ASCRS News: ASCRS Foundation Update
Summer 2026
The ASCRS Foundation hosted a number of events and sessions at the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. In addition to recognizing its 2026 award and grant winners, the ASCRS Foundation hosted a symposium, which focused on domestic volunteerism and Operation Sight.
The Party for a Purpose was a huge success, raising funds to benefit Operation Sight. The ASCRS Foundation also hosted several events to recognize and thank both individual and industry donors.
co-awardees.
Source: ASCRS
Source: ASCRS
Operation Sight Volunteer of the Year
This year’s Operation Sight Volunteer of the Year is Judith Kirby, MD. Dr. Kirby practices at Kirby Eye Center in Dallas, Texas. She spoke to EyeWorld about her involvement with Operation Sight and humanitarian eyecare.
Dr. Kirby said that doing volunteer work has been a part of her life since childhood, all the way back to her involvement with Girl Scouts and high school volunteering.
When she first finished her ophthalmology training, Dr. Kirby had the desire to get involved with volunteerism and humanitarian eyecare. However, most of the available opportunities were overseas, which was hard for her with small children. “When I became aware of Operation Sight, I was very enthusiastic about it because I could give back to my community without having to leave my family,” she said. There is so much conversation about global ophthalmology needs, but there are significant local ophthalmology needs as well, she said.
It takes very little sacrifice to add an extra surgery at the end of my OR day to take care of a person in need, Dr. Kirby said, adding that ASCRS and Operation Sight have made it easy for her to get involved. “For me, it’s ridiculously simple,” she said. We’re talking about people who are usually legally blind because of how bad their cataracts are, she said. They can’t work, they can’t see their family, and they can’t ambulate around their house.
Dr. Kirby said that every case where she’s able to help patients in need is memorable and impactful. Most of the time, these cataracts are very complex because they have not had the resources previously to obtain eyecare. They start out with such poor vision, so to give that vision back in even just one eye is extraordinary. “The smile on their face is worth everything,” she said. “They’re so appreciative and so happy. How lucky am I to be able to provide such a service? I feel so fortunate.”
Dr. Kirby added that her whole practice team sees the benefit of being involved with Operation Sight and volunteer surgery. “One of the things that helps me keep my employees is that they derive satisfaction from giving back as well, from helping people see,” she said. “It’s not just me, it’s my whole team.” She added that the interaction and the collaboration with her staff really shows that “everyone is on the same page to try to do something to help these patients.”
Dr. Kirby is also grateful for her training, noting that she trained at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, under physicians like Dan Jones, MD, and Douglas Koch, MD. “I had great mentors who have contributed so much to ophthalmology and who were instrumental in making me the ophthalmologist that I am today,” she said. Furthermore, their commitment to sharing their knowledge and expertise in training residents as well as at meetings has propelled the specialty forward exponentially. “It’s so exciting to see how cataract surgery has evolved over the last 3 decades,” Dr. Kirby said, adding that it has become so much more precise with new instrumentation, techniques, and lens implant choices.
“Ophthalmology has been a great profession for me,” Dr. Kirby said, adding that she wants to pass it on and help the next generation of ophthalmologists as well as patients in need.
Source: ASCRS
