Save for a study abroad year and a post-doctoral residency, 91Ƶ has always been home for Fraser Horn ‘00, OD ‘04.
He grew up on the Forest Grove Campus around his mother, Betty, who was the longtime administrative assistant in the Social Sciences Department. He earned his undergraduate degree and doctorate at Pacific before embarking on a 20-year career on the faculty of the College of Optometry.
But come this summer, Horn and his family are embarking on an exciting overseas adventure. Waterford, Ireland will become home as Horn takes a two-year leave from Pacific to help develop and open an undergraduate optometry program at .
Professionally, Horn is excited to use the knowledge and skills he has developed at Pacific to help a country where optometrists are in great need.
“There is only one optometry school in Ireland, and the need is growing with the aging population and Baby Boomers getting older,” Horn said. “The fact that I can work with a wonderful team over there and bring the expertise that I’ve learned at Pacific and apply it there to make a difference for their citizens is a big honor.”
Horn will be tasked with the development of the structure and curriculum for a bachelor of science in optometry program, which will be part of South East Technological University’s School of Nursing, Health & Psychology. His development team includes members of the university’s nursing and human development faculty as well as researchers from the .
Horn and his team will spend the next year developing the program and will welcome the first cohort of students in Fall 2026.
The undergraduate model, Horn said, is the standard for providers in Europe, where eye care is part of the socialized medical system utilized in many European Union countries. Degree holders can provide eye exams and dispense corrective lenses, but cannot provide the breadth of therapeutic care that doctors of optometry in the U.S. can provide.
The need for optometrists in Ireland is significant. In 2023, Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment recommended adding optometrists to its , which identifies highly-skilled professional roles that are in high demand, but not always available in the resident job force.
“Right now, if you need treatment beyond diagnostic services, you have to go to regional hospitals. And they are overwhelmed,” Horn said. “This allows for optometrists to be another spoke in that medical wheel, to help provide better access to eye care.”
