Dr. Keshia Elder serves as Clinical Professor and Dean at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry. She was born in Columbia, South Carolina and graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Science Teaching: Mathematics. She earned her Doctor of Optometry, Master of Science in Vision Science, and Master of Science in Instructional Design and Development degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Elder has lectured nationally is the areas of contact lenses; dry eye; anterior segment disease; clinical procedures; health disparities; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Distinguished Fellow of the Optometry Academy for the National Academies of Practice. She currently serves as the Treasurer for the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), the Editor for Optometric Education, a member of the Membership Committee for the American Academy of Optometry, and a member of the Public Relations Committee for the Missouri Optometric Association. Additionally, Dr. Elder is active in her local community as a member of the St. Louis Optometric Society, the Missouri Optometric Association, and the Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is also a Veteran of the United States Navy with duty stations at the Naval Health Clinic Annapolis and the Pentagon/DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic. Her clinical and research areas of interest are cornea and contact lenses, health disparities and dry eye.
