Optometric Residency
Ocular Disease / Low Vision Rehabilitation

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Dr. Russo graduated summa cum laude from the Illinois College of Optometry and was valedictorian of his class. After completing his residency, he joined the faculty at ICO where he achieved the rank of Associate Professor of Optometry. He also served as a Primary Care Module Chief. In 1999, Dr. Russo was recruited to join the faculty of the Department of Ophthalmology at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. That same year, he was appointed to Hines VA Medical Center. At Loyola, where the focus of his clinical practice was on specialty contact lens fittings, he was the Director of Contact Lens Services. He also taught optics and contact lenses during lectures, clinic and Grand Rounds to ophthalmology residents and medical students. He was promoted to Professor, Department of Ophthalmology in 2012 and received the Department of Ophthalmology Teacher of the Year award in 2014. At Hines, in addition to direct patient care, Dr. Russo fits all the specialty contact lenses and is a reader for the Teleretinal Health program. He also started an ICO student externship program in 2014. In 2019, Dr. Russo resigned from Loyola and became the full-time Blind Rehabilitation Center low vision optometrist at Hines. In addition to his low vision residency training, he brings his experience teaching low vision at ICO and providing direct low vision care from 1989-99 as a consultant for Spectrios Institute for Low Vision in Wheaton, IL (formerly Deicke Center for Vision Rehabilitation) to the residency program and the veterans at Hines.  He maintains an Affiliate Faculty appointment at Loyola.

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Among his professional achievements, Dr. Russo attained his Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) in 1992 and subsequently received his AAO Diplomate in the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies in 2009. He has been active with the AAO in a variety of ways but most importantly as the National Chair of the Admittance Committee from 2011-14 after serving on the Committee since 2008. He also served as a Director for the IL State Chapter of the AAO from 2001-12 and president from 2009-10. He is currently Chair of the AAO Ethics Committee.

Dr. Russo has contributed to the profession in numerous ways. From 1995-2011, he was active with the National Board of Examiners in Optometry serving at various times as Site Coordinator for Chicago; clinical examiner; and senior examiner. He has actively volunteered his time and services both locally and internationally. From 2002-15, he ran a volunteer clinic for Access DuPage through the DuPage Community Clinic in Wheaton, IL for the underserved and has been on multiple medical missions to Guatemala. He has also lectured both locally and nationally on a variety of topics to optometrists and other health professionals. During his tenure at Loyola, he ran the Current Concepts lecture series which provided continuing education for optometry.