Celebrating Excellence: Faculty & Alumni Honors

Contributor
Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Last month, the UT San Antonio School of Dentistry held the Celebrating Excellence: Faculty & Alumni Honors event to recognize the numerous awards given to our faculty and alumni, as well as the faculty who were promoted or granted tenure this past year. The event also celebrated the distinguished group of our faculty, clinicians and alumni who have been recognized among San Antonio Magazine’s 2026 Top Dentists, an honor that highlighted dental professionals in San Antonio whose clinical expertise, professional integrity and commitment to patient care set them apart.

This year’s Top Dentists list was based on nominations from licensed dental professionals across the San Antonio region, who were asked to identify colleagues they would trust to care for a family member. The resulting recognition reflects professional respect earned through excellence in clinical outcomes, continuing education and service to patients and the community. Over 60% of the dentists named as 2026 Top Dentists are graduates of the UT San Antonio School of Dentistry, reflecting the school’s longstanding role in shaping leaders in general dentistry and advanced specialties throughout the region.

High remarks from UT San Antonio leadership

Taylor Eighmy, PhD, president of UT San Antonio, opened the event, remarking on the importance of the work done by the School of Dentistry faculty, “The School of Dentistry truly stands at the forefront of dental education, dental research, community outreach, patient care and making lives better. We do this at the local level. We do this at the state level. The School of Dentistry is recognized around the world. And this reputation for excellence is important to who we are and where we're going and how we're going to get there.”

Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD, senior executive vice president for health affairs and health system, also spoke, stating, “Events like tonight truly matter. Not just because they recognize excellence, but they remind us why we do the work. We do it for our patients. We do it for our students. We do it for our communities. We do it for our future legacy in this University. It speaks to the quality of your instruction. That instruction was the foundation to enable our dentists to become so highly recognized in our community. It speaks to the high standards in our educational mission and the culture of excellence.”

Ken Hargreaves, DDS, PhD, dean of the School of Dentistry, gave thanks to all the faculty, staff and School of Dentistry alumni members who were able to attend the event, sharing, “If you are an alumnus of our program, we are incredibly proud of you. If you are a faculty or staff member, you helped teach them. This is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Tribute to team members

After opening remarks, a moment was dedicated to two team members who passed late last year. They were recognized for their incredible work, contributions and lasting personal and professional impact on the School of Dentistry.

Dean Hargreaves honored Peggy Alexander, DDS, MPH, who passed in December 2025. Dr. Alexander retired in early 2025 after 4 decades of teaching, patient care and mentorship at the School of Dentistry. Reflecting on her legacy, he stated, “Peggy was one of the foundations of our institution and provided over forty years of compassionate and effective education for our dental students. The average class size we have is about 100. If you have been teaching for forty years, you have taught about 4,000 dentists. If each dentist treats about 10,000 patients throughout their career, then Peggy contributed to four million patients receiving better oral healthcare over the course of her career.”

The evening also honored Gretta Thomas, a call center agent within the Office of Patient Care at UT Dentistry, who passed in November 2025. Scott Stafford, DDS, MBA, FICD, associate dean of patient care, made remarks on behalf of UT Dentistry and the call center team, “She was someone whose presence truly mattered. The moment you met her, you could feel her kindness and her caring spirit. She was humble, warm and full of life, always willing to help anybody who needed it. She welcomed people, guided them and shared her kindness freely. Her upbeat personality and compassionate nature left a lasting impression on everyone who was lucky enough to know her.”

Awards and School of Dentistry faculty promotions

The following awards and recognitions were presented by Dean Hargreaves and Stefanie Seitz, DDS, MEd, associate dean for academic, faculty and student affairs, to the alumni members in attendance and faculty members: