Michela Kenning, OD, PhD, FAAO, FNAP
Dr. Michela Kenning, a Pacific University College of Optometry alum, completed a residency in primary care and geriatric disease at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. She later served as Director of a weekend clinic in the Veterans Administration Health Care System that was developed to increase timely access to health care for veterans. In addition to her prior experience in private practice and co-management settings in Vancouver, WA, she previously managed a hospital-based interprofessional optometry clinic.
In her roles at the College of Optometry, Dr. Kenning teaches within Ocular Disease courses, serves as the Director of Residency Programs for affiliated sites across North America, and is the Director of the EyeClinic in Hillsboro. She provides clinical and administrative oversight within the Pacific Interprofessional Diabetes Clinic, which serves marginalized community members with otherwise limited access to health services.
Dr. Kenning holds a PhD in Education and Leadership, with a focus on interprofessional health care delivery. Her professional areas of interest and expertise include strategies for interprofessional practice, management of diabetic ocular manifestations, the impact of social determinants of health, and biomedical ethics. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and was honored to have been selected as a previous Clinical Faculty of the Year at PUCO.
In her free time, Dr. Kenning enjoys molecular gastronomy, critiquing old films and TV shows, and collecting rare moveable/pop-up art books.
Education
FNAP | Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice, 2023
PhD | Education & Leadership, Pacific University College of Health Professions, 2022
Optometry Residency | St. Louis VA Health Care System, 2014-2015
OD | Pacific University College of Optometry, 2012
BA | Social Justice and Peace Studies, Creighton University, 2007
BA | Theology, Creighton University, 2007
Pre-medical / Pre-Optometry Track | Creighton University, 2007