Bio

Robert S. Buckingham, OD, PhD

Longtime FSU basketball supporter, Dr. Bob Buckingham, starts his first year as volunteer director of basketball operations. Dr. Buckingham will help coordinate the academic programs, provide administrative support, coordinate the booster club, and manage special projects.

Dr. Buckingham is currently the Director of Institutional Research for Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia, an adjunct faculty member at the Michigan College of Optometry, and the president of the FSU Men’s Basketball Rebounders Club.

Dr. Buckingham earned his doctorate in optometry at the Michigan College of Optometry in 1981 and his PhD in higher education leadership from Western Michigan University in 2012.

From 1981 through 2001, Dr. Buckingham served in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, he managed numerous optometry clinics; was the course supervisor for optometry technician training; was the director of standardization/ evaluations for Air Force medical training; and was the course director for the Department of Defense vision conservation and vision readiness training at the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine.

As an Air Force officer, Dr. Buckingham was handpicked to be the Secretary to the General Staff at the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. For this assignment, he received the Army's Order of Military Medical Merit. Of the 6,000 recipients of this Army award, Dr. Buckingham was the eighth Air Force officer to receive this prestigious honor.

After retiring from the Air Force, Dr. Buckingham became the associate dean and assistant dean of the Michigan College of Optometry where he managed the day-to-day operations of the clinic as well as academic affairs and student affairs.

Dr. Buckingham has received numerous awards and honors. He is a past president of the Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS), the past recipient of the AFOS optometrist of the year, the past recipient of Association of Military Surgeons United States Optometrist of the Year, the Air Education and Training Command’s Evaluators Benchmark Recognition, the Officer Training Manager of the Year award, and the past recipient of Ferris State University (FSU) Distinguished Alumnus Award. 

As a longtime supporter of the FSU men’s basketball program, Dr. Buckingham was the 2014-2015 recipient of the FSU Athletic Department’s Pete Peterson “Bulldog Pride” award. Bob Buckingham joined his late father, Bill, who previously received the same distinction in 1984-1985, as the first father and son recipients of this prestigious award.

Dr. Buckingham has been a member of the American Optometric Association since 1981 and a fellow to the American Academy of Optometry since 1987. Dr. Buckingham and his wife, Kim, reside in Big Rapids, Mich., and have two children, JJ and Brittany, and two grandchildren, Liam and Elliott.