When not treating children, Professor of Surgery Joseph T. Murphy, M.D., can usually be found teaching, whether in an operating room showing fellows how to remove a cancerous adrenal tumor from a toddler or at a resident conference reviewing the basics of pathologic intestinal anatomy.

As a general surgeon at UT Southwestern and also a pediatric surgeon at Children’s Health, Dr. Murphy is as dedicated to preparing the next generation of physicians as he is to caring for patients.

The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation recently recognized his commitment with the Piper Professor Award. This elite honor recognizes outstanding college professors in Texas. Dr. Murphy is the 18th current or former UTSW faculty member to receive the award since its establishment in 1958. His selection marks the second year in a row that a UTSW surgeon has been named a Piper Professor, following Brett Arnoldo, M.D., Professor of Surgery, in 2022.

Dr. Murphy expressed his gratitude for the prize, adding that it is an honor to receive such recognition simply for doing his job and carrying on a tradition of teaching he observed as a medical student.

“During my education, I received great mentoring, and a lot of people took the time to teach me,” he said. “I feel like it would be almost unethical to not help those who came after me.”

Over his 33-year career, Dr. Murphy has proved to be a tireless pediatric surgeon and educator, said Diana Diesen, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program Director for the Division of Pediatric Surgery at UT Southwestern. Dr. Diesen is also on the pediatric general surgery faculty at Children’s Health in Dallas and Plano.

“As an academic physician, he is an excellent example of a triple threat, excelling in clinical care, education, and clinical research,” Dr. Diesen said. “He is one of the busiest surgeons in our practice, yet always finds the time to teach. Dr. Murphy has taught an entire generation of students, residents, and fellows about how to perform clinical research in pediatric surgery.”

Dr. Murphy earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at the State University of New York in Buffalo and a Master of Science in biology at UT Dallas. He then earned a medical degree from UT Southwestern, where he also completed a general surgery residency and CORE laboratory research fellowship before joining the Department of Surgery faculty in 1996.

Over 12 years as a board-certified general surgeon, he developed extensive clinical experience in the management of severe traumatic injury. But he was always drawn to pediatrics, and in 2007 completed a pediatric surgery fellowship at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

The fast pace of pediatric surgery and the opportunity to care for a wide range of patients attracted him to the specialty. “I treat everyone – from the smallest premature baby to the largest 18-year-old,” Dr. Murphy said.

As rewarding as pediatric surgery is, it comes with many challenges. It is an emotionally charged time for families, and they are counting on a stranger to do what is right for their child, Dr. Murphy said.

“I often walk into a room of anxious family members, and within minutes they’re handing over their child to me to care for,” he said. “I see it daily, and it amazes me every time.”

Despite having a busy practice, Dr. Murphy is always available for teaching. He is actively involved in educational programs at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health, including the Academic Colleges at UT Southwestern and general surgery resident training programs. He has served on the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Clinical Competency Committee since 2014 and works on trainee mentoring committees every year. Dr. Murphy has also been the general surgery residency site director for Children’s Medical Center Dallas, leading resident orientation and teaching efforts.

Residents have given him outstanding teaching awards several times, said Dr. Diesen, who met Dr. Murphy when she was a pediatric surgery fellow, and is now a clinical partner.

“Dr. Murphy is one of the busiest clinical surgeons in our Division with a clinical niche in pediatric surgical oncology, so the fellows spend a great deal of time with him learning how to resect complex tumors in children,” she said. “You can regularly find him in OR 8 at Children’s leaning over an open abdomen with multiple trainees gathered around.”

He is always ready to respond when needed, Dr. Diesen said.

“Whether I was calling from the OR, the trauma bay, or the side of the road, Dr. Murphy would always answer the call,” she said. “I have said it before, and I will say it again – I am a better surgeon when he is in town.”

Dr. Murphy said it is very satisfying to pass on what he has learned to the next generation of surgeons.

“When an ex-fellow calls or texts me to say that when he or she faced a problem and knew how to handle it because of what was learned from me, that’s very rewarding,” he said.