BOARD DIRECTORY
Our Board Directory
Melissa Tawa
Dr. Shora Ansari earned a BS and MS in pharmacological chemistry from UC San Diego. She worked for several years in the pharmaceutical research industry, where she focused her research efforts in oncology and immunology prior to attending optometry school. Dr. Ansari graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry as the Valedictorian of her class. After graduation, Dr. Ansari spent for over a decade seeing patients in private practice and co-management settings, where she specialized in specialty contact lens fittings for patients with irregular corneas. She currently serves as an assistant professor at SCCO at MBKU with didactic, laboratory, and clinical teaching responsibilities. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and a proud member of the American Optometric Association and the California Optometric Association. She also serves on the Board of the Orange County Optometric Society.
Dr. Alex Elson is an Orange County native, growing up in Mission Viejo before completing his undergraduate education at Chico State in Northern California. He then returned to attend Southern California College of Optometry, where he earned his degree as a Doctor of Optometry. Dr. Elson’s favorite part of optometry is fitting specialty lenses. He owns a private practice in Tustin and lives a few miles away in Orange with his wife and his dog. Dr. Elson captained the men’s lacrosse team in college and continues to play for Newport Beach Lacrosse Club. He and his wife are Ducks season ticket holders (Lets Go Ducks), but outside of that, they enjoy hiking, camping, and generally exploring nature.
Dr. Alex Elson
Maggie Jan O.D., is a graduate of the Southern California School of Optometry (SCCO) and Columbia University Engineering. Dr. Jan has specialized training in low vision from the VA Long Beach. Treatment of veterans included low vision, specialty contact lenses, and management of Traumatic Brain Injury. Historically involved in optometry governance and legislation, Dr. Jan has been involved in student government at SCCO and served previously as the student and later as OCOS delegation to COA House of Delegates.
She is certified in the use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents to treat and manage ocular disease including glaucoma. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the American Optometric Association, California Optometric Association, and the Orange County Optometric Society.
Dr. Kuo is passionate about helping children achieve their full potential through comprehensive vision examinations and vision development.
Dr. Rachelle Lin is a full-time Associate Professor at the Southern California College of
Optometry (SCCO) at Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU). She treats patients in the clinical
departments of Low Vision Rehabilitation and Acquired Brain Injury at the University Eye Center
at Ketchum Health in Anaheim, CA. She also conducts genetic testing for inherited eye
conditions.
Dr. Lin is an active member of the American Optometric Association and the California
Optometric Association (COA), where she currently serves on the COA Board of Trustees. She
has served as Chair of the COA Low Vision Rehabilitation Section and as President of the
Orange County Optometric Society. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of
Optometry.
Dr. Lin received her Doctor of Optometry and Master of Science in Vision Science degrees from
SCCO. She completed her post-graduate residency at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System in
low vision, traumatic brain injury, and primary care. She was named COA Young Optometrist of
the Year (2019) and COA Educator of the Year (2023).
Millie Liu, OD graduated from University of California, San Diego and then went on to receive her doctorate of optometry from Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Liu is currently in a private practice setting at Orange County Retina Medical Group and is a clinical preceptor for optometric students. In addition, she enjoys providing free eye care to those in need on mission trips and volunteer work.
Dr. Liu is very excited to be more involved in this wonderful optometric society. She grew up in Maryland but has not gone back since arriving in California. In her free time, she enjoys Muay Thai, running, shopping, eating and playing with her dog.
Dr. Thanh Mai loves being an optometrist and is happy to contribute anyway he can to the great OCOS. He is a proud UCLA Bruin and graduated summa cum laude from the Southern California College of Optometry.
His favorite part of optometry is working with pediatric patients and showing them that the eye doctor is best doc on the planet – no drills or needles kids! Currently, he owns a private practice in Costa Mesa with an emphasis in vision therapy. When he isn’t working, you can find him hacking away at golf courses as a newbie, playing soccer in a coed league, or spending time with his beautiful wife Jennie and son Jackson.
Kailey Marshall, OD, FAAO is a Orange County native who currently practices at The University of California, Irvine. She received her Doctorate of Optometry in 2015 from the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B Ketchum University after completing her B.S. from UCLA. Her practice focuses on anterior segment disease, dry eye, and surgical co-management of anterior segment surgeries. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of American Optometric Association, California, Optometric Association, and long time board member of the Orange County Optometric Society. In her free time she loves to spend time with her kid, cook, swim, travel, and spend time at the beach.
Dr. Danny Ngo graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his doctorate from the Southern California College of Optometry. He loves the profession of optometry because there is a growing need for vision care for people of all ages and it is the most fundamental sense for us to enjoy the world.
He has been an active member of the California Optometric Association since he was a student and previously served as Intraprofessional Relations, Education Chair, and President of the Orange County Optometric Society. He was COA Young OD of the Year 2018. He is currently the Chief of Optometry at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Service Area.
When not seeing patients, he loves to spend his time outdoors with his wife and 2 boys. His hobbies include traveling, hiking and exploring new things.
Dr. Steven Wang was born and raised in Fullerton, CA. After graduating from Sunny Hills High School, he ventured out to earn his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, his Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy and his Master of Public Health from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. He worked in health management consulting, started an SAT school overseas, wrote and implemented healthcare grant programs, and ran a nonprofit or two before deciding that he wanted to return home, settle down and get his Doctor of Optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry. He currently serves as Director of the Central Testing Facility for jCyte, Inc.
When not working hard to get jCyte’s investigational treatment for retinitis pigmentosa to market, Dr. Wang enjoys running, mixing drinks and spending time with his wife and two kids, traveling the world, discovering delicious new food and wandering down lightly tread footpaths. He has proudly served on the OCOS board since 2015.
Michael Wong is a Southern California native. He attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree and USC for his master’s degree. Afterwards, he traveled to Northern California to pursue his optometry degree at UC Berkeley, where he also completed a cornea and contact lens residency. He pursued his passion for teaching and stayed at UC Berkeley on faculty teaching students before moving back down to Southern California. Currently, he is an assistant clinical professor at SCCO, where he teaches first through fourth years in clinic and labs. He recently married his wife last year and will be moving into a new home during the summer of 2024. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and playing golf.
Dr. Jessica Yuen graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and minor in Molecular Toxicology. She later returned to Berkeley to complete her Doctorate of Optometry. After receiving her OD degree, she completed a residency in Primary Care/Ocular Disease at the San Francisco VA Medical Center where she worked closely with UCSF ophthalmology in various sub-specialties including oculoplastics, cornea, glaucoma, and retina.
Dr. Yuen currently now works at the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University as a full-time faculty with lecture, clinical, and laboratory teaching responsibilities in the Primary Eye Care and Ocular Disease service. In her free time, she enjoys staying active by playing pickleball, hiking, golfing, and spending time with friends and family.