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91��Ƶ Professor Emeritus of Optometry Hannu Laukkanen ’83, OD ’84, MEd ‘94 has been recognized for a lifetime of excellence in publication in the fields of vision therapy and vision science.

Laukkanen, a Pacific alumnus, received the from the at the organization’s annual meeting in April in Fort Worth, Texas. The award recognizes an OVDRA fellow who has made outstanding contributions to optometric literature in the areas of vision therapy and vision development.

Laukkanen is just the second Pacific faculty member to receive the award, which has been presented annually since 1971. The late Bill Ludlam received the award in 1977.

Laukkanen is internationally recognized for having developed and validated a brain injury symptom tool that has been translated into over 12 languages and is currently used on four continents.

“We’ve been fortunate to learn from someone with a passion towards vision performance and who has shared his expertise and passion with colleagues around the world,” said Fraser Horn, dean of the Pacific College of Optometry. “I believe that our patients, students, faculty, staff, colleagues and community have benefited from Dr. Laukkanen’s dedication to vision therapy, vision rehabilitation, vision development and optometric education.”

Laukkanen’s work also includes four book chapters on optometry and visual science and 18 peer-reviewed journal articles. He continues to be in demand as a presenter on visual science topics worldwide.

Laukkanen received a bachelor’s degree in general science from the University of Oregon in 1974 and earned a bachelor’s in visual science from Pacific in 1983. He received his Doctor of Optometry from Pacific in 1984 and a Master of Education in visual function in learning in 1994.

After graduation, Laukkanen spent two years as a College of Optometry teaching fellow before formally joining the faculty in 1987 as an assistant clinical professor. He semi-retired in 2018 as a clinical professor and chief of vision therapy services.  Since then, he has continued to serve Pacific as an associate graduate professor, teaching PhD classes and serving as a backup attending doctor in Pacific’s eyecare clinics.