October 26, 2018 — Carol M. Dykas, a licensed optician and full-time lecturer of ophthalmic design and dispensing at Middlesex Community College (MxCC), has been selected by Governor Dannel Malloy to serve on the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Opticians in the state’s Department of Public Health. She was appointed on October 12, 2018. The primary purpose of the board is to protect the public from unsafe practices and assist in the administration of state licensing exams for opticians.
“As a lecturer, I have taught a generation of eyecare professionals, but my knowledge of students trying to become opticians goes deeper than that. I am very aware of the academic, family, and financial pressures that students must deal with on their path to becoming eyecare professionals,” said Dykas, a Middletown resident. “I also understand that the public must have access to highly trained and properly tested professionals when purchasing and wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses. The Board of Examiners must earn the trust of the public through astute judgment and personal integrity. As a member of the board, I hope to bring these characteristics to this important position.”
Dykas graduated with an associate degree from MxCC in 1996 and has worked in the optical profession ever since. She has also been teaching part-time at MxCC since 1998 and became a full-time lecturer in the Spring 2018 semester. Dykas earned a bachelor of science in general studies from Charter Oak State College in 1998 and a master of science in higher education administration from Bay Path University in 2015.
Dykas holds certifications from the American Board of Opticianry and the National Contact Lens Examiners. She also received Advanced Contact Lens Training from Connecticut Eyecare Center and is certified in Vision Rehabilitation for Adults. In her work, she specializes in low vision for the Lions Low Vision Center of Eastern Connecticut. Active in the community, Dykas is a founding member and vice president of Close the Gap, a nonprofit company whose mission is to guide kids with few resources to college success.
Since 1966, Middlesex Community College has provided high-quality, affordable, and accessible education to a diverse population, enhancing the strengths of individuals through degree, certificate, and lifelong learning programs that lead to university transfer, employment, and an enriched awareness of our shared responsibilities as global citizens. A part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, MxCC offers more than 60 degree or certificate programs at the main 35-acre campus in Middletown, MxCC@Platt in Meriden, and online.
