To be nominated for the position of Trustee-at-Large is a great honor and I am grateful and humbled to be considered. In this role, I am determined to serve the members, the Academy, and the Board with fair and thoughtful representation of interests and concerns of our members and to do it with integrity and passion. I believe my background and leadership experiences, exposure to private and academic medicine, long history of service to the Academy, collaborative, strategic and open-minded nature, and the interest and knowledge regarding fast changing landscape of medicine will serve me well to represent the perspectives of the general membership.
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholars Program. After completing ophthalmology residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami and vitreoretinal fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), I was in private practice for several years before embarking on an academic career. Currently, I am a Professor of Ophthalmology with tenure at MCW.
I was born in Seoul, South Korea and, after also living in Japan, immigrated to the United States at the age of 11. Because the immigration history of Korean-Americans is not as long as some of the other Asian-Americans, I am the first Korean-American to become a member of the American Ophthalmological Society and the first to become a member of all three US retina societies, and the second Korean-American to become a Professor of Ophthalmology and the first to do so in Retina. I am only the second woman to serve on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), who will move up the ranks to be the President. As the Academy’s influence becomes more global and our members become more diverse, I believe my life experiences will be an asset in serving as a liaison to bring various groups together for better understanding and communication.
Since my first Academy committee service in 1996, I have continued to actively participate in the Academy in various capacities. These include Board Re-certification Committee (1996-2000), Life-long Education for the Ophthalmologist Committee (2000-2004), Special Interest Topics Committee (2005-2008), Current Insight Committee (2007-2008), Retina Editorial Subcommittee for Eyewiki (2011-2015), Councilor for ASRS (2014-2018), Council Regional Meeting Co-chair (2015), Awards Committee (2016), Council Nominating Committee (2017), Subspecialty Section Council Deputy Leader (2018), and Retina Subspecialty Day Planning Group (2017-2020). I am a graduate of the AAO Leadership Development Program XV (2013) and a recipient of AAO Achievement Award and Senior Achievement Award. Other awards and honors include Outstanding Faculty Service Award from MCW, Honor Award and Senior Honor Award from ASRS, being named on the Best Doctor list, US News and World Reports Best Doctors, Castle Connolly Top Doctors, OSN Retina 150 Innovators, and Retina Hall of Fame. I have served on committees of ABO, ARVO, JCAHPO, Macula Society, Retina Society, and Women in Retina.
I am passionate about serving and advocating for our patients, promoting education, research, and mentoring among our colleagues, and helping to provide solutions to the unique challenges we face as a profession. I am deeply committed to serving our members so that we can all pursue our common goal of protecting sight and empowering lives. I would be honored to serve you. Thank you for the opportunity to be your voice.