Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in the at the University of Utah and CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center, effective September 1. He succeeds Randall J Olson, MD, who served in the role for 46 years and established the Moran Eye Center as an internationally recognized leader in eye care, research, education, and outreach.
As chair, Pettey will oversee all aspects of the department鈥檚 operations while shaping its clinical, academic, research, and global outreach missions. He will work closely with 91麻豆天美直播 leadership and Moran Eye Center faculty to continue building on the department鈥檚 legacy of excellence in research innovation and ophthalmic care and education while expanding access to eye care across Utah and beyond.
A Utah native, Pettey has served in multiple leadership roles within the Moran Eye Center and is internationally known as a leader in his field who has shaped discussion and policy in the areas of ophthalmic education, global ophthalmology, and cataract surgery technology.
Pettey served as the department鈥檚 Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Vice Chair of Education, as well as Residency Program Director for nearly a decade. During his tenure, the department鈥檚 Doximity.com residency program ranking rose to No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in the West.
Pettey has taken the national stage through various positions in the country鈥檚 largest ophthalmology associations. He served as president of the Program Directors Council for the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology and currently chairs the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Sustainability Committee.
Pettey is deeply engaged in global outreach and related education. He co-directs the Moran Eye Center鈥檚 Global Ophthalmology Fellowship and previously served as Co-Medical Director of its Global Outreach Division. He has helped lead more than a dozen surgical education missions around the world and holds the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Endowed Chair for Global Outreach. Pettey co-founded an international Global Ophthalmology Summit, run in partnership with AAO, to advance the field of global ophthalmology. He has received numerous national honors, including the AAO鈥檚 Artemis Award, the Humanism in Ophthalmology Award, and the Senior Achievement Award.
Pettey specializes in comprehensive ophthalmology and anterior segment conditions, and conducts related research. He evaluates technologies in phacoemulsification, a method used to remove cataracts with an ultrasonic handpiece. His research has evaluated the safety and efficiency of this technology to improve the most performed surgery worldwide.
鈥淧ettey is a thoughtful, mission-driven leader whose commitment to patient care, education, and global health reflects the very best of Moran鈥檚 values,鈥 remarked Kristina Callis Duffin, MD, MS, Interim Dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. 鈥淗e brings deep institutional knowledge, a collaborative spirit, and a bold vision for the future. I am confident he will lead the department with the same excellence and innovation that has long defined the John A. Moran Eye Center.鈥
Pettey earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, completed his residency and fellowship at the John A. Moran Eye Center, and holds an Executive MBA from the University of Utah. He has been on faculty at the Moran Eye Center since 2011 and will continue to see patients as he leads the department into its next chapter.
Reflecting on his new role, Pettey shared: 鈥淚 am deeply honored and excited to take on the role of Chair of Ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center. As I reflect on this moment, I feel immense gratitude for the remarkable mentors and dedicated colleagues whose guidance and unwavering support have shaped my professional journey and leadership philosophy. Moran鈥檚 culture鈥攎arked by its commitment to excellence, service, and collaboration鈥攈as greatly influenced my approach to leadership and my vision for a future dedicated to improving lives through elevating eye health for all.
鈥淥ur faculty are our greatest asset moving forward, as they set the standard for new discoveries and provide the highest quality of care to each patient we serve. Underpinning all of our success are our donor partners who are the lifeblood enabling us to pursue ambitious goals and meaningful innovation. Together, we can look to a bright future, knowing that collectively we can make transformative progress to set new standards, reach wider communities, and provide life-changing eye care.鈥
Pettey and his wife, Gretchen, have four children. He enjoys experiencing the majesty of nature and the outdoors.