Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation establishes new scholarship for students pursuing public health degrees in El Paso

EL PASO – With the goals of supporting students wanting to pursue a master’s degree in public health, and increasing the number of public health practitioners in El Paso, the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation announced a $500,000 commitment to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) during National Public Health Week to establish the Woody and Gayle Hunt Scholarship fund. Scholarships will be awarded to students who are attending, or planning to attend, UTHealth Houston’s School of Public Health El Paso campus and receiving their master’s degree in public health to help cover tuition costs and other financial needs.

“The Woody and Gayle Hunt Scholarship is part of our Foundation’s commitment to providing higher education opportunities that prepare students in our region and also benefit the people of El Paso,” said Woody L. Hunt, Chairman of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation. “The El Paso campus of UTHealth Houston is a leader in translating cutting-edge public health research into innovative practices and we are honored to support an academic environment rich with opportunity.”

Established in 1992, the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health El Paso campus is located at the Cardwell Collaborative building less than a mile from the US-Mexico border and has provided the Paso del Norte region with premier public health education, research, and community impact for over thirty years. Students focus on a variety of areas such as infectious diseases, environmental health, health care management and health promotion.

“We are extremely grateful for the contributions of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation and their constant commitment to students in the Borderplex region,” said Kristina Mena, PhD, MSPH, El Paso Campus Dean of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. “The Woody and Gayle Hunt Scholarship will help our students continue to tackle the complex public health issues that are unique to border populations, as well as collaborate with faculty members and researchers to develop solutions that improve health outcomes for our community.”

Improving the health and health infrastructure of the Borderplex community is a core pillar of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation’s giving. The foundation has made transformational investments to train new generations of nurses through the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing, new generations of dentists through the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, and investments to support the health of communities across Ciudad Juarez.

About the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation:The Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation is one of the Borderplex’s private family foundations focused on creating a globally competitive region. Since 1987, it has made grants and commitments of over $147.9 million to institutions working to transform education, improve health care, advance regional economic and cultural development, and create a greater quality of life for all Borderplex residents. Almost 89% of the Foundation’s total giving has supported organizations and initiatives in the Borderplex region.