Art Optical supports student with specialty contact lens travel grant
Art Optical Contact Lens Inc., a leading provider of custom contact lenses, in partnership with contact and intraocular lens maker Contamac, has named Julia Berry, BS, as the recipient of its Specialty Contact Lens Travel Grant for the upcoming American Academy of Optometry meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Berry, a third-year optometry student at Drexel University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry, was selected for what the company said was her innovative application of an Art Optical lens design to address a complex patient case.
The grant provides financial assistance for Berry to attend AAO 2026, where she will present her poster, “Scleral Lens Fitting in a Post-Keratoplasty Patient with Severe Visual Impairment.”
“Specialty contact lenses are about restoring vision and transforming patients’ lives,” said Jill Anastor, president of Art Optical. “Julia’s work demonstrates how advanced fitting strategies can overcome complex visual challenges, and we are proud to support future leaders as they share their clinical contributions with our industry.”
In support of optometric education, Art Optical and Contamac offer travel grant opportunities to students, residents and early-career ODs pursuing specialty contact lens practice, the announcement continued. Since launching the program in 2022, Art Optical has recognized 26 rising professionals with funding to attend major industry conferences.
To review past winning submissions, grant qualifications or application details for 2027 professional contact lens meetings, click here.
