In Memoriam: Celebrating a life well lived
Written by Orith Farago
Antonio Furino, PhD, dedicated a lifetime to leadership in health economics, business education and mentorship
Antonio Furino, PhD, former professor of economics at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, died on May 17, after an extended illness. He was 92.
School of Dentistry Dean Peter M. Loomer, DDS, PhD, MBA, said he left a significant mark on the university, with the creation and direction of a Center for Studies in Health Economics, later renamed the Center for Health Economics and Policy. In the School of Dentistry, Loomer said Furino’s leadership was integral in preparing the Dental Practice Ready curriculum that teaches dental students about the business side of dentistry.
Furino began his University of Texas career in 1973 when he became a founding member of the graduate studies faculty at The University of Texas at San Antonio as an associate professor and director of the Center for Studies in Business, Economics and Human Resources. At UTSA, he received funding for the first Human Resource Management and Development Program in the South Central U.S.
In 1987, Furino accepted a faculty position at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, serving as a research professor for the School of Dentistry and the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. While he partially retired in 2006, Furino officially retired in April, having served within the UT System for 50 years.
“Born and raised in Rome, Italy, he was a patron of the arts and music. He was educated in history and supportive of cultural advancement,” said Harriette Furino, his wife of 46 years. “He was dedicated to his calling as ‘professore’ and cared about the students and faculty with whom he worked. Antonio was the love of my life. He influenced everyone around him and made the world better than he found it.”
An avid mentor, Antonio Furino recognized and nurtured the potential in others, including Lynda de la Viña, PhD, emeritus professor and former dean of business at UTSA and Johns Hopkins University. As de la Viña’s first boss, Furino encouraged her to complete her PhD, she said.
“[He] believed in me and in my future, in what I could give back, particularly as the first Mexican American woman to have a PhD in economics in the United States,” said de la Viña, who also became the first Mexican American woman at the secretarial level of the U.S. Treasury.
Furino took the time to ask others about their families and know them on a personal level, said Richard Ongkiko, MS, applications system programmer and systems analyst-lead for the health science center’s IT Business Systems Services.
“Just like that, Antonio could create friendships, find commonalities and just create lasting memories,” said Scott Stafford, DDS, MBA, FICD, interim chair of the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, who created the Dental Practice Ready curriculum with Antonio Furino.
“I hope Antonio is remembered as a dedicated educator, a special man, and we should celebrate his life as well lived,” said Harriette Furino.
In Memoriam
The School of Dentistry honors the lives and enduring legacies of those who have served by educating the future of the profession.
ANTONIO J. ARBONA, DMD, died June 6, 2023. He joined the school’s faculty in 2009 as a clinical assistant professor and periodontics specialist for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program.
During his tenure, Arbona became a mentor to all students, imparting his knowledge on surgical techniques, according to Ahmed Sabbah, DDS, PhD, director of the AEGD residency. The AEGD clinic was the first in the school to implement leukocyteplatelet rich fibrin therapy due to Arbona’s influence. He also introduced crown-lengthening burs to the school’s periodontics kits, which were dubbed “Arbona burs” and still referred to as such today.
A room in the AEGD clinic will soon be dedicated in honor of his memory.
Arbona received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in 1981. He went on to complete a residency in periodontics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.
RAMÓN BÁEZ, DDS, MPH, died on Jan. 9, 2023, after battling a terminal illness. He joined the School of Dentistry in 1980 and was appointed as the director of the school’s Multicultural Program, which was the administrative umbrella for its Hispanic Center of Excellence and the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center. He retired as a professor from the former Department of General Dentistry in 2007.
Báez served the profession as the director of the Division of Evaluation and Standards Development for the former Council on Dental Materials and Devices of the American Dental Association.
Throughout his career, Báez earned numerous awards and honors, including the International Dentist of the Year Award from the Academy of Dentistry International and the Recognition of Excellence Award from the Hispanic Dental Association. His research has been widely published in dental journals across the nation.
Báez received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia
