Dr. Mike Polasky received his OD degree in 1969 and served on the faculty of The Ohio State University College of Optometry for the next 35 years. He taught more than 2,125 students the science and art of clinical refraction, binocular vision, and patient management and served on the clinical faculty in Primary Care, Binocular Vision, Aniseikonia, and Contact Lenses. At one time or another, he was on every college committee, including the Admissions Committee (as Chair for 12 years) and the Executive Committee (as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs). During his tenure, he was instrumental in the creation of many teaching aids and instructional media study materials, but he is perhaps best known for his “Aniseikonia Cookbook,” and the famous sign outside his door which displayed his “Office Hours:”
Dr. Polasky received the Optometry Alumni Association’s first Distinguished Teaching Award in 1989 and was given the honor of addressing the graduating class that same year at the annual doctoral hooding ceremony. He is a three-time recipient of the Epsilon Psi Epsilon professional ‘s “Mote Award” and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. He served five years on the National Board of Optometry examination preparation committee.
The Epsilon Psi Epsilon professional fraternity of optometry named its teaching award after Dr. Polasky. At his retirement in 2004, Interim Dean Karla Zadnik said: “The College says a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for a job well done. Literally thousands of optometry students have learned respect for the inquiring mind from Mike, and many more have benefited from his deft guidance. His colleagues wish him a productive retirement, [but] he cannot be replaced and he will be greatly missed.”
He is now retired and living in Hilliard with his wife, Wendy Clark, who was responsible for the Instructional Media department at the College of Optometry for over 25 years.