Dr. Hector Santiago was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Mathematics (Magna Cum Laude) at the University of Puerto Rico, his Master’s and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Texas Graduate School Of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, and his Doctor of Optometry Degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston.  

Dr. Santiago has been involved in optometric education for 34 years. He was Dean of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry, Founding Dean of Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry, and President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.

Dr. Santiago is the author of over 100 publications, posters, papers, and invited lectures. At the international level, he has been an invited lecturer in Spain, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Chile, Perú, the United States, and Mexico. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Latin American Association of Optometry and Optics (ALDOO), Founding Member of the Latin American Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and Chair of the International Optometric Educators Special Interest Group of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (IOE SIG). As Chair of ALDOO’s Education Committee, he has organized international meetings of Deans and Directors of Latin American Optometry programs in Trinidad Tobago; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Medellín Colombia; Panama City, Panama, and Leon, Mexico. He has also been involved in the establishment of the first professional optometry program in the Dominican Republic.  

He has organized more than 20 humanitarian clinical missions in the Dominican Republic and Panama where more than 15,000 patients have received free eye care, eyeglasses, medications, and pterygia surgeries.  He received financial support from the Lions Clubs International Foundation to develop Low Vision Services in Puerto Rico and more recently to conduct the first study of the prevalence of refractive error and visual dysfunctions of the children of Puerto Rico. In this project, over 3,000 children across Puerto Rico were examined following a World Health Organization clinical research protocol. He is an active member of the International Association of Lion Clubs for over 20 years including tenures as President of the Puerto Rico Lions Eye Bank, President of the Boriquén-Baldrich Lions Club, and Sightfirst Chairman. He was the recipient of the Lions Presidential Award, Lions Presidential Medal, and Ambassador of Goodwill, the highest distinction of Lions Clubs International. He is currently a Professor and Director of Research at IAUPR School of Optometry. 

Dr. Santiago’s lifetime interests are the development of optometric education throughout the world, cultural competence, pediatric optometry, optometric research, and clinical humanitarian service.  He believes that the active involvement of students with the community they serve promotes the highest level of professionalism and lifetime learning.