Dr. Gary W. Abrams, chairman of the WSU Department of Ophthalmology and the Kresge Eye Institute, has assumed the presidency of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Founded in 1928, ARVO is the largest research organization in the world.

More than 11,000 basic and clinical scientists belong to ARVO; about 44 percent of the group's members live outside the United States in 68 different countries. More than 9,000 scientists attend ARVO's annual meeting, which is held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Dr. Abrams also serves as chair of ARVO's Long-Range Planning Committee, which is working to enact a strategic plan that includes increased educational opportunities for members and greater participation by international members. The group, a long-time advocate for vision research in the United States, is now working as an advocate for vision research at a world-wide level.

Dr. Abrams, a retina specialist and leading vitreoretinal surgeon, is founding director of the Ligon Research Center of Vision, a WSU research center pursuing artificial vision.