Michael Earley

Dr. Earley is a Professor of Clinical Optometry and holds the VSP Chair for Advancement of Professional Practice at the OSU College of Optometry. He serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with responsibility for the professional program, student affairs and admissions. He completed both his OD (summa cum laude) and PhD training at OSU and has been on faculty since 1990. In clinic, he primarily works with children with special needs and child and adults following acquired or traumatic brain injury. He teaches coursework in neuroanatomy, general anatomy, histology, and clinical diagnostic reasoning. He has received numerous awards for teaching including the Educator of the Year Award from the American Optometric Association, the Michael G. Harris Award for Excellence in Optometric Education from the American Optometric Foundation and Ohio State’s highest teaching award, the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. He is a member of the Academy of Teaching. Dr. Earley is involved in clinical research and has and continues to participate in many multicentered clinical research projects including the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT), Amblyopia Treatment Studies (ATS), Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) and a study on head traumatic brain injury funded by the Department of Defense. He is a recipient of the Advancement of Science award from the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA). . He has authored or coauthored more than 80 abstracts, book reviews, and publications and has lectured nationally at more than 50 venues He is a trustee of the Ohio Optometric Association and serves as board liaison for the Children’s Vision Committee and has been the key speaker for the Ohio Optometric Association at Ohio School Nurse Symposia since 2004. On behalf of the AOA, Dr. Earley did numerous “Back to School” TV spots with Bill Nye “the Science Guy” and was a keynote speaker at the 2011 AOA School Readiness Summit: Focus on Vision which included a national group of educators, health care professionals, and policy makers. He also serves on the Children’s Vision committee for the AOA.