On June 12, 2018, the St. Louis Optometric Society held their annual installation and awards banquet, where the College of Optometry was prominently featured in this gala event. The Master of Ceremonies of this event was the incoming president, Dan Friederich, OD (‘08), and the installation of officers was performed by Dr. Friederich’s fellow Vision Care Consultants optometrist and practice owner, Dr. David Seibel (’87). It is notable that six of the seven officers are UMSL graduates, including Dr. Friederich (President), Dr. Emily Pike (‘14, President-Elect), Dr. Steven Branstetter (’13, Secretary), Dr. Paul Luong (’16, Treasurer), Dr. Nick Castellano (’16, Sergeant-At-Arms), and Dr. Drew Biondo (’11, Immediate Past President). The Castellano family influence was very notable, as Dr. Joe Castellano – Past President – was rotating off of the board at the same time that his younger brother was joining. They practice with their father, renowned contact lens specialist Dr. Carmen Castellano, owner of The Koetting Associates and an adjunct faculty member of the College. UMSL was also decidedly featured in the award presentations. The Dr. R.A. Koetting Memorial Award was presented to Dr. Karen Rosen (’84).
