Dr. Bob is the 2006 Illinois Young Optometrist of the Year and the 2015 Illinois Optometrist of the year. He is a past trustee in the Illinois Optometric Association, a member of the American Optometric Association and a member of the Illinois Optometric Association PAC Board. He is active in his south loop community and belongs to a numerous organizations including the Near South Planning Board, the Greater South Loop Alliance, and the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
Dr. Steinmetz has been published in several optometric journals and has presented numerous lectures on ocular disease and optometric practice management. Dr. Steinmetz is an Adjunct Clinical Preceptor at the Illinois College of Optometry and serves on the advisory board of three major pharmaceutical companies involved in the research and development of anti-allergenic and dry eye therapy.
Dr. Bob also serves as a frequent eyewear fashion consultant for celebrity photography shoots in Chicago. His clinical interests include anterior segment disease, hybrid and scleral contact lens technology, and corneal refractive therapy. He is actively involved in concussion research and the impact of traumatic brain injury on the ocular structure and function of professional boxers and NFL players.
Robert Steinmetz’s outside academic interests include paleontology; he has had the opportunity to travel to southeastern China where he and a team of paleontologists unearthed a large bone bed of sauropod dinosaurs including several previously unknown species. Also an avid sports fan, Robert is co-owner of the now infamous Bearsmobile, the revamped classic Cadillac hearse now devoted to supporting the Chicago Bears.
