Celebration Profiles – September 5-8
In honor of our centennial anniversary, we are featuring members of our optometry community — past and present — each day of 2023!
See below for this week’s profiles.
This Week, We Are Celebrating…
Michele Winter, BS
Michele is a vision science student from North Providence, Rhode Island. Before VS, she was an undergraduate student studying Computational Neuroscience at Brown University in Rhode Island. Michele is excited to study vision amongst vision experts. Her goals are to improve her understanding of statistics, computational methods, and the eye to better answer the questions she has in vision science. In this program, she hopes to get a better understanding of the current state of the art in vision research and contribute to the field. Her hobbies include baking, frisbee and gaming.
Gordon W. Duffy, OD, FAAO
Gordon Duffy enrolled in the University of California as a pre-optometry student. He was also accepted as an officer candidate in the NROTC. His unit was placed on active duty and ordered to continue classes at Berkeley. Duffy received his Bachelor’s degree and was commissioned an Ensign in 1944. Ensign Duffy was assigned to shipboard duty in the Pacific and participated in a number of naval engagements and island invasions.When the war concluded in 1946 he returned to California as a student at Berkeley Optometry, graduating in 1948. Dr. Duffy returned to his hometown, where he practiced in association with his father and Dr. William Burlington. Dr. Duffy’s primary clinical interest focused on children’s vision. Duffy was also active in the California Optometric Association as president of his local society and as statewide treasurer.
In addition to his professional activities, Dr. Duffy was involved in many civic, church and charitable affairs. He was appointed Chairman, Hanford City Planning Commission, then served on the local school board, Hanford City Council, and then Mayor, after which he was persuaded to campaign for the California Legislature; in 1964, he was elected by a landslide vote.
Assemblyman Duffy represented Kings and Tulare Counties in the California State Legislature from 1964–1982. He was appointed to leadership positions under both Republican and Democratic speakers. Former colleagues have called him a “shepherd” because of his ability to bring dissenting factions together. Providing guidance and leadership, Duffy introduced major innovations in health care as well as licensure of health professions.
After 18 years of service in the Assembly, Duffy chose to leave the legislative arena and was appointed by the Governor to his cabinet as Secretary for Environmental Affairs and Chairman of the Air Resources Board. Secretary Duffy resigned this position after a few years in order to return to private concerns. For the next ten years, he was employed by major industrial and public entities as an advisor on government relations.
Bhavjot Kaur Nanda, BS
Bhavjot Kaur Nanda is currently a third-year optometry student at the UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and completed her bachelor’s degree in Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley in 2021. She began her optometry journey the following August as the youngest student of her class at the age of eighteen. Bhavjot has worked in two private practices both prior and during optometry school.As a first-generation Sikh American, Bhavjot’s community has played a significant role in her life. She decided to pursue optometry with the long-term aspiration of advancing health justice by serving communities in need through her academic and volunteer work within and beyond the field of optometry.
She is fascinated by how vision works and wants to improve patients’ quality of life. She is very proud and thankful to be a part of the Berkeley Optometry family and be a student during the centennial celebration of the school. During her free time, Bhavjot enjoys exploring nature, doing embroidery, and cooking new recipes.
