The University of Houston College of Optometry

From the cherished memories, trials and tribulations of COVID, and endless studying… our Class of 2024 are officially Doctors of Optometry.

Congratulations to everyone and thank you to the faculty and staff and student ambassadors who who helped with graduation.

Go Coogs! 🐾

With deep sadness, we share news of the recent passing of former University of Houston provost, dean of the College of Optometry and assistant vice chancellor for International Studies and Programs, Jerald W. Strickland.

For more than 35 years, Dean Strickland served the University of Houston as the proudest of Cougars, building a career distinguished by a record of national accomplishment in optometry, vision science and community service.

In Memoriam: Former Optometry Dean and Provost Jerald W. Strickland In Memoriam

took a tour of UHCO to learn about optometry and what the school offers. They even spoke to some of our students and faculty.

Thank you for visiting our college! For more information on tours, please contact the Office of Student Services today.

UHCO is nearing the end of the semester and that means that we’ll have new masters candidates for summer ‘24.

Let’s read what our soon-to-be 4th year students had to say about their time in the masters program.

Celebrating the rich heritage and achievements of Black visionaries in the field of optometry this Black History Month. UH College of Optometry stands proud in honoring their contributions to eye care excellence.

Shaping the Future of Vision: UH researchers dive deep into myopia with groundbreaking studies and secure 35 NEI awards! Join the journey as they explore the impact of high-add multifocal contact lenses on slowing myopia progression. Discover the latest insights and be part of the vision-forward movement! Click the link below to read more!

UH’s Groundbreaking Myopia Research The growing prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) among kids represents an alarming health concern. Learn what UH researchers are doing to slow the trend.

🏆 Huge congratulations to Dr. Jan Bergmanson for receiving the prestigious Award of Excellence at the 2024 Global Specialty Lens Symposium. Your incredible achievements are shaping the future of the vision industry. Thank you for your dedication! 👁️✨

Honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. today and every day. Let's continue to strive for equality, justice, and unity. Happy MLK Day from the University of Houston College of Optometry!

Due to an unplanned water outage that will affect patient care operations, The University Eye Institute will be closed today, January 12, 2024, and all appointments are cancelled. The University Eye Institute will only provide emergent care and will re-open on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. If you have an ocular emergency, please call 713.231.4866.

Follow These 10 Daily Habits to Improve Your Eye Health For the new year, give yourself the gift of healthy vision.

Exciting News in Optometry Research! Dr. Anna Matynia, a visionary researcher at the University of Houston College of Optometry, has been awarded $1.4 million to unravel the mysteries of the cornea. Her groundbreaking work aims to map the cornea, revealing the secrets behind blinking, tearing, and pain sensation.

UH Optometry Researcher Receives $1.4 Million to Map the Cornea Unlocking the Secrets of Blinking, Tearing, and Pain Sensation Could Improve Understanding of Dry Eye Disease

🎄✨ From the UHCO family to yours, wishing you a season filled with joy, warmth, and unforgettable moments! 🎁 May your holidays be surrounded by the love of family and friends. Here's to making memories that will last a lifetime. Happy Holidays! 🌟❤️

Dr. Pat Segu won the Henry B. Peters Memorial Award! She was recognized for her work in building valuable relationships with organizations such as the City of Houston, the Houston Health Department and more. She was also recognized for her work on the See to Succeed project! The project helps young children with unresolved vision needs.

Fourth year students, Zachary Ney and Adrian Velasco were awarded the VSP/AAOF Practice Excellence Scholarship for 2023 from UHCO!

Finally, Jennifer Deakins McCreight, OD, FAAO won the William Feinbloom Award. This award is presented to an individual who has made a distinguished and significant contribution to clinical excellence and the direct clinical advancement of visual and optometric service and thus the visual enhancement of the public.

Her recent accomplishment of creating the Alcon Children's Vision Clinic in the Fort Worth ISD was the first of its kind and only one of many reasons she was honored with this award.

UHCO, along with the University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic (a parter) offered free vision and hearing screenings today from 9am-1pm.

Screenings were administered by UHCO students and USLHC students.

Nystagmus is rapid, uncontrollable eye movements which can be physiological, congenital or acquired.

In lab, students induced physiological nystagmus to observe various components of nystagmus eye movements such as amplitude, velocity, direction and symptoms.

Second year students experienced rotational nystagmus by getting spun around by their partners and observing their eye movements during and after spinning. This happens when the fluid in the semicircular canals of the inner ear moves in the same direction as the rotation and still moves after the person stops spinning.

They also induced Optokinetic nystagmus using an OKN drum. Optokinetic nystagmus is a response to large moving visual fields.

Caloric nystagmus occurs when there is a temperature difference between the ear canal and the fluid inside the semicircular canal. Students induced caloric nystagmus by placing warm and cold water in their partner’s ears. The cold water had a better success rate than the warm water!

End-gaze nystagmus occurs in extreme positions of gaze where the eyes may slip from fixating on a target and require an involuntary eye movement to refixate. This can be used in field sobriety tests. Students performed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test on each other to see if they could elicit end-gaze nystagmus on their partner.

Thank you for your relaxation station for UHCO students.

It’s midterms and a break was much needed. Coloring pages, massage machines and much more was provided to students!

STOA + AOSA hosted a legislative dinner where UHCO students and representatives presented and discussed advocacy and legislation in optometry.

Representative Ann Johnson spoke on the legislative process and gave insight on the best practices for students and professionals to get involved.

Ryan Lisse of spoke on how Johnson & Johnson supports optometry.

John Mark McGullion, AOA-PAC Liaison and third year student, spoke on the role of AOA-PAC and the importance of fundraising and optometry advocacy.

Drs. Jennifer Deakins and Tommy Lucas of the Board (and UHCO alum) gave a Texas legislative update and held an insightful Q&A session with students.

20 UHCO students were also given full travel grants to attend the TOA Summit in Austin, Texas!

3rd year students, with the help of a pediatric attending and resident, take part in the Pediatrics and Binocular Vision II lab.

This course focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of strabismic binocular vision disorders associated with the pediatric population.

In the lab pictured, students are taking part in practicing Park's 3-Step and Double Maddox Rod.

These tests are used to assess for extra-ocular muscle palsy, specifically associated with vertical strabismus.

3rd year UHCO students perform specular microscopy, a noninvasive means of imaging and assessing the health of the corneal endothelium.

The specular microscope captures reflected light to create an image of the corneal endothelial cells and generates measurements such as the cell density, central corneal thickness, and variability in hexagonal shape of the cells.

These values can then be compared to age-expected norms in order to determine risk of developing certain corneal disorders such as Fuch's endothelial dystrophy or contact lens-induced endotheliopathy.

Director of Student Services, Lyle Tate attended the Latino Medical Student Association National Conference in Atlanta this year.

Hundreds of healthcare professionals and interested undergraduate students came from all across North America!

Way to represent UHCO Lyle!

In the UHCO Histology Lab, first year students are broken up into several groups to learn about the histological features of the human body.

The TAs and instructor for this lab focused on the histology of the vascular system, different layers of thick skin, muscles, and blood vessels.

TAs and instructor, Dr. Vivien Coulson-Thomas utilized equipment such as light microscopes with a digital tablet attached and an Anatomage Table to teach their students in depth.

2nd year students are learning to remove foreign bodies, pieces of metal, from the eye. The following tools are being used: a spud, needle, or a Kimura spatula.

The students are being guided by TA Ashley, 3rd year student at UHCO.

First year students are observing the way that different refractive errors affect visual acuity. In the second photo, near acuity is being measured through a strong minus lens.

Starting off strong UHCO! First round of exams in a couple of weeks - you got this!

National Eye Exam Month - Clear vision is just the beginning...
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/full-picture-of-eye-health