"Not a year goes by that someone doesn’t come up to me and tell me about something my dad taught them."
Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD, FACD, School of Dentistry ’06
For Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD, FACD, those moments are inspiring reminders that his father’s influence did not end in the classroom. It lives on through the former students he mentored, in the patients they now serve, and in the learning environment his father, Dr. John A. Austin, helped shape at UT Health San Antonio’s School of Dentistry.
John Austin’s legacy of compassion
In 1983, founding faculty member, Billy Rigsby, DDS, recruited Dr. John Austin from private practice in Amarillo to join the Department of General Dentistry. Rigsby wanted an experienced dentist who could bring real-world clinical perspective to students, bridging the gap between military-trained faculty and students preparing for civilian practice. Dr. Austin delivered that expertise to the university, along with something equally important: a new level of compassion and mentorship for his students.
Joshua Austin recalls witnessing that commitment firsthand. After a tornado struck an apartment complex near the dental school, the Austin family opened their home to several displaced students. John Austin brought more than clinical skill to his dental career — he invested in people.
Dr. Joshua AustinThat’s what my dad was passionate about: building mentor and protégé relationships between faculty and students that carry on beyond the walls of the dental school.
Following his father's footsteps
Completing his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at San Antonio, Joshua Austin enrolled at UT Health San Antonio’s School of Dentistry, continuing his education at the same institution where his father had made such a lasting impact. Today, a 2006 graduate and active member of the Alumni Council, he continues to practice the same compassion his father modeled, often hearing from former students who credit Dr. Austin’s mentorship with shaping their own careers.
“Anybody can put a handpick to a tooth, but what’s really important are those lifelong relationships you build with your patients,” said Joshua Austin. “You can’t replicate that in almost any other field.”
A foundation built by his father’s example, Joshua Austin’s values of connection and support continue to shape the way he gives back.
Supporting excellence through the John A. Austin Memorial Scholarship
In 1990, Joshua Austin’s grandfather established the Dr. John A. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor his late son. Today, Joshua Austin continues his family's commitment as a second-generation supporter. The endowed scholarship annually awards first-year dental students with financial need and academic promise.
For Joshua Austin, investing in the scholarship is a way to express gratitude for the institution that shaped him and a way to continue his father's life's work by investing in the next generation of dentists.
