Aarlan Aceto, MxCC 1995                                                                 

Following his completion of the Ophthalmic Design and Dispensing (OD&D) program at Middlesex Community College in 1995, Aarlan Aceto graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut in 2003. He earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston in 2009.

Since 2018, Dr. Aceto has been the program coordinator and associate professor of the OD&D program at Middlesex. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill., where he was the director of externships while both teaching and practicing optometry at the University Eye Institute. He was named Young Optometrist of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Optometrists.

“Without question, the most positive experience of my time at Middlesex was the program instruction, particularly former professors Ray Dennis and Skip Rivard. There is more to any one program than simply attending class and passing tests. To really excel in a career, one must truly become involved and engaged. That spirit and passion was evident in the faculty of the O.D.D. program, and they have served as role models for me in my journey to where I am today. The community college, the O.D.D. program, and the profession of opticianry are better because of Ray Dennis and Skip Rivard,” said Dr. Aceto.