Steven Kornguth, Ph.D., a professor at Dell Medical School, died Sept. 21 in the company of his family.
Kornguth joined the Department of Neurology in 2017 and was also a senior research fellow in Kinesiology and Health Education in The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education. He’s remembered in his obituary as a person who “lived a dynamic and consequential life, full of love, learning and reflection through faith, art, science and music.”
At Dell Medical School, Kornguth taught and mentored students and trainees at all levels and was an active investigator in neurotrauma, collaborating with several faculty in neurology and other departments. He championed a culture of respect and professionalism and challenged his colleagues to think of science as the embodiment of hope for finding better ways to alleviate suffering in patients with neurological conditions.
Born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1935, Kornguth earned a Bachelor of Arts at Columbia University followed by a doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed post-doctoral research in New York and then earned tenure as a professor in Madison. Much more teaching and research followed, and Kornguth finished his career mentoring and teaching undergraduates, medical students and residents while continuing his research projects at Dell Med and UT Austin.
In lieu of flowers, Kornguth’s family asks that donations be made to the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences to honor his commitment to student learning and research.
“Steve was one of the smartest people most of us knew,” his obituary says. “He approached education — both teaching and learning — with sincerity, intentionality and enthusiasm.”