Before he was acting dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, president of the American Academy of Optometry, and chair of the BLINK Study, Dr. Walline was a kid admiring a car.

“I’m from a small town,” he tells EB. “The optometrist traveled from the city each week and drove a ‘nice’ car (it was a Dodge Daytona). Unfortunately, that was my initial inspiration. Over time and with experience, my inspiration became much more meaningful.”

And his impact on the industry is just as meaningful, as he was recently recognized by the American
Optometric Association with the Optometric Educator of the Year Award.

Here, the celebrated optometrist dishes on diligence and doodle art.