2026 Annual MOA Education Conference & Celebration

Dr. Richard E. Castillo, OD, DO,

Dr. Richard E. Castillo, OD, DO, has practiced as an ophthalmologist and served as a professor and assistant Dean at Northeastern State University’s College of Optometry since 1998. He is the 2021 recipient of the Arkansas Optometric Association's Special Service Award for "Outstanding Service to the Association and Profession," a past recipient of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians' Distinguished Service Award (2017), has been honored as the first "ophthalmologist" to be named "Distinguished Friend" of the Illinois College of Optometry (2019), and has been acknowledged by the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners in Optometry for outstanding contributions to the advancement of optometric care (2016). Dr. Castillo received a Special Citation from the Oklahoma House of Representatives for his Contributions to the Advancement of Rural Surgical Eyecare in the State of Oklahoma (2015). In addition to patient care, he serves as Senior Director of Clinical Examination Development and Administration for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. Rich serves as the ophthalmology rotation supervisor for OSU medical students and Family Medicine residents at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center Eye Clinic in Tahlequah, OK. He maintains a highly active national CME lecture schedule.

Samir Melki MD Ph.D.

Samir Melki MD Ph.D. is currently a charter fellow at the World College of Refractive Surgery and completed a fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Harvard Medical School) in 2000. Since 2015, he has also been a part-time associate professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. As an ophthalmologist, he splits his time between his private practice at Boston Vision and at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Melki founded Boston Vision in 2000 and has pursued an academically oriented practice since. He is a member of a number of professional societies including The Cornea Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology, and the International Society of Refractive Surgery.

Komal Patel, O.D.

Komal Patel, O.D. is an optometrist and educator who specializes in ocular disease and advanced eye care procedures. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo and completed a residency at the Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO), specializing in ocular disease, laser, and surgical procedures. Dr. Patel is currently an Assistant Professor at NSUOCO and combines her passion for teaching with her expertise in medical optometry by lecturing at conferences across the United States and Canada. Dr. Patel is a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and a Fellow of both the American Academy of Optometry and the American Academy of Optometric Medicine and Surgery—making her the first female to hold a Fellowship in the latter organization. She is an active member of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians, the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and the American Optometric Association.