Moments That Matter
From colorful fiestas to heartwarming seasonal celebrations, Texas Tech Health El Paso brings people together with music, food and community spirit. Here are some of our university’s favorite events.
by Christopher Rosenbluth
Welcome Back Fiesta
This September, the campus came alive with a fan favorite: our annual Welcome Back Fiesta. Held at the start of the academic year, the event welcomed the return of 1,200 students and 1,556 faculty and staff with vibrant school spirit and a strong sense of Texas Tech Health El Paso family.
Guests enjoyed an 8-bit-video-game-themed maze, flautas and rice, a new T-shirt design and photos with the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic’s Teeth Rex, Ozzy from El Paso Locomotive FC and El Paso’s Amigo Man.
The biggest crowd-pleaser? The dunk-a-dean booth, where brave souls took aim at university leaders perched above a water tank. Texas Tech Health El Paso President Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., was the first dean to be dunked in the tank. And it happened on the very first pitch. The culprit: Hope the Fox, the mascot of the future Fox Cancer Center.
A Season of Thanks
On a pleasant November day, scholarship recipients from every school and the community members who support them gathered for the annual Season of Thanks luncheon beneath a tent on the Medical Science Building II lawn. Honoring philanthropy and scholastic achievement, the event is an opportunity for students and donors to connect, share stories and celebrate the impact of scholarships. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 532 students from our four schools received over $2.6 million in scholarships.
Deborah Whitehill and dental school Dean Dr. Richard Black.
A highlight was Deborah Whitehill’s announcement of the first Hunt School of Dental Medicine scholarship covering full tuition and fees for an El Paso student’s four years of school. The scholarship honors her late husband, H.V. Whitehill, D.D.S., M.S., a dedicated endodontist who served the El Paso community for over 30 years.
Lighting Campus for Hope
In December, Texas Tech Health El Paso hosted our second annual Lighting Campus for Hope, transforming the campus into a beacon of hope for cancer warriors and their families. The event drew more than 1,000 community members, including some of our bravest cancer warriors, for an evening of celebration, remembrance and action in the fight against cancer. The affair featured fireworks, photos with Santa and friends, a mascot dance-off, information booths, food trucks and a surprise snow shower that added a magical touch to the evening.
The celebration culminated a year-long fundraising campaign that raised $255,000 to fund 1,350 lifesaving cancer screenings. Beyond its spectacle and beauty, Lighting Campus for Hope is a showcase of our community’s resilience and Texas Tech Health El Paso’s commitment to accessible, preventive health care as we march toward the future Fox Cancer Center.
Texas Tech Health El Paso Magazine, Fall 2025