA Technician Education Committee.

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. 

Hannah Flaig, CEBT, is a Laboratory Supervisor at The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration. She began her work in eye banking in 2019 as a Laboratory Technician responsible for the recovery, screening and distribution of eye donor tissue, and was promoted to Technical Trainer prior to her current position. She has a BS in Human Biology from University of California - San Diego, with a minor in cognitive science. 

Alyssa Hernandez began her career in eye banking in 2020 at Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank. As the Director of Marketing and Development, she implements and executes branding and business development growth strategies along with marketing campaigns. Alyssa currently serves as a member of the EBAA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the EBAA Donor Partner Community Relations Committee.

Alyssa resides in Sacramento, CA with her husband and 3 young boys. She dedicates her passion for eye, organ, and tissue donation to her son who is a liver transplant recipient.

Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT, began a career in ocular transplantation in 1999 at the Lone Star Lions Eye Bank in Austin, Texas.  During her 13 years there, she performed all aspects of eye banking in her role as Technical Director. Ingrid accepted a position with North Carolina Eye Bank in 2013 as the Supervisor of Recovery Services. In 2016, she earned her MBA in leadership and was promoted to the Vice President of Donor Logistics after the acquisition of ocular recovery services in South Carolina.  Ingrid was responsible for the day-to-day logistical operations of the donor recovery process, hospital development, Medical Examiner and Coroner relationships in North and South Carolina. In 2020, Ingrid led the project for the acquisition of the Lone Star Eye Bank, now Miracles In Sight, Lone Star Division. In June of 2022, Ingrid was promoted to President & CEO of Miracles In Sight. 

Ingrid is an active member in the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) and serves as chair of the Technician Education Committee, EBAA Medical Advisory Board and Certification Board.

Ingrid served in the United States Army, HHC, 2AD as the Commanding General’s Attendant. Prior to her career in eye banking, she taught high school Spanish and English.

Shannon Schweitzer, MBA, CEBT, is the Executive Director of Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio.  Shannon has over 20 years of eye banking experience and her roots are in technical operations.  Shannon became Speaker of the House in 2022 and was relected in 2024, and she enjoys serving on the EBAA Board and being involved in strategic planning that helps the association strengthen the future of the profession and its members.

Taylor Vanek, CEBT, began her career in eye banking in 2012 as a recovery technician after having seen a recovery during her internship at the medical examiner's office. Just over ten years later, she has worked in almost all areas of eye banking. She has worked with donor families, corneal transplant surgeons, in the lab and with the community to educate and foster corneal donation. In 2020, Taylor joined Miracles In Sight and has recently become their new Manager of Surgeon Development. 

Alyson Ronan, CEBT, is a Lab Coordinator at Southern Eye Bank. 

Haidre Williams is a Quality Program Specialist at VisionGift in Portland, OR, and co-founded the VisionGift Women’s Affinity Group (WAG). While at Portland State University, she volunteered and did paid work with the Women’s Resource Center, supervising their annual mentorship program as well as facilitating weekly group meetings for women returning to college. She uses this experience, her background in women’s studies, and her own lived experience as a woman of color to hold space for important and relevant DEI conversations in the Women’s Affinity Group and the EBAA DEI committee

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 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.

Bennie H. Jeng, MD, MS, is the Harold G. Scheie Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Scheie Eye Institute, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Washington University and his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He then completed his ophthalmology residency and chief residency at the Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in cornea and external diseases at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation/University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in 2003.

He returned back to the Cole Eye Institute to serve on faculty, during which time he was the recipient of a K-grant from the NIH and also earned his Master’s degree in Clinical Investigation from Case Western Reserve University. He subsequently returned to Proctor/UCSF as an Associate Professor and then Full Professor, where he served as co-director of the UCSF cornea service, Director of the Proctor/UCSF Cornea Fellowship program, and Chief of Ophthalmology at San Francisco General Hospital, as well as being an R01-funded researcher in ocular surface diseases. In August 2013, Dr. Jeng began his tenure as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served for nearly 9 years. He assumed his current position in July 2022.

Dr. Jeng has been very active with EBAA, dedicating his time and expertise to the association. He has served on the Research Committee since 2013 and is currently the Chair. He has also served on the Accreditation Board for nearly a decade and is currently Co-Chair. In addition, he has also been a longstanding member of the Medical Advisory Board and the Scientific Programs Committee (including as past Chair), and he has also served on the EBAA Board of Directors.

Dr. Jeng is also involved in the leadership of many other ophthalmologic societies, as President of the Cornea Society, Immediate Past-President of the Eye and Contact Lens Association, on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Ophthalmology, and on many AAO committees. He is a current member of the American Ophthalmologic Society as well as the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Dr. Jeng has published over 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and 30 book chapters, and he has delivered over 400 invited lectures nationally and internationally.

Shahri Jones, a native of San Diego, has been a dedicated member of the San Diego Eye Bank team for nine years. Starting her journey in eye banking in the Distribution department, she developed a passion for eye banking and donation. In her current role as the Learning Management System Developer, Shahri is instrumental in shaping the educational landscape of the organization. Drawing upon her extensive experience and innovative spirit, she creates engaging and dynamic educational content for both internal staff and external stakeholders. Through her work, Shahri strives to bridge the gap between theory and practice, empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference in the field of eye banking.

Joann Kang, MD, is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Montefiore-Einstein. Dr. Kang received her Bachelor of Science with Honors from Cornell University. She then obtained her Doctorate in Medicine from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago and was elected chief resident in her final year. Following this, she completed a Corneal and External Disease fellowship at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Kang’s research focus is on corneal transplantation, Boston keratoprosthesis and sutured intraocular lenses. She has numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, review articles and abstracts in publication. She is also an editorial board member for BMC Ophthalmology and serves as a guest editor for Annals of Eye Science. As a member of the Admissions Committee at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Director of Resident Surgical Education at Montefiore, Dr. Kang has trained and mentored many medical students and residents. She is the recipient of multiple awards in recognition of her teaching and contributions to the department. She serves on national committees for the Eye Bank Association of America, the Eye and Contact Lens Association, and the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. She is also the Associate Medical Director and Medical Advisory Board Member of The Eye Bank for Sight Restoration in New York.

Dana Owens, CEBT, is the Director of Tissue Recovery for Eversight. Dana began her healthcare career as an EMT and Medic in the United States Army.  Soon after, she found her calling and purpose within the world of eye banking.  Dana has been involved in eye banking as a recovery technician, recovery manager, business development, research recovery development, and distribution manager and has been the Director of Tissue Recovery since 2022.  Dana currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the EBAA Technician Education Committee. 

Mudassir Razvi, CEBT, is currently Laboratory Manager at The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration, where he began in 2004 as a Laboratory Technician and subsequently held the positions of Technician Trainer and Technician Supervisor. He oversees technical training and tissue processing and contributes as faculty for The Eye-Bank's annual Wing Chu, MD Cornea Fellow Day.  Mudassir has served on multiple EBAA committees and is currently a member of the EBAA Technician Education Committee. He is a graduate of The College of New Jersey with a BS in Biology.

Vanessa To is a senior recovery technician at the San Diego Eye Bank. She received a BS in Environmental Chemistry at the University of California - San Diego. She has worked at the eye bank for 4 years and initially got hired as a per diem recovery technician in December 2019. Along with recoveries, she aids in donor eligibility, tissue processing, and the creation of laboratory references and training aides. 

Evan Warner, MD, is a fellowship-trained cornea transplant surgeon and an Assistant Professor of Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he trains cornea fellows and residents. He has serves on the EBAA Accreditation Board and Scientific Programs Committee, and serves as Medical Director of Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin.