Elkins Park, PA, May 27, 2008 - There are significant changes happening at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. At a press conference on May 19, Dr. Thomas L. Lewis, President of the College, announced that PCO will become Salus University on July 1, 2008.On Friday, at the institution's Audiology commencement, Dr. Lewis announced that the new university's College of Audiology will be named in honor of the founding dean of the PCO School of Audiology, the late George S. Osborne, Ph.D., D.D.S., becoming the Salus University George S. Osborne College of Audiology.
A pioneer in the profession, Dr. Osborne founded the PCO School of Audiology in 2000, which included a bridge distance education program for licensed practitioners (AuDonline).
For the residential audiology program, Dr. Osborne established a robust curriculum that includes a strong biomedical base and sets the standard for the Doctor of Audiology degree as the entry level degree for the profession.
At last year's commencement, Dr. Osborne proudly bestowed Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degrees upon the first residential program graduates of the PCO School of Audiology, as well as their 265 distance education colleagues. His unexpected death a few weeks later was a great loss to PCO and an even greater loss to the field of audiology.
Since its founding, more than 1,000 students have completed their Doctor of Audiology studies at the PCO School of Audiology. All of the graduates had spoken to, if not met, George Osborne at some point in their academic career and considered him a teacher, mentor, friend and cheerleader. Celebrated throughout audiology for his tenacity and courage in elevating the profession, Dr. Osborne's vision and humor made him a well-known figure at PCO. Salus University is proud to name the College of Audiology in his honor.
The Pennsylvania College of Optometry was founded in 1919 in Philadelphia PA and will become Salus University on July 1, 2008. Salus is Latin for health and well-being. Salus University will consist of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry;the George S. Osborne College of Audiology;the College of Rehabilitation and Education and the College of Health Sciences. Recognized as a leader in the education of health care professionals, Salus University grants a total of nine professional and graduate degrees.
For more information, please go to: www.pco.edu.
