Buddy Russell, FCLSA, COMT, FSLS, NCLEM, LDO. After a long and distinguished career at Emory University, Buddy left academia to accept a position at Thomas Eye Group in Atlanta. In addition to patient care, Buddy is involved in teaching, product development and validation. He has been certified by J.C.A.H.P.O. since 1986 and is a Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist. Buddy is also a Fellow member of the Scleral Lens Society and the Contact Lens Society of America. He lectures frequently at national and international meetings on contact lens related topics. Buddy has written articles for a number of publications, two chapters for CLSA’s advanced training manual and is a peer reviewer for Eye and Contact Lens and on the editorial board of the Contact Lens Science and Research publication. He is a contributing editor for CLSA’s Eyewitness journal. Buddy served as the National Contact Lens coordinator for the NIH sponsored Infant Aphakia Treatment Study. Buddy continues to be involved in contact lens research and the development of new products as a consultant to industry.

His most recent accomplishments include being awarded the Joseph Soper Award for excellence in education, co-authoring a chapter in Taylor and Hoyt’s Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus textbook and was chosen as the CLSA member of the year in 2019.