Hermitage optometrist Gary Roberts takes a closer look at religion

YOUNGSTOWN -- As an optometrist, Gary Roberts has spent his career improving other people's vision.
When Roberts receives a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious studies at Youngstown State University today, he'll leave with a clearer vision of his beliefs -- and of the world.
"Religion is one of the most motivating and powerful sources in society, and that can be both a positive and a negative," he said.
Dr. Roberts, 61, an optometrist in Hermitage, Pa., for more than 30 years, is among about 1,100 students who will receive degrees at YSU's commencement 10 a.m. today in Beeghly Center on campus.
Biographical
A graduate of Hickory High School in Hermitage, Roberts earned a bachelor's of science degree in biology from Grove City College in 1965 and then went on to attend the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia, graduating in 1969.
He has been a practicing optometrist ever since, conducting eye exams, fitting contact lenses and treating eye diseases such as glaucoma.
Eventually, Roberts' interest turned to the ethical issues of using stem cells to treat certain eye diseases. Researchers believe that stem cells extracted from human embryos might be able to be used to treat various eye diseases and other medical conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart damage.
That interest led Roberts to YSU, where he began classes in the spring of 2001 to receive a graduate certificate in bioethics, focusing on issues concerning cloning, abortion, right to life, right to death and religious issues surrounding health care.
While earning the bioethics certificate, he became more interested in how religion and ethics affect all aspects of life. That interest was heightened even more after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Understanding
"More Americans can recall the scores of football games [more] than how our foreign policy affects them," said Roberts, who lives in Hermitage with his wife and has two children and two grandchildren.
"We need more understanding between different religions," he added. "We have to broaden our views and eliminate the confrontational aspects in religion."
So Roberts enrolled in classes at YSU to pursue a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious studies, taking classes Sunday mornings and during lunch breaks from his practice.
"Learning about religion opened my eyes about other societies, how they are the same and different," he said.
Roberts isn't finished using YSU to broaden his horizons. He plans to enroll in piano classes in the Dana School of Music, pursuing his love of music.
"I've always been a little bit of a piano hacker, so I'd like to improve those skills a little," he said. "I joke with my wife that when I turn 65, I'm going to start my own rock-jazz band."