$50K for Dental Scholarships
Feinberg Foundation Donates $50,000 to TTUHSC El Paso
Scholarship gift for Hunt School of Dental Medicine students helps aspiring dentists and addresses region’s provider shortage
The Feinberg Foundation has donated $50,000 to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. This gift will provide scholarships that ease the financial burden of students receiving a world-class dental education in our Borderplex region.
This donation by the Feinberg Foundation was made in recognition of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s commitment to addressing region’s severe dental provider shortage, which affects dental care access to El Pasoans most in need. Scholarships offer a lifeline to dental students training in historically underserved regions. They also encourage more students from diverse backgrounds, many with a keen understanding of unique health challenges within their communities, to enter the field of dental medicine.
“In our historically underserved community, this new gift from the Feinberg Foundation will have an immediate impact,” said Richard C. Black, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine. “It will lift some of the financial burden from our students, enabling them to focus more on their training and less on their debts. In turn, they will be better positioned to improve dental health in our community. We’re grateful to the Feinberg Foundation for their investment in the future of dental medicine along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Historically underserved regions like ours present a complex issue that calls for immediate attention. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as of 2021, over 63 million Americans live in communities designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. These areas – which include El Paso County – are significantly understaffed, with an estimated overall deficit of over 10,000 dental professionals.
“We are honored to support aspiring students who seek to remain in our region and provide for our community,” said Peggy Feinberg of the Feinberg Foundation. “One especially unique aspect of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine is that students are required to study clinical Spanish to help alleviate communication barriers. We are proud to support students who will provide quality dental care, ensure patients comprehend their treatment guidelines and individualized recommendations, and improve our community’s wellbeing.”
Their gift is already paying dividends to our community. Hunt School of Dental Medicine students see patients their first year in the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic. Students, faculty and staff have provided over 1,500 patients reduced-cost dental care since the first class of dental students put on their scrubs in 2021.
Mavis Luma Chenyi, a second-year Hunt School of Dental Medicine student, is a recipient of a prestigious Feinberg scholarship. Reflecting on the impact of her scholarship, Chenyi expressed how the scholarship made her move to our Borderplex easier, allowing her to focus her efforts on studying.
As a native of Cameroon on Africa's West Coast, Chenyi said she often draws parallels between the diverse community of El Paso and her homeland where she hopes to address that region’s oral health care issues.
"My aspiration to study oral surgery is deeply influenced by my cultural roots and my experiences in El Paso,” she said. “Back in Cameroon, conditions like cleft lip or cleft palate are often misattributed to local myths. But education can challenge and change these misconceptions."
She added, "Being in El Paso has enlightened me about the challenges and rewards of working with diverse communities. With my dental degree, I hope to use my skills to give back, addressing misconceptions and making a difference in people's lives. The Feinberg scholarship is helping me make this dream a reality."
The Feinberg Foundation, under the guiding efforts of Peggy Feinberg, her late husband Andrew, and his brother Stephen, has been a longstanding supporter of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine. Since 1999, the Foundation has donated a cumulative $100,000 to the school. Additionally, the Foundation's significant contribution to the Foster School of Medicine's Infinity Campaign was crucial in that school's establishment, positioning it as a leading center for medical education along the U.S.-Mexico border.
An increase in dental professionals trained to understand the health challenges of our Borderplex would lead to improved access to dental care, particularly for low-income and uninsured residents who often face barriers to care, including language, transportation and cost. As the local supply of dentists increases, wait times for appointments and treatments could decrease.
Thanks to the Feinberg Foundation, the future health and well-being of our Borderplex community is enriched.
“I’m always willing to share,” said Chenyi. “I’m glad the Feinberg Foundation believes in the same thing.”
Individuals and organizations wishing to contribute to the success of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and its mission of training the next generation of dental care professionals can visit TTUHSC El Paso’s giving page, or call 915-215-5943.
About the Feinberg Foundation
The Feinberg Foundation is a private foundation supporting education, health and human services. Many of their gifts originated though the efforts of Peggy Feinberg, her late husband, Andrew, and his brother Stephen (sons of the late Milton D. Feinberg). Since their creation in the 1950s, the Feinberg Foundation remains one of El Paso’s foremost community-based philanthropic organizations.
About the Hunt School of Dental Medicine
The Hunt School of Dental Medicine opened in 2021 and is the only dental school on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the first in Texas to open in more than 50 years. The dental school offers the most innovative curriculum in the country, preparing students for the future of dentistry with high-tech simulation and an advanced fabrication laboratory. A first for any dental school in the nation, students begin clinical training and patient interaction during their first semester. It’s also the first and only dental school in the nation that requires Spanish language courses.
As upward of 75% of dental school graduates open practices near their dental schools, Hunt School of Dental Medicine graduates are expected to address the oral health care needs along the U.S.-Mexico border for many years to come.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research. According to a 2022 analysis, TTUHSC El Paso contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex region’s economy.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.