Dean Evan Hart, O.D., M.A., M.S. (Candidate in Bioethics), B.S., A.A.S., F.A.A.O. (born November 4, 1957) is an American scientist, clinical optometrist, professor, and the founder of Woodbury Ophthalmic Group and Woodbury Optical Studio. Dean ran for

Nassau County Legislature The Nassau County Legislature is the lawmaking body of Nassau County, New York. The county is divided into 19 legislative districts, each represented by an elected legislator. It was formed in 1996 to succeed the Nassau County Board of Superviso ...

in 2015. He was a candidate for the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

in the 15th Assembly District of the 2016 election. Hart also ran for town office in 2017.

Early life and education

Dean Evan Hart was born November 4, 1957, in

Jericho, New York Jericho is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States, approximately 29 miles (47 km) east of Midtown Manhattan. The population wa ...

. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from

New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a Private university, private research university, research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York (state), New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long I ...

and earned an M.A. in biology from

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

. Hart holds an O.D. from

SUNY College of Optometry The State University of New York College of Optometry (SUNY Optometry) is a public school of optometry in New York City. SUNY Optometry is home to one of the largest optometric facilities in the nation, and is recognized as a global leader of e ...

and conducted postgraduate research at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

. He completed an M.S. degree in bioethics at Columbia University in May 2021.

Career

Ophthalmology and Optometry

Hart held a position in academia starting with Director of the Low Vision Clinic to teach

Ophthalmology Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

residents to treat and manage the visually impaired at Harlem Hospital Medical Center. He taught Refraction and Physical Optics within the Department of Ophthalmology,

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, The Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute. Hart was an Associate Research Scientist at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Ophthalmology, Harkness Eye Institute from 1989 to 1998. He was appointed assistant professor in ophthalmology at Columbia University directing contact lens and low vision clinics from 1998 to 2012. Hart concurrently founded Woodbury Ophthalmic Group and Woodbury Optical Studio in 1989 in Hicksville, NY and practices optometry there. He is licensed by the American Board of Opticianry. He has delivered lectures and presentations

optician An optician is an individual who fits glasses or contact lenses by filling a refractive prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They are able to translate and adapt ophthalmic prescriptions, dispense products, and work with acces ...

optometrists Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...

and

ophthalmologists Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

. Hart was also quoted in press about protecting people's eyes when viewing the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. Hart had conducted laboratory and clinical research. He has lectured and written about immunocytohistochemistry, polymer chemistry, biochemistry, electron microscopy, dietary and environments effects on tears, clinical epidemiology, microbiology, elemental analysis, physiological optics, bioethics, and contact lenses. After completing his Master's in Bioethics at Columbia University, Hart published on the topic of bioethics in ''Voices in Bioethics'' and ''Nursing Ethics''.

Politics

In 2015, Hart ran for

on the Democratic line against an incumbent Republican in the 18th Legislative District and lost by one-percent. Hart founded Long Island Citizens for Good Government (LICGG) and became its president. As President of the group he called on Nassau County District Attorney to investigate Town of Oyster Bay contracts. He also supports oversight of Oyster Bay finances. In spring of 2016, Hart launched his campaign for the New York State Assembly. Hart has been a candidate for town, county, and state offices, running on Democrat, Working Family, Women's Equality, Independence, Green, and Reform party lines. He has advocated for anti-corruption and government reform.

Humanitarian work

Hart joined Moreano World Medical Mission on a trip to the Dominican Republic and provided tools to fit eyeglasses for children and seniors without cost to patients. The trip was praised by New York State Assemblyman Chuck Lavine. Hart spoke at the United Nations about the disproportionate impact of inadequate healthcare for women and their eyes after his trip to the Dominican Republic. As President of Long Island Citizens for Good Government, Hard advocated for better inmate treatment and spending practices in prisons. Hart has volunteered with the visually impaired in Harlem, New York. In 2016 he volunteered for ophthalmic care at the special Olympics in Brockport, NY. Dr. Hart is currently the Ophthalmic Affairs Chairman of Friends for Good Health, a not-for-profit organization that works to provide healthcare for people in poverty.

Awards and recognition

Long Island Business News ''Long Island Business News'' (LIBN) is a weekly business journal based in Ronkonkoma, New York. Launched in 1953 as the Long Island Commercial Review, LIBN covers business, government, legal, nonprofit and health care issues in Long Island's tw ...

- 2016 Top CEO Awards * Long Island Business news- 2016 Achievements in Healthcare * American Optometric Association's, Contact Lens Section awarded its inaugural legend award in 2012. * American Optometric Association, Contact Lens Section awarded its yearly achievement award in 1999. * The American Optometric Foundation - Harold Kohn memorial award for outstanding paper based on original investigative research work in 1987. * The National Eye Institute - travel fellowship for the presentation of research findings, 1985 ARVO meeting * Scuba diving photographic awards * Front and back covers of ''Alert Diver'' magazineDean Hart, “Serenity Scuba”, Photograph, ''Alert Diver:'' ''The Magazine of Divers Alert Network'', n.d., Cover

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Dean Evan Living people 1957 births American optometrists American scientists