Mingus graduate Yang earns dental doctorate
Midwestern University announced June 5 that Dr. Pei-Wen Yang, of Cottonwood, recently completed the doctor of dental medicine degree at the College of Dental Medicine-Arizona and the master of public health degree from the College of Graduate Studies at Midwestern University. Conferring of degrees took place in graduation ceremonies held at Midwestern University’s Glendale Campus Auditorium on June 1 and 3.
Yang is the daughter of Camp Verde residents Ching Fang Yang and Hui Min Wu.
She graduated from Mingus Union High School in 2018 and earned a bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in general biology from the University of California, San Diego, in 2022.
While at Midwestern, Pei-Wen Yang served as class historian and held multiple leadership roles, including vice president of the Academy of General Dentistry student chapter and vice president of the Orthodontic Study Club. She was also active in the American Student Dental Association, serving as the Gold Crown Chair and on the Health and Wellness Committee, and representing Arizona at national conferences and the ASDA Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., where she advocated for policies supporting oral health access and student loan reform.
Yang also participated in the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program, where she worked with faculty mentors and conducted research on the color stability of modern denture materials. She was inducted into the Tri-Alpha Honor Society recognizing first-generation college students and volunteered at numerous community outreach events, including Give Kids A Smile and Veterans Dental Day at the Midwestern University Dental Institute. After graduation from Midwestern, she plans to practice dental medicine in Phoenix.
In addition to her dental degree, Yang earned a dual degree in master of public health, focusing on the role of oral health within broader public health systems and the importance of improving access to dental care in underserved communities. Her training emphasized a One Health approach, integrating human, environmental and community factors in improving overall health outcomes. The topic of her capstone project was on sustainability in orthodontics.
The College of Dental Medicine-Arizona graduated its first class of students in Spring 2012. The doctor of dental medicine program is based on concepts of a humanistic culture of mutual respect, a focus on general dentistry and preparation for licensure and practice of general dentistry upon graduation.
Midwestern University’s master of public health degree offered by the College of Graduate Studies is a dual-degree option for students enrolled in one of Midwestern’s doctoral health care degree programs that prepares students to tackle increasingly complex public health issues through a One Health approach that integrates human, animal and environmental health principles and practices. The interdisciplinary degree program provides opportunities to develop public health knowledge and skills as public health practitioners, or to enhance and add professional value to a health care professional degree.
