Laguna Beach Eye Surgeon Receives Eagle Scout Award
Local eye surgeon John Hovanesian of Harvard Eye Associates has received the nationally recognized Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America.
“The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a truly prestigious distinction in the Boy Scouts. While there have been over 4 million Eagle Scouts since 1911, fewer than 1,000 have been recognized with this award,” said Jeff Herrmann, president and scout executive of the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America.
The award is given to those who have made major contributions to their professional fields and are nationally or internationally recognized leaders. Hovanesian, 51, who specializes in cataract, LASIK, and corneal surgery at Harvard Eye Associates, is a member of the clinical faculty at the UCLA Stein Eye Institute, has published two textbooks in ophthalmology and authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and surgical technique videos. He holds leadership positions with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is regularly invited to speak at national and international meetings. He is also the cataract section editor for the most widely read eye surgery trade journal,Ocular Surgery News. With the Armenian Eye Care Project, a southern California nonprofit, Hovanesian travels annually to the former Soviet republic to perform and teach the newest techniques in surgery. He has also made volunteer surgical trips to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Fiji to treat the underserved population.
The award was presented at the Orange County Council’s annual Leadership Breakfast on Nov. 9 at the Balboa Bay Resort.
