Poster Award Scholarship

Award Amount: $2,000 scholarship per recipient, plus free registration, free travel, and free accommodations at the Heart of America meeting

Program Focus: Recognizes outstanding poster presentations submitted by residents and optometry professionals

Award Details

• Multiple awards available (5 residents selected for 2026 meeting)
• Recipients selected based on highest rankings from poster selection committee
• Includes comprehensive meeting support: free registration, free travel, and free accommodations

Special Recognition

Dr. Larry Stoppel Award for Excellent Poster: One recipient selected for an exceptional poster presentation receives special recognition

2026 Poster Award Winners

1. Katelynn Edwards, OD (Larry Stoppel Award Winner)
   • Poster: "Diplopia as the Initial Manifestation of Metastatic ALK-Positive Lung Adenocarcinoma"
   • Residency: Nova Southeastern University
2. Anna Beth Harris, OD
   • Poster: "Beyond the Usual Suspects: Idiopathic Orbital Inflammatory Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient"
   • Residency: Indiana University
3. Hannah Walleck, OD
   • Poster: "Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Reveals Atrial Septal Defect and Factor V Leiden Mutation in Pediatric Patient"
   • Residency: University of Missouri at St. Louis
4. Alexander Rief, OD, MS
   • Poster: "Complications of residual rust rings: siderosis and other related manifestations"
   • Residency: Northeastern State University - Oklahoma College of Optometry
5. Juliann Rados, OD
   • Poster: "Compressive Optic Neuropathy: Not Always What Meets the Eye"
   • Residency: Northeastern State University - Oklahoma College of Optometry