Elkins Park, PA - Felix M. Barker, II, OD, MS, FAAO and Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker, PhD, will each be presented with the 2014 Salus University Distinguished Service Award. This award is given to a non-alumnus who is closely identified with Salus University and who has provided notable service to the University and their profession.
Salus University is an internationally recognized academic institution offering a wide range of graduate and post-graduate degree programs for healthcare professionals. Drs. Felix Barker and Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker will be presented with their awards at the Salus alumni reception taking place in Philadelphia on June 27 at the American Optometric Association’s annual meeting.
Dr. Felix Barker, Salus professor emeritus, has been an educator, researcher, administrator and student mentor for more than 30 years. He began his career at Salus University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1978 as the chief of Primary Care Services at The Eye Institute. He served in various leadership roles within the optometry program before becoming the driving force behind the institution’s research program. As the dean of research, Dr. Barker made significant changes to how the institution structured research. He worked directly with the researchers, overseeing their studies, facilitating and helping to support their grant efforts. An active advocate of community service, he founded the Salus Lions Club student chapter. Dr. Barker retired in 2010.
According to Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, Salus University president, “Dr. Felix Barker is a distinguished educator and valued member of the Salus community. We are honored to present him with this award to recognize the extraordinary service and the many contributions he has made to this great institution.”
Dr. Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker, professor emeritus and founding dean of the Biomedicine program, has been a part of Salus University for more than 35 years. She has taught in the optometry, audiology and physician assistant programs, leading the latter in 2009 during a significant time of transition. Dr. Dayhaw-Barker also served as the assistant dean, then associate dean of Basic Science before serving as the associate dean for the Foundations of Optometric Medicine. In this role she received much of the credit for the development of Curriculum 2000, a major innovation to the optometry curriculum implemented in 2001. Another of Dr. Dayhaw-Barker’s major contributions was the creation and launch of the University’s PhD in Biomedicine program. Dr. Dayhaw-Barker’s administrative talents and foresight also laid the foundation for University-wide inter-professional education. Dr. Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker retired in February of 2014.
According to Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, Salus University president, “Dr. Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker is a respected educator and mentor to her students. Her leadership in program and curriculum development has greatly enhanced Salus University and we are pleased to present her with the 2014 Distinguished Service Award.”
