Honoring and celebrating an outstanding Program Director in ophthalmology, the award recognizes the critical role of the Program Director and celebrates the contributions of the awardee.
The Straatsma Award for Excellence in Resident Education (the “Straatsma Award”) was established through the generosity of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and private funds to recognize and celebrate an outstanding Program Director in ophthalmology. The award carries the name and honors the accomplishments of Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, former Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA and former Director of the Jules Stein Eye Institute. The award is presented annually at the Annual Meetings of the AAO and the AUPO and includes a cash prize.
The next nomination period will open February 2026.
2025 Straatsma Award for Excellence in Resident Education Recipient
Jennifer Lindsey, MD, MBA
Dr. Jennifer Luiz Lindsey is a distinguished ophthalmologist and educator whose career spans over two decades of clinical excellence, academic leadership, and national advocacy. A graduate of Rice University (BA, Biochemistry, cum laude) and Baylor College of Medicine (MD), Dr. Lindsey completed her ophthalmology residency at Baylor and later earned an Executive MBA with honors from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, where she was inducted into the Beta Sigma Gamma Honor Society. She is a 2020 graduate of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Leadership Development Program.
Dr. Lindsey’s academic career began at Baylor and flourished at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she served as Assistant and then Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. She held numerous leadership roles, including Residency Program Director and the James H. Elliott Endowed Director of Resident Education. Her tenure at Vanderbilt and the Veterans Health Administration’s Tennessee Valley Healthcare System was marked by transformative contributions to surgical education and clinical innovation, including the development of a comprehensive online learning management system for ophthalmology residents.
In 2024, Dr. Lindsey joined Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School as a faculty member and was named Vice Chair for Education and Director of Resident Education at Harvard Ophthalmology, where she continues to shape the future of ophthalmic training. In 2025, she was named the Diane and Albert Kaneb Chair in Ophthalmology. She practices comprehensive ophthalmology, with an emphasis on cataract surgery, and is an active clinical and surgical teacher for Harvard medical students and ophthalmology residents.
Nationally, Dr. Lindsey has held leadership positions in the Association of Veterans Affairs Ophthalmologists (past President), the AAO Secretariat for State Affairs, and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), where she is the current President of the Program Directors Council. Her scholarly work includes numerous peer-reviewed publications on surgical education, health policy, and clinical outcomes, and she has been recognized with multiple awards for teaching excellence and leadership, including the AAO Achievement and Secretariat Awards.
Dr. Lindsey’s career is defined by her commitment to patient care, educational innovation, advocacy, and mentorship. Her work continues to influence ophthalmology training programs nationwide, advancing excellence and innovation in medical education.
Award Information
Nominees for the Straatsma Award must fulfill the following criteria:
- Be a Member of AUPO and a Member or Fellow of the AAO
- Have served as a Program Director at an ACGME-accredited AUPO member program for a minimum of 3 years
- Currently serve as the Program Director
- Embody the qualities of:
- Commitment to resident education
- Dedication to the residency training process
- Active engagement in program leadership
- Innovation in and/or advancement of residency education in Ophthalmology at the Regional, National or AUPO level
- Be the consummate teacher/mentor/advisor
Special consideration in the selection process will be given to:
- current activities, not simply to length of service or to contributions made many years previously
- nominees who have published in peer-reviewed literature on subjects related to residency education
- innovative work
- those who have achieved a leadership role in medical education
- achievement in mentoring other educators/future educators
- Candidates must be nominated by their Department Chair
- The Application Packet must include the following items (10 pt. font or greater):
- A nomination form completed by the Chair
- One (1) supporting letter (each not to exceed two pages) from an ophthalmologist who is not a current trainee
- A copy of the Nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae
- A list of peer-reviewed publications by the Nominee that are relevant to residency education
- A signed letter from the Nominee (not to exceed two pages) summarizing the Nominee’s accomplishments as Program Director and plans for future activities. The Nominee must also agree in the letter to present at the AUPO Annual Meeting on a topic related to residency training if chosen as the Awardee.
- The application packet must be compiled by the Department Chair and submitted electronically by April 15.
- All completed applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee and a recommendation forwarded to the AUPO Board of Trustees for approval and the AAO Board of Trustees for approval.
- The Awardee will be notified by July.
Past Award Recipients
| Pratap Challa, MD (2024) | Andreas K. Lauer, MD (2013) |
| Fasika Woreta, MD, MPH (2023) | Thomas A. Oetting, MD (2012) |
| Laura K. Green, MD (2022) | Richard A. Harper, MD (2011) |
| Evan “Jake” Waxman, MD, PhD (2021) | Maria M. Aaron, MD (2010) |
| R. Michael Siatkowski, MD (2020) | Mark S. Juzych, MD (2009) |
| Susan Culican, MD, PhD (2019) | Paul D. Langer, MD (2008) |
| Preston Blomquist, MD (2018) | James P. Dunn, Jr., MD (2007) |
| Shahzad Mian, MD (2017) | Karl C. Golnik, MD (2006) |
| Steven J. Gedde, MD (2016) | Anthony C. Arnold, MD (2005) |
| Tara Uhler, MD (2015) | Nicholas J. Volpe, MD (2004) |
| Laura L. Wayman, MD (2014) | Alfredo A. Sadun, MD, PhD (2003) |