Dr. Joy Harewood is an Associate Clinical Professor and the Chief Diversity Officer at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry. She is a graduate of Trinity College at the University of Toronto and received her Doctorate of Optometry at the University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry (Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science). Dr Harewood completed a residency in ocular disease at the SUNY College of Optometry and a Masters in Public Health at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. She achieved her Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry and is a Diplomate in the American Board of Optometry. Dr Harewood spent almost a decade working in hospital-based academic medical centers in medically underserved areas of New York City prior to transitioning into academia.
Dr. Harewood’s research interests include retinal manifestations of systemic disease and access to eye care. She was a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s (AAO) Task Force on Disparities in Eye Care and won the AAO Secretariat Award for her contributions. Dr Harewood was recognized as the New York State Optometric Association “Optometric Educator of the Year” in 2026, and the “Optometrist of the Year” by the National Optometric Association in 2024. She also was awarded the President’s Merit Award in Excellence in 2022 for her significant contribution to the SUNY Optometry community. Dr Harewood lectures nationally and internationally on a wide range of topics including the retinal manifestations of systemic disease and access to eye care.
Specialities
Advanced Care
Ocular Disease
Retina
Education
B.A. (Hons), Human Biology, , 2006
M.P.H., Public Health, CUNY School of Public Health, 2024
O.D., Doctor of Optometry, University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry, 2011
Residency/Other Post Graduate Training
Ocular Disease - SUNY College of Optometry, 2012
Affiliations
Diplomate, American Board of Optometry - American Board of Optometry (ABO), 2020
Fellow, American Academy of Optometry - American Academy of Optometry (AAO), 2012
NY State Optometry License - NYS Department of Education Office of the Professions, 2011
Awards/Honors
Diversity in Medicine Mentorship Award, 2022
Michael G Harris Distinguished Service Award, 2021
Council Member - UC Berkeley School of Optometry Council for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, 2020
Service Excellence Award, 2018
Service Excellence Award, 2015
Professional Experience
Council Member, University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry, Council for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging , UC Berkeley School of Optometry , 2020 - Present
Clinical Interests
Glaucoma, Optometric Education
Retina
General Eye Exam (Adult Primary Care; Ages 14+)
Publications
Ocular Emergencies
Defining race and ethnicity in Optometry.
Oral therapies for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy
Ocular Health: A matter of the heart
Presentations
Race, equity and culture in the exam room, 2021
Managing co-management: Best practices in optometric surgical co-management, 2021
Posterior Uveitis: A toolkit for the primary eye care provider, 2021
Beyond the exam room: Practice ways to improve patient access to care, 2021
COVID-19 and the Eye: What you need to know, 2021
Posterior Uveitis: A toolkit for the primary eye care provider, 2021
A Rare Presentation of Ocular Inflammation, 2021
A Rare Case of Alpha Thalassemia Trait Causing Peripheral Retina Neovascularization, 2020
Updates on the treatment and management of diabetic retinopathy, 2020
Retina Grand Rounds: Cases from the trenches, 2017
Posterior Uveitis: A guideline for the primary eye care provider, 2015
Neuromyelitis Optica – Case Report and Diagnostic Update, 2015
Spontaneous Traumatic Macular Hole Closure in a 46-year-old Caucasian Male, 2015
The Differential Diagnosis of Functional vs. Pathological Vision loss, 2012
Ocular Manifestations of Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Report, 2012
Clear skin and blurred vision: the visual and ocular side effects of Accutane, 2012
