The World Council of Optometry (WCO) announced the recipients of its international awards, recognizing individuals for their exceptional contributions to advancing optometry worldwide. These awards will be presented on June 26 during the Optometry’s Meeting 5th World Congress of Optometry conference.

Susan Cooper, OD, has been selected to receive the 2025 Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Dr. Uduak Udom. This award is the highest award that WCO can bestow and is given to an individual who, over time, has made outstanding contributions to the achievement of WCO’s Vision and Mission. Dr. Cooper is a founding member of the Vision Institute of Canada and served as the first woman president of the regulatory College of Optometrists of Ontario. Additionally, she served on faculty at the University of Waterloo as director of its International Optometric Bridging Program and is currently a board member of Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) USA and board chair of OGS Canada. Dr. Cooper has been involved with WCO since 2006, serving first as a North American representative on the board of directors, followed by chair of the Legislation, Registration, and Standards Committee,and, ultimately, as WCO President from 2011 to 2013. She also served as WCO managing director from 2018 to 2023.

Abraham Bromberg, OD, is the recipient of the WCO International Optometrist Award for his extraordinary contributions and commitment to the development of the profession of optometry and vision care globally. A leader in Mexican optometry for more than 50 years, Dr. Bromberg has served as president for both the College of Optometrists of Mexico City and the Mexican Association of Faculties, Schools, Councils (AMFECCO). He is now president of the Consejo Optometría México, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting professional optometry through social media and continuing education. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including honors from the State of Puebla, State of Mexico, AMFECCO, and the Essilor Award for Outstanding International Contributions to Optometry from the American Academy of Optometry (AAO). He became a member of the Berkeley Hall of Fame in 2023.

Sandra Wang-Harris, OD, MPH, has been chosen to deliver the Memorial Lecture. This memorial lecture honors the memory of Ms. Karen Sparrow, a public health optometrist who devoted herself to addressing the needs of underserved populations and regions who had limited access to eye care. In 1999, Dr. Wang-Harris established the first eye clinic for HIV-positive patients in northern Alabama, igniting her passion for working with underserved populations. She has worked in Nepal, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, East Timor (Timor Leste), The Gambia, Kazakhstan, and the Federated States of Micronesia. In 2024, she returned to the United States to serve as an associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry.