Lectureships
Cultivating Excellence Through Academic Exchange
Innovation in ophthalmology is driven by the sharing of expertise, research, and new perspectives. To foster this exchange, the DMEI Foundation supports a series of prestigious lectureships hosted by the OU Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology. Each year, these lectureships bring leading ophthalmologists, vision scientists, and healthcare leaders from across the country to share their knowledge and insights with faculty, trainees, and medical students to help ensure the department remains at the forefront of ophthalmic education, research, innovation, and clinical care.
Endowed gifts established through the DMEI Foundation provide permanent, reliable support for these lectureships, ensuring their impact continues in perpetuity.
The Tullos O. Coston Lectureship
Tullos O. Coston, MD, moved to Oklahoma in 1936 from the faculty of the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Coston was described by his former Chairman, Alan Woods, as “one of the ablest technical ophthalmic surgeons in the country” and a man of “sterling honesty.”
In 1971, Dean A. McGee, president and CEO of Kerr-McGee Corporation, developed a case of retinal detachment. Dr. Coston, assisted by Thomas E. Acers, MD, successfully repaired it. Within four years, these leaders in the field began assembling a team of community and business leaders to develop an eye institute in Oklahoma. The Dean McGee Eye Institute was founded and opened its doors in 1975.
In honor of the enormous contributions Dr. Coston made to these efforts, the Tullos O. Coston Lectureship was established in his honor in 1980. The Coston Lecture is held each year during the Annual Resident and Alumni Meeting, where distinguished ophthalmologists are invited to share their research, interests, and expertise.
Coston Lecturers
- 2026 – J. Timothy Stout, MD, PhD, MBA
- 2025 – Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA
- 2024 – Jane C. Edmond, MB
- 2023 – Judy E. Kim, MD
- 2022 – Robert E. Wiggins Jr., MD, MHA
- 2021 – Tamara R. Fountain, MD
- 2020 – Tamara R. Fountain, MD – Canceled
- 2019 – David W. Parke II, MD
- 2018 – Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD
- 2017 – David F. Chang, MD
- 2016 – Carol L. Shields, MD
- 2015 – Andrew G. Lee, MD
- 2014 – Peter A. Netland, MD, PhD
- 2013 – Randall J. Olson, MD
- 2012 – Stephen C. Plugfielder, MD
- 2011 – Roger F. Steinert, MD
- 2010 – George B. Bartley, MD
- 2009 – Stephen S. Lane, MD
- 2008 – Joel S. Schuman, MD
- 2007 – David K. Dueker, MD
- 2006 – Luther L. Fry, MD, FACS
- 2005 – W. Stanley Muenzler, MD
- 2004 – C. P. Wilkinson, MD
- 2003 – M. Bruce Shields, MD
- 2002 – J. Bronwyn Bateman, MD
- 2001 – Thomas E. Acers, MD
- 2000 – Jerry A. Shields, MD
- 1999 – Douglas D. Koch, MD
- 1998 – Gary W. Abrams, MD
- 1997 – John D. Hunkeler, MD
- 1996 – George O. Waring III, MD
- 1995 – Darrell E. Wolfley, MD
- 1994 – Richard H. Keates, MD
- 1993 – Bruce E. Spivey, MD
- 1992 – George L. Spaeth, MD
- 1991 – Herbert E. Kaufman, MD
- 1990 – David Paton, MD
- 1989 – James H. Elliott, MD
- 1988 – J. Lawton Smith, MD
- 1987 – Arthur J. Jampolsky, MD
- 1986 – Dan B. Jones, MD
- 1985 – Stephen J. Ryan, MD
- 1984 – Bradley R. Straatsma, MD
- 1983 – A. Edward Maumenee, MD
- 1982 – David Shoch, MD
- 1981 – Irving H. Leopold, MD
- 1980 – Charles E. Iliff, MD
The Walter J. Stark Memorial Lectureship
Walter J. Stark served as administrator of the Dean McGee Eye Institute from 1978 until 1991. Under his stewardship, the Institute grew from three floors with five ophthalmologists to six floors of physicians and basic scientists. The number of patients seen at the institute each year doubled—and then doubled again.
During his tenure, he carefully scrutinized operations, conserving assets and keeping practices sound and strong. Through the department’s activities in patient care, education, and vision research, citizens throughout Oklahoma benefited from Mr. Stark’s leadership.
In tribute to, and memory of, his contributions to the field of ophthalmology, the Oklahoma Health Center, and our state as a whole, Mr. Stark’s colleagues, friends, and family created the Walter J. Stark Memorial Lectureship. Through this lectureship, leading voices in ophthalmology come to the OU Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology to share best practices and insights from their own experiences.
Stark Memorial Lecturers
- 2026 – Stephen D. McLeod, MD
- 2025 – Christopher J. Rapuano, MD
- 2024 – Steven E. Feldon, MD, MBA
- 2023 – Daniel J. Briceland, MD
- 2022 – James Chodosh, MD, MPH
- 2021 – Wallace L. M. Alward, MD
- 2020 – Wallace L. M. Alward, MD – Canceled
- 2019 – Ruth D. Williams, MD
- 2018 – George A. Williams, MD
- 2017 – Keith D. Carter, MD
- 2016 – Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS
- 2015 – Bartly J. Mondino, MD
- 2014 – Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD
- 2013 – Terrence P. O’Brien, MD
- 2012 – Paul Sternberg, Jr., MD
- 2011 – Susan H. Day, MD
- 2010 – John G. Clarkson, MD
- 2009 – Paul R. Lichter, MD
- 2008 – Julia A. Haller, MD
- 2007 – William L. Rich III, MD
- 2006 – Richard P. Mills, MD, MPH
- 2005 – Peter J. McDonnell, MD
- 2004 – Roger A. Dailey, MD
- 2003 – Richard L. Abbott, MD
- 2002 – Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA
- 2001 – Douglas D. Koch, MD
- 2000 – George W. Blankenship, MD
- 1999 – Morton F. Goldberg, MD
- 1998 – M. Bruce Shields, MD
- 1997 – Neil R. Miller, MD
- 1996 – W. Richard Green, MD
- 1995 – Ronald E. Smith, MD
- 1994 – Charles P. Wilkinson, MD
- 1993 – Dan B. Jones, MD
- 1992 – Walter J. Stark, Jr., MD
The Robert Eugene Anderson, MD, PhD Lectureship
Robert E. “Gene” Anderson, MD, PhD, is an internationally recognized vision scientist whose research, leadership, and mentorship have had a profound impact on ophthalmology and the field of vision research. He joined the Dean McGee Eye Institute in 1995 and served as its Director of Vision Research from 1998 to 2019 before his retirement in 2020. During his distinguished career as one of the world’s most respected and prolific vision scientists, Dr. Anderson authored more than 300 scientific publications, secured nearly $70 million in research funding, and trained generations of scientists and physicians who have gone on to become leaders in the field.
In recognition of Dr. Anderson’s extraordinary legacy and transformative contributions to vision research, colleagues, friends, board members, and others donated to the DMEI Foundation to endow the Robert Eugene Anderson, MD, PhD Lecture. Presented each year by the OU Vision Workshop’s Visiting Scholar, the lecture brings renowned vision researchers to Oklahoma to share new discoveries and inspire the next generation of scientists.
The DMEI Foundation distributes funds from this endowment to help underwrite the named lecture and other OU Vision Workshop expenses, ensuring that Dr. Anderson’s commitment to scientific excellence, innovation, and mentorship continues to influence vision research for years to come.
Anderson Lecturers
- 2026 – Bela Anand-Apte, MBBS, PhD, MBA
- 2025 – John S. Penn, PhD
- 2024 – Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH
- 2023 – Steven J. Fliesler, PhD
- 2022 – Tonia S. Rex, PhD
- 2021 – Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD
- 2020 – Canceled
- 2019 – David J. Calkins, PhD
- 2018 – Patricia A. D’Amore, PhD, MBA, FARVO
- 2017 – Victor L. Perez, MD
- 2016 – Jeffrey L. Goldberg, MD, PhD
Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma Distinguished Lecture Series
In addition to its individual named lectureships, the DMEI Foundation supports a series of three to five distinguished visiting lectures each year that bring leading ophthalmologists, vision scientists, and educators to the OU Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology. These guests share their expertise with residents, fellows, faculty, and members of Oklahoma’s broader ophthalmic community, fostering the exchange of ideas that advances patient care, education, and research.
Beyond their formal presentations, visiting lecturers spend dedicated time with residents in small-group educational sessions and informal social settings, providing valuable opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and networking.
An endowment established by the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma at the DMEI Foundation provides ongoing support for this program, ensuring that current and future generations of ophthalmologists continue to benefit from exposure to some of the field’s most distinguished leaders. Upcoming and recent distinguished lecturers are shown below.
2025
2024
Sustaining the Power of Shared Knowledge
These distinguished lectureships bring benchmark data, insights, and innovations to Oklahoma—ensuring the department remains a vital hub for advanced education, mentorship, and peer-to-peer collaboration. Connect with DMEIF to discover how you can support these ongoing programs.