Representing our Borderplex

Texas Tech Health El Paso Vice President Appointed to National Advisory Committee for Foundations, Inc.

Dr. Andrea Tawney’s selection will strengthen voice of our Borderplex

Andrea Tawney, Ph.D.

When it comes to the tapestry of leadership and philanthropy, Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., continues to weave together threads of education and excellence.

Dr. Tawney, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Texas Tech Health El Paso, was recently appointed to the National Advisory Committee for Foundations, Inc., a national nonprofit focused on educational innovation. The selection highlights not only her expertise in fostering transformation giving but also her commitment to education.

As part of the advisory committee, Dr. Tawney will provide insights and recommendations on philanthropic strategies that promote academic success along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Being appointed to Foundations’ national advisory committee is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Tawney. “I’m committed to advocating for the needs of our Borderplex region and ensuring our unique challenges and opportunities are addressed at the national level. I look forward to collaborating with fellow committee members to advance support for training future leaders from various backgrounds, expanding resources for our local educators, and inspiring transformational giving.”

Dr. Tawney is one of only three representatives on the committee from Texas and the sole representative from an institution situated along the U.S.-Mexico border, amplifying the voice of our Borderplex region.

Founded in 1992 by the Schwartz Foundation to address the need for afterschool enrichment programs, Foundations initially operated a single afterschool program in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Over the past 30 years, they’ve expanded nationally and diversified their services to encompass professional learning, program development, leadership training, and support services for educators across all learning environments. They partner with schools, school districts, community organizations, and afterschool networks to achieve their goals.

According to recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, students from low-income families are three times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers from higher-income families. Additionally, a report by the Education Trust highlights that only 39% of students from underserved communities are ready for college after completing high school, compared to 67% of students from wealthier districts. Furthermore, access to quality educational resources is limited in many underserved areas, with one in five schools lacking access to essential facilities like libraries and science labs.

Foundations aims to address these disparities by providing professional development, resources, and support services to educators. The organization ultimately strives to create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Under Dr. Tawney’s leadership, Texas Tech Health El Paso has achieved remarkable success in fundraising, brand recognition, and visibility. Through strategic initiatives in marketing, communications, and development, the Office of Institutional Advancement created targeted campaigns and innovative outreach strategies, which have earned the university widespread support and investments in its mission to provide world-class health care, education, and research.

Since joining the university in 2018, Dr. Tawney’s has played an instrumental role in mobilizing resources to address the critical needs of our region. In 2023, her team announced a historic gift of $25 million to establish the first comprehensive cancer center in West Texas.

Before joining Texas Tech Health El Paso, Dr. Tawney served as New Mexico State University Foundation’s President, where her team raised more than $100 million in five short years. She is a proud Air Force veteran and earned a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She holds a Master of Education and a B.A.S. in Justice Systems, Policy and Planning from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

In 2016, Dr. Tawney was named one of Albuquerque Business First’s 40 under Forty and a 2019 Women of Influence. In 2022, she received Diversity Journal’s Women Worth Watching in Leadership International Award, and in 2023, she was honored as El Paso Inc.’s Woman of Impact. In 2023, she launched her own consulting firm that provides strategic planning for fund development growth of non-profits and facilitation of board vision planning for corporate and private foundations.

For more information about Foundations, visit their website at foundationsinc.org.

About Texas Tech Health El Paso

Texas Tech Health 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 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.