ICO’s community came through on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, raising more than $31,000 in support of the IEI Vision of Hope program and surpassing last year’s total. 

On Jan. 1, 2026, the Dr. Newton K. Wesley Research Center celebrated its two-year anniversary.

ICO’s contact lens faculty and residents made a strong showing at the 2026 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, held Jan. 7–10, contributing 11 poster presentations and three featured presenters.

On April 1, 2026, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) celebrated 50 years of Brewer/Taylor Lions Low Vision Clinic operation with a ceremony at the school.

On Feb. 27, ICO alumni, faculty and friends gathered in Atlanta for a reception during the SECO International Congress. 

In mid-February, ICO’s Instagram account (@ico_optometry) reached 7,000 followers, a milestone that reflects the engaged and active community ICO has built online. 

ICO students delivered four abstract presentations at the Heart of America Eye Care Congress in Kansas City, Mo., in February 2026, covering topics from steroid-induced chorioretinopathy to Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

The Illinois College of Optometry proudly hosted Residents’ Day 2026, an annual educational symposium that highlights the clinical excellence and intellectual rigor of optometric residency training. 

ICO’s annual Quiz Bowl returned this April with a new theme, Hippie vs. Drippy, bringing the usual crowd energy, raffle prizes and one of the more spirited competitions in recent memory. 

The Career Development team hosted the 29th Annual Practice Opportunities Symposium on April 10, bringing together students, alumni, and professionals.

At ICO, the tradition of alumni mentorship runs deep, supporting students from clinical training to professional practice.

ICO’s annual formal went prehistoric this April. Students, faculty and friends gathered among the Field Museum’s dinosaurs for an evening of dancing, great food and good company. 

ICO is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Trustees: Steven Krates, D.O., founder of Krates Eye Centers; Josh Rogers, OD ’16, MBA, FAAO; and Samantha Love, OD ’05.

Two students have been selected for this year’s Summer Research Program. 

ICO’s Primary Eye Care Center has completed the final phase of its transformative three-phase renovation. 

ICO held its annual Capstone Ceremony on May 14, recognizing the accomplishments of the Class of 2026.