University of Houston optometry professor wins distinguished service award

University of Houston

Pat Segu, of the University of Houston’s (UH) College of Optometry, was honored with a prestigious distinguished service award for her level of service and expertise in public health eye and vision care.

Segu received the 2015 Distinguished Service Award from the Vision Care Section of the American Public Health Association. This award is the highest honor the group gives.

A clinical associate professor, Segu works as director of optometry services at the Good Neighbor Healthcare Center and as clinic director for the Kids Vision for Life Greater Houston Coalition’s See to Succeed Program. She also helped establish the Student Public Health Vision Care Association at the UH College of Optometry. These collective roles are what earned her the honor.

Segu believes in the importance of altruism. She has worked tirelessly throughout her career on community service projects in the field of health care, and her work with the Good Neighbor Eye Clinic helps provide health care to low-income and working families in the Houston area. 

Through her service work, she sees first-hand the obstacles people often have to overcome to get eye care. This opened her eyes to the reality of other people’s struggles and has given her a lifelong desire to help others.