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Robert Owens, OD ‘80, FAAO, Diplomate American Board of Optometry, has been named the 2025 Salus University Alumni Association Albert Fitch Memorial Alumnus of the Year Award.
“I am honored and humbled in receiving the award but also gratified that I can acknowledge that this is indeed a ‘team award,’’ and express my gratitude to my mentors, supportive colleagues and friends and most importantly to my family,” said Dr. Owens.
In nominating him for the award, Robert Bittel, OD ‘83, a 2022 Salus Presidential Medal of Honor winner and 2013 Fitch Award winner, said Dr. Owens has represented PCO/Salus and the profession of Optometry at the highest levels and dedicated his entire professional career to advancing the profession and the PCO community.
“His constant volunteerism in educational advancement, advocacy at the state and national levels and his community service distinguishes Dr. Owens as one of the finest graduates of PCO/Salus,” said Dr. Bittel.
An accomplished and proud member of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University community since graduating, Dr. Owens has held numerous senior leadership roles throughout his career. From 1992 through 2014, he served on PennDOT’s Medical Advisory Board. In addition, he served as the president of the Lancaster County Optometric Association, and on several state committees, including the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA) Board of Trustees. In 2013, he served as president of the POA. Currently, he serves the treasurer on PCO’s Alumni board, and was the Salus University Alumni Association president in 2022. He is also a member of the American Optometric Association, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and is Board Certified with the American Board of Optometry.
Dr. Owens received his BS degree from Penn State with honors. Upon graduation from PCO, he worked in private practice in New Holland. Over Dr. Owens’ career he has spent many hours inspiring the future of optometry. In 2004, he took a temporary leave from his private practice to serve as a clinical supervisor at the College of Optometry at the Auckland University in New Zealand. He also worked in the Infant Research Labs at MIT, and he worked on vision research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Florida.
“I have been very fortunate and hope that I have been able to inspire some of the following generation of optometrists to relish this dynamic profession and explore its many dimensions beyond just spinning lenses in search of which is better, one or two,” he said.
Dr. Owens has also received numerous professional awards, among them including: Sigma Xi Honorary Research Society (1986), George Gottschalk, Jr. Memorial Award (POA, 2004), Optometrist of the Year Award (LCOS, 2010), and The Merit Award (POA, 2014). In 2018, Dr. Owens won the Pennsylvania Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year. He served as an InfantSee provider for 10 years, chairing the founding board of Bridge of Hope, Lebanon, in which he was the given the Appreciation Award in 2006.
Dr. Owens is married and has three children. He works with his wife Vicki, and his oldest daughter Sarah. His other daughter Colleen lives in Florida, and their son Ryan, lives in California.
Dr. Owens will receive the award at the 2025 Alumni Association Reception on June 14 on the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus.
