ABVO® Nominations

2026 ABVO NOMINATIONS

Dear ACVO Diplomates,

Voting opens on June 1st for the position of American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ABVO) Member at Large.

Please cast your vote between June 1 and June 30, 2026.

As required by our ABVO Charter, nominations were sought for an open position on the ABVO. Interested Diplomates were asked to provide a photograph, concise (bullet-point) biography emphasizing past ACVO/ABVO experience, and a brief statement (200 words or less) indicating their reasons for seeking to serve on the ABVO. Nominees and their background information are available on this ballot and on the ABVO website (www.ABVO.us) on the "Nominations" page under the "Leadership" tab.

The ABVO encourages all ACVO Diplomates to take part in the election process. If you have questions about the nomination or election process you are encouraged to contact either the ABVO/ACVO office, or any of the current ABVO Members.

Please cast your vote below. The ballot will close at 11:59 pm (Mountain Standard Time) on June 30, 2026.

Sincerely,

The American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology
Dr. Jane Cho (Chair)
Dr. Mary Lassaline
Dr. Rachel Allbaugh
Dr. William Miller
Mr. Kyle Denomme (Public Member)

Dr. Elizabeth Giuliano

Dr. Giuliano received a Bachelor of Science with honors from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1991 and her DVM degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996. Following graduation from veterinary school, she completed a small animal rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in 1997 and remained in private practice in midtown Manhattan the following year. In 1998, she returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete a Comparative Ocular Pathology Fellowship. Since July 1, 1999, Dr. Giuliano has been a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri where she completed a residency in veterinary ophthalmology and a Masters of Science degree. She is currently a tenured Professor of the department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Missouri and Section Chief of their comparative ophthalmology service. She has authored over 100 articles and textbook chapters.

Dr. Giuliano is a dynamic, engaging speaker and has lectured extensively in the academic setting and at national and international meetings. She is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including three Golden Aesculapius Teaching Awards, the Gold Chalk Award, the Dadd Award, and was Western Veterinary Conference’s “Educator of the Year” (2018).

Since becoming an ACVO diplomate in 2002, Dr. Giuliano has demonstrated sustained devotion to her profession through volunteer work. This includes serving on the following ACVO standing, Ad-Hoc, and associated committees: Residency Committee (2002-2006), Resident Forum Committee Co-Chair (2003 & 2006), ACVO Nominating Committee (2008 & 2017), Job Task Analysis Task Force (2008), Resident Presentation Judge at Annual Conference (2008 & 2009), Governance Committee (2009 – 2011), Maintenance of Certifi cation Committee (2007-2012), Vision for Animal Foundation Grants Committee (Member 2007- 2009; co-Chair 2010 – 2012), William Magrane Basic Science Course in Ophthalmology Steering Committee (2011-2017), and the ABVO Examination Committee (2019- 2022). In 2011, she was elected to the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) Board of Regents (2011-2016) and served as the ACVO President from 2015-2016. Having the opportunity to serve on the ABVO would be a great honor and afford me the opportunity to use my experience and skill set to support ant advance the mission statement of this board: the protection and preservation of the public interest by overseeing accreditation (residency training, credentialing, examination and maintenance of certification) of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. If deemed an acceptable nominee, I will provide the membership and the ACVO BOR/ current members of the ABVO with a more complete overview of the ways in which I believe my service will positively contribute to this critically important part of our organization.

Information on why I would like to serve:

I am honored to be nominated to serve on the ABVO Governing Body.  I have dedicated my career to furthering the education ACVO and ECVO diplomates, veterinary house officers and students, primary care veterinarians, and the pet-owning public.  I have actively trained over 45 residents and graduate students and contributed to our scientific literature every year.  Most importantly, I have consistently advocated for the welfare of our college and its mission statement, all while encouraging more volunteerism by our younger diplomates. 

One of the most important issues currently facing the ABVO is to achieve alignment to more fully comply with “standards of credentialing organizations” as described by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA; www.credentialingexcellence.org/ncca).  To that end, the residency committee’s responsibilities more correctly fall within the ACVO’s charter, so that our standards of residency training are separated from the certification and examination facets of our specialty due to the potential for a real or perceived conflict of interest.  I served on the governance committee (Mark Nasisse, Chair) when we first drafted the proposal of ACVO and ABVO separation to best protect our diplomates and stakeholders.  To that end, I am confident that the continued re-organization of the ABVO will not reduce the quality of our residency training but will allow the ABVO to become more focused on the Credentials, Exam, and Maintenance of Certification.  If elected, I offer the ABVO and our college a wealth of past ACVO/ABVO experience. 

I pledge to remain committed to excellence as we move our college forward.  I am eager to work with present and future ABVO board members, while effectively liaising with our ACVO leadership and our membership.  I will ensure that our members may provide input on ABVO policy.  Importantly, my years of experience in our college has taught me that accumulating knowledge from different perspectives, experiences, and generations helps us to advance clinical excellence, research, and service - pivotal touchstones of the ACVO and ABVO.  I will dedicate the required time and resources to facilitate the ABVO’s mission of promoting the advancement of veterinary ophthalmology by setting objective standards for certification.  I hope to inspire future generations of our diplomates to become actively involved in the preservation of this outstanding college, such that we continue to clarify our long-term vision, identify priority initiatives for growth, and remain committed to excellence in education, certification, member experience, and community outreach.