Dr. Stanley Woo, who completed his second term as director of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science on June 30, received the President’s Award at the recent biannual Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) Congress in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Dr. Martin Spiro, the CAO’s outgoing president, presented Woo with the award, the CAO’s highest honour.
“A passionate advocate for the profession, Dr. Woo has played a pivotal role in strengthening collaborations between the School and professional associations, enhancing educational opportunities, research partnerships, and national support for the profession,” said Spiro.
“Beyond his administrative and academic accomplishments, Dr. Woo has been a driving force in advancing innovation in optometry, championing new technologies, research and clinical practices that have transformed patient care. His unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has helped ensure the profession evolves to reflect and serve the diverse communities it touches.”
“It’s a tremendous honour to be recognized by the CAO, which has done so much to advance eye and vision care in this country,” said Woo. “Along with leaders in optometry nationwide, I’ve been privileged to play a part in bringing to life a vision for the future of optometry that includes scope modernization, better access to eye care for underserved communities and vision research that brings together clinicians, patients and other professionals.”
Woo has also recently received awards from several provincial optometric associations, including:
- Honorary Member and President’s Award, BC Doctors of Optometry, May 2025
- Recognition plaque, Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists, May 2025
- President’s Award, Ontario Association of Optometrists, April 2025
- Honorary Member Award, Alberta Association of Optometrists, October 2024
Transformative Leadership and Vision for Canadian Eye Care
Woo became director of the School in 2017. During his two terms, he spearheaded the building of the Waterloo Eye Institute, a once-in-a-generation modernization and expansion that will enhance patient care facilities, add research infrastructure and increase clinical education capacity. Construction is expected to finish in late 2026.
Woo is working with partners from across the university, the optometric profession nationally and a range of other stakeholders toward establishing the Can-View Eye Data Repository. The goal is to advance AI-driven research, policy and innovation in vision and eye health to improve patient outcomes, enhance provider experience and help support an integrated health system in concert with the National Strategy for Eye Care. Working with data scientists, AI researchers, associations across the country and other parties such as the Southern Chiefs’ Organization in Manitoba, the team is now co-developing data governance policies and laying out the structure and use cases of the repository.
Woo’s leadership has led to agreements with Mount Royal University and the University of New Brunswick to explore opportunities to help start new schools of optometry in Western and Atlantic Canada respectively.
With School faculty members and optometrists across Canada, Woo has led efforts to partner with provincial associations and community organizations to increase access to eye care across Canada, particularly for Indigenous people, rural and remote communities, newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities and unhoused or precariously housed people.
The completed Waterloo Eye Institute will include a centre of excellence for teleoptometry, which will advance a novel paradigm as a complement to in-person care. The vision is that teleoptometry-enabled equipment will help patients in rural, remote and Indigenous communities obtain the continuous access to eye care they need and bring specialty services such as low vision rehabilitation and vision therapy closer to home.
“I’m confident the partnership between the School and the CAO will continue to grow in strength and impact as we all work together to realize the potential of the National Strategy for Eye Care,” said Woo. “I’m delighted to see Dr. Allison Scott as the new president of the CAO and Dr. Ben Thompson as the new director of the School. Under this exemplary leadership, I have no doubt that the School will serve as an effective partner with the CAO as it leads advocacy efforts for a groundbreaking national strategy for eye care.”