Elizabeth Hoppe Bio

Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH

Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe is a proud alumna of Ferris State University College of Optometry, graduating with the class of 1988.  After attaining her optometry degree, Dr. Hoppe continued her education with residency training in low vision rehabilitation.  She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Yale University, and a Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Hoppe has enjoyed the opportunity to serve the profession of optometry in a variety of ways, including her role as an optometric educator at three different institutions, volunteering with the American Optometric Association, the California Optometric Association, and the American Public Health Association, conducting research, and providing patient care. She has published numerous papers, several book chapters, and continues conducting research in optometric education, neuro-optometric rehabilitation, and services for people with autism.

Dr. Hoppe has a true pioneering spirit, and along the way has accomplished several notable firsts. She is the first woman to complete the residency program at the Eastern Blind Rehabilitation Center at the West Haven, Connecticut VA. She is the first woman to hold both the OD degree and the Doctorate of Public Health. She is the first woman to earn a diplomate in the American Academy of Optometry’s Public Health and Environmental Optometry Section. She is the first woman to serve as the editor of the journal Optometric Education. In 2007 she became one of the first women to serve as the CEO and Dean of a College of Optometry in the United States, and one of only 22 individuals who has had the honor of serving as a founder of a College of Optometry in our professional history in the U.S.