ISCLS member Donald (Don) Ezekiel awarded an Honorary Doctor Degree

Congratulations to ISCLS member Don Ezekiel for his Honorary Doctor Degree from the University of Western Australia (UWA). You can find Don’s speech in the Member’s section.

Here is what the university wrote about Don.

Mr Donald (Don) Ezekiel AM is an innovator, entrepreneur, healthcare professional and trailblazer. Don has actively sought out opportunities to extend his knowledge internationally and brought new skills and ideas home to Western Australia, where he quietly grew a productive export business selling contact lenses to the world. Through leading a successful business, Don was able to introduce new specialised products to patients in Australia and in more than 20 countries.

Don’s innovations include the use of rigid gas permeable materials for scleral lenses. Through joint partnerships, he developed what was reputedly, the world’s first foldable (sic hydrogel) intra-ocular lens.

Don has made a significant and lasting contribution to the optometry profession and patients who benefited from more comfortable contact lenses and better protection for the long-term eye health of the wearer. At the same time, Don maintained a family optometry practice, caring for patients and providing them with the best vision correction options. This award reflects the culmination of a lifetime of achievement that began when Don completed his Optometry Board of WA Diploma of Optometry through coursework studies at UWA in 1957.

Picture is Donald Ezekiel surrounded by his grandchildren.