Title: 1) Co-Founder and Corporate Scientific Officer; 2) Professor Emeritus
Company: 1) Sano Chemicals; 2) Mississippi State University
Location: Booneville, Mississippi, United States
Frank W. Austin, DVM, PhD, co-founder and corporate scientific officer at Sano Chemicals and professor emeritus at Mississippi State University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in microbiology and veterinary medicine.
After 35 years as a veterinarian, diagnostic microbiologist and professor, Dr. Austin currently devotes his time to his role as the corporate scientific officer of Sano Chemicals, a company he co-founded in 2012. Both prior to and after creating Sano Chemicals, he held various positions at Mississippi State University, beginning as an assistant professor in 1989 and then advancing to associate professor and professor. Dr. Austin retired from academia and was distinguished as a professor emeritus at the aforementioned institution in 2020. For most of his tenure at Mississippi State University, he served as the director of microbiology at the college’s diagnostic laboratory.
As the corporate scientific officer of Sano Chemicals, Dr. Austin has shifted his efforts entirely toward microbiology, with a particular focus on fungal diseases. He has been heavily involved with the development of a new antifungal medication that is currently undergoing clinical trials through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Austin believes this creation—the first fungicidal drug in more than 50 years—has the potential to make a massive impact on unmet medical needs. His microbiology research has been published in more than 30 different peer-reviewed journals.
Before embarking on his professional journey, Dr. Austin built a strong foundation with his own education. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in microbiology, biochemistry and organic chemistry in 1979 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1983, both from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Austin subsequently earned a PhD in veterinary microbiology and immunobiology from Louisiana State University in 1988. He was likewise certified by the Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from 1983 to 2011 and accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1983 to 2000.
In addition to his primary vocation, Dr. Austin is associated with many industry-related organizations. He maintains membership in the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association and the Mississippi State Board of Veterinary Examiners. Dr. Austin was also affiliated with Phi Zeta, the Honor Society of Veterinary Medicine, for 20 years, serving as secretary and president throughout that time.
Dr. Austin’s noteworthy accomplishments have received widespread praise. Sano Chemical was named Startup Company of the Year by Mississippi State University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer in 2013. Dr. Austin’s additional accolades include the Dean’s Pegasus Award for Teaching and Academic Excellence in 2009, the Walter & Jean Rothchild Faculty Award in 2011 and the Award for Appreciation and Gratitude from the Mississippi State University graduating class in 2012.
In his role as a professor, Dr. Austin prided himself on fostering a strong connection with students, choosing to keep in touch with past students even decades later. He demonstrated his commitment to students by establishing the Dr. Frank W. Austin Endowed Scholarship in 2012, which provides financial aid for veterinary students who are studying infectious agents of disease. In addition to his passion for education, he attributes his success to a deep love and respect for life that was instilled in him at a young age by his father.
Outside of his career, Dr. Austin enjoys practicing amateur astronomy, hiking and spending time with his seven grandchildren. For the foreseeable future, he remains focused on completing the development of the drugs he has in testing and making them available worldwide. Dr. Austin hopes to make a meaningful and long-lasting contribution to disease prevention by creating new antimicrobial treatments. He is also considering eventual retirement, but he expects to continue scientific research and development even after retiring—a reflection of his abiding dedication to science and improving the world.
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