Dr. Adrienne Ari is the Co-Director of Externship Programs for 4th year clinical rotations and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UIW Rosenberg School of Optometry. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics at the College of William and Mary, her Master of Public Health at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and her Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She completed a residency in Primary Eye Care at Brooke Army Medical Center affiliated with Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. Dr. Ari served 30 years in the United States Army, caring for Service Members, military retirees, and their families around the world. She retired in 2024 at the rank of Colonel.
Dr. Ari is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and member of the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS), the Texas Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association. She is a Past President of AFOS and has served on numerous committees for these organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for Vibrant Works, a private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization empowering people with vision loss since 1933. Dr. Ari is also Consultant for the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education and a reviewer for COPE.