Awards

It's time to honor your peers who are advancing diversity in leadership! OWL is pleased to accept nominations for the following 2025 OWL Leadership Awards categories:

Visionary Award

OWL’s Visionary Leader Award honors an individual who has paved the way for diversity in their field through significant achievement. Nominees should have demonstrated leadership in their field through their careers.

Catalyst Award

OWL’s Catalyst Award honors an individual who has contributed significantly to helping others advance their career in eye care. Nominees should have demonstrated leadership in supporting the advancement of diversity.

Rising Star Award

OWL’s Rising Star Award honors an individual who is an emerging leader in the ophthalmic space. Nominees should be in their early or mid-careers and demonstrate high potential for making an impact in ophthalmology.

Nominate Someone for an Award

You will need to provide:

Your name and email address.
Your nominee's name and email address under the award category that you are nominating them for.
A brief statement of why you believe this person deserves this award.

Please submit your nomination(s) by Friday August 1st.

Note: It is a requirement to be an OWL member to be nominated for an award or to nominate someone for an award.

Not sure if your nominee is a member? Don't worry, we'll do the verification. Please submit your nominations regardless. If you'd like to join OWL, you can do so HERE.

Ready to submit your nominations?

Nominations accepted through August 1st.

Click Here

Winners will be recognized at OWL’s Signature Event & Awards Ceremony at AAO 2025 in Orlando, FL on October 19th ~ more details coming soon!

Some of OWL’s award winners from the past 10 years at the Signature Event & Awards Ceremony during AAO, October 2nd, 2022

Award Winners 2024

The recipients of 2024 OWL Awards (from left): Neda Shamie, MD, Visionary Leader, Ranna Jaraha, Catalyst and Zaiba Malik, MD, Rising Star.

Award Winners 2023

The recipients of 2023 OWL Awards (from left): Tom Frinzi, Visionary Leader, Tamara Bogetti, Catalyst and Maaza Martin, Rising Star.

Award Winners 2022

The recipients of 2022 OWL Awards (from left): Jacqueline Armani, OD, Rising Star, Magda Michna, PhD, Catalyst and Jeannette Bankes, Visionary Leader.

OWL Award Winners

2024 Visionary Leader Award

Neda Shamie, MD

Cataract, Refractive, and Corneal Surgeon and Partner

Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute

2024 Catalyst Award

Ranna Jaraha

Co-founder | Executive Director of New Media

YoungMD Connect | Bryn Mawr Communications

2024 Rising Star Award

Zaiba Malik, MD

Medical Director & Therapeutic Lead

Medpace

2023 Visionary Leader Award

Thomas G. Frinzi

President/CEO & Chairman of the Board

STAAR Surgical

2023 Catalyst Award

Tamara Bogetti, MBA

Chief Commercial Officer | Co-Founder

Bryn Mawr Communications | YoungMD Connect

2023 Rising Star Award

Maáza Martin

Senior Director of Marketing

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

2022 Visionary Leader Award

Jeannette Bankes

President and General Manager, Global Surgical Franchise
Alcon

2022 Catalyst Award

Magda Michna, PhD

Chief Global Clinical, Medical and Regulatory Affairs Officer

AcuFocus, Inc.

2022 Rising Star Award

Jacqueline Armani, OD, FAAO, MSL-BC

Regional Director, Medical Science Liaisons – East

Alcon

2021 Visionary Leader Award

Abigail Markward

National Director - PentaVision Live!

PentaVision LLC

2021 Catalyst Award

Arthur Chan, PhD, MBA

Vice President - Medical Affairs

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

2021 Rising Star Award

Alanna Nattis, DO

Director - Clinical Research | Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgeon

SightMD

2020 Visionary Leader Award

Dee Stephenson, MD, FACS

Founder and Director

Stephenson Eye Associates

2020 Catalyst Award

Renee Bovelle, MD, MS

Owner and Medical Director

Envision Eye & Laser Center

2020 Rising Star Award

Kristen Brotherson

Vice-President, Marketing

Alcon US Surgical

2019 Visionary Leader Award

Monty Montoya

President and CEO

CorneaGen

2019 Catalyst Award

Amy Jacobs

Vice President and co-founder

Sandbox Strategic

2019 Rising Star Award

Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology & Associate Residency Program Director Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgery

Baylor College of Medicine

2018 Visionary Leader Award

Allison Shuren

Partner

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

2018 Catalyst Award

Brad Fundingsland

President

The Fundingsland Group

2018 Rising Star Award

Jennifer Loh, MD

Founder and Medical Director

Loh Ophthalmology Associates

2017 Visionary Leader Award

Cynthia Matossian, MD

Founder & Medical Director

Matossian Eye Associates

2017 Catalyst Award

Beth Marsh

Global Commercial Strategy Lead

Shire

2017 Rising Star Award

Bindu Manne

Associate Director

Market Development, Shire

2016 Visionary Leader Award

Marsha Link, PhD

Owner & President

Link Consulting

2016 Catalyst Award

William Trattler, MD

Surgeon

Center For Excellence In Eye Care

2016 Rising Star Award

Marjan Farid, MD

Director of Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgery and Vice-Chair of Ophthalmic Faculty

Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC-Irvine

2015 Visionary Leader Award

Audrey Talley-Rostov, MD

Partner

Northwest Eye Surgeons

2015 Catalyst Award

Laurie Brown

Practice Administrator

Drs. Fine, Hoffman & Sims, LLC

2015 Rising Star Award

Erin Schallhorn

Executive Vice President

The Fundingsland Group

2014 Visionary Woman Award

Jane E. Rady

Divisional Vice President, Business Development

Abbott Medical Optics

2014 Catalyst Award

Georgette Pascale

Founder & CEO

Pascale Communications, LLC

2014 Rising Star Award

Tamara Bogetti

Publisher

Bryn Mawr Communications

2013 Visionary Woman Award

Adrienne Graves, PhD

Board Member

Akorn, TearLab, Aerpio, Encore Vision, Amach Capital Partners

2013 Catalyst Award

Heather Ready, MBA

Director Of Commercialization, Latin America

AcuFocus

2013 Rising Star Award

Sheryl Stevenson

Senior Managing Editor

Ophthalmology Times

2012 Visionary Woman Award

Marguerite McDonald, MD

Ophthalmologist

Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island