Jennifer Harthan OD

Jennifer S. Harthan, OD is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO).  After completing a residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at ICO, she became a full-time faculty member. Dr. Harthan is a Professor at ICO and Chief of the Cornea and Contact Lens Center for Clinical Excellence at the Illinois Eye Institute. Dr. Harthan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), a Diplomate of the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies, a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society and serves on the Advisory Board for the GPLI and International Keratoconus Academy.  Dr. Harthan is a founding member of the SCOPE (Scleral Lenses in Current Ophthalmic Practice Evaluation) research team.  She has numerous publications on the topics of complex contact lens fits and anterior segment disease. Dr. Harthan is the 2022 recipient of the Dr. Edward S. Bennett GPLI Educator of the Year Award, the 2022 AOCLE Dr. Lester E. Janoff Memorial Award, and the 2024 AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section Achievement Award. Dr. Harthan is actively involved in ocular surface disease and contact lens research and lectures on these topics at national meetings.