Professor Emeritus Ralph L. Peabody served as
director of the program from its inception in 1963
until 1988. Prof. George J. Zimmerman became
director of the program in 1988 and continues in
that role today. Dr. Peabody received assistance
from Dr. Mary Moore during many of the initial 25
years of the program, while Dr. Zimmerman received assistance from Dr. Lynn Fox for many of
the past 25 years. It is also important to note the
contribution of Dr. Bruce Blasch in the development of the O&M program in 1969. Despite the
two different years in which the certification programs began, the program is celebrating both
specialty areas as well as the masters and doctoral graduates this year. It is important to mention that the program could not have been able to
achieve this milestone without the numerous parttime faculty members who have taught courses
and supervised students in their clinical placements. All the Pitt grads have benefitted from
their instruction and mentorship.
Throughout this upcoming academic year, the Pitt
Vision Studies Program will be honored in a number of different ways. The first recognition will be
the installation of a stone plaque on the Wall of
Tribute at the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, KY. The
stone plaque will be installed in time for this
year's annual APH meeting in October. An identical stone plaque will be hung in the Pitt School of
Education. Graduates and friends of the Program
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