For Scholarship Challenge, Faculty Chooses the Best Time to Give

Drs. Eileen Hoskin and Craig Hirschberg

Dr. Eileen Hoskin and Craig Hirschberg are both RSDM faculty and alumni who met as RSDM students and later married. Hoskin is an assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Hirschberg is Chair of the Department of Endodontics. Hoskin explained why the couple established the Eileen R. Hoskin D.M.D. and Craig S. Hirschberg D.D.S. Endowed Scholarship for an incoming student.

What inspired you to endow a scholarship for the Chancellor's Challenge?

Attending RSDM Donor Scholar receptions and seeing students’ appreciation for the financial help. Having our dollars doubled was the deciding factor.

What obstacles do dental students today face that they might not have faced when you were RSDM students?

I am amazed when I see the debt students hold. I am unsure whether I could focus on my studies knowing that sometime soon, these loans would come due. We were hoping to attract a student with financial need from New Jersey who might otherwise attend a school further from home that offers a financial incentive.

Why do you think it's valuable to invest in students this way?

If students are mired in debt, it is difficult for them to move to buy a house and raise a family. We believe it’s important for all of us to pay it forward. Hopefully, one day these students will help the next generation with their debt.