VSP Global News

VSP Global News

Introducing the 2025 Rick Bay Foundation Student Innovator Awardees

VSP Vision™, in partnership with the Rick Bay Foundation, proudly recognizes three exceptional optometry students for their winning creative innovations:

• Angela Deng and Ami Kshatriya, UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Class of 2026
  • ContactEco: A Contact Lens Recycling Initiative—Angela and Ami’s sustainability-focused program makes contact lens recycling accessible, rewarding, and environmentally impactful.
    
    
• Annette Kretov, The Ohio State University College of Optometry, Class of 2028
  • Better Sight Better Life: Annette created a compelling educational tool using time-lapse videos that simulate the progression of vision loss across various eye diseases. The videos are designed for use in public education and social media campaigns to support efforts aimed at preserving vision. Read the press release to learn more.

This annual award honors the legacy of Rick Bay, former publisher and president of Review of Optometry and Review of Ophthalmology. VSP® partners with the Rick Bay Foundation to recognize outstanding student innovation and support the next generation of optometrists with scholarships awarded to students at UCB and OSU.

To date, VSP has awarded $4 million to nearly 1,200 optometry students and will award 70 more scholarships in 2025. These scholarship investments are one of the many ways VSP is investing in delivering support, value, and stability for the profession every step of the way.  Learn more about how VSP supports the future of optometry at vspproviderhub.com/scholarships.