Dr. McDonald is currently the Director of Continuing and Distance Education at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. He is a Licensed Optician in the State of North Carolina, and serves as a consultant to a number of ophthalmic and general health care organizations in the areas of staff development and training, practice management and specialty contact lenses.
His academic background includes undergraduate degrees in Opticianry and Management. He holds graduate degrees in Health Care Management, Education and the Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences. He will complete an additional Ph.D. in Health Sciences at Touro University in 2003, where his dissertation is focused on the education and training of Opticians in the United States. He holds a number of professional certifications, including the prestigious Master of Ophthalmic Optics, and Advanced Certification in Contact Lenses from the National Contact Lens Examiners.
Faculty appointments include Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University (Office of Off-Campus Programs) and Adjunct Professor of Health Services Management, Webster University. He also teaches optics at Florence-Darlington Technical College, Florence, South Carolina. He is certified in Health Care Management by the American Institute for Healthcare Management, and is the University Continuing Education Association institutional representative for UNC Pembroke.
Dr. McDonald is a noted speaker at professional meetings both nationally and internationally and regularly writes for a number of ophthalmic journals. Professional memberships include the Opticians Association of America, the National Academy of Opticianry and the Contact Lens Society of America, and he is currently serving as Chairman of the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation.