David E.I. Pyott, Chairman
of the Board and CEO, Allergan.
YORBA LINDA, Calif.— Marshall B. Ketchum University will honor community leaders for their philanthropic impact and humanitarian support of optometry at the third annual Shared Visions Gala & V-Awards. The Corporate V-Award will be presented to Allergan, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., and will be accepted by Allergan chairman of the board and CEO, David E.I. Pyott. The Founder’s V-Award will be accepted by the Ketchum family for the university’s founder, Marshall B. Ketchum, MD. The Shared Visions Artist Award will go to Susan Joy Gustafson of Vancouver, Wash.

“As a leading health care company with a heritage in eyecare, Allergan is committed to developing innovative products and strives to make a positive and lasting impact on the vision community and the broader health care community,” said Allergan’s Pyott. “We are pleased and honored to receive this Corporate V–Award at the Marshall B. Ketchum University Shared Visions Gala & V–Awards.”

The Shared Visions Gala & V–Awards is the signature event for Marshall B. Ketchum University of Fullerton, Calif., a new name for an expanded health care educational institution including the Southern California College of Optometry and the developing School of Physician Assistant Studies. With a theme of “Sharing Vision – Changing Lives,” the event will be held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library here Sept. 19, 2013, with a VIP reception at 4:30pm followed by a gala starting at 5:30 p.m.

“Our third annual Shared Visions Gala & V–Awards is particularly exciting because of our new university name and our transition into an inter-professional health care institution," said Marshall B. Ketchum University president Kevin Alexander, OD, PhD.

The Gala and V–Awards program includes selections from the Shared Visions Art Exhibit, showcasing works by blind or visually impaired artists, with some of the artists in attendance at the event. Gold sponsors of the Shared Visions Gala & V–Awards are Allergan, Essilor and NVision.  Proceeds from the event go toward supporting vision readiness for all children in Orange County. In 2012, the Gala raised more than $200,000 and hosted 300 attendees in support of the creation of the mobile vision van known as “Eye Force One,” bringing vision services to those in need who cannot travel to a clinic.

Established in 1904, the private, non-profit Marshall B. Ketchum University confers a four-year, professional degree, Doctor of Optometry (OD), and a Master of Science in Vision Science (MS) degree. The university is also adding the School of Physician Assistant Studies that expects to award a Master of Medical Sciences (MMS) degree as the first step in the development of an inter-professional health care campus. Marshall B. Ketchum University owns and operates two vision care centers—the Eye Care Center on its campus, and the Optometric Center of Los Angeles located on Broadway at Martin Luther King Boulevard.