A team from ARMINCO, Inc. was onsite at Howard University’s School of Dentistry on February 7, 2020, for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new state-of-art dental clinic to be named after Howard alumnus and philanthropist, Amarjit Singh Marwah (D.D.S ’58). The beloved California “Dentist to the Stars” previously donated $300,000 for construction of the Marwah Comprehensive Care Clinic and presented another gift of $200,000 during the ceremony to Howard University President, Dr. Wayne Frederick.

“Alumni like Dr. Marwah is vital to the success of Howard University and we are deeply appreciative of his generous gifts to the college,” Dr. Frederick said. “The new Marwah Comprehensive Care Clinic will enhance the education of our graduates, many of whom will go on to provide a significant share of oral health services in underserved communities.”

Dr. Marwah spoke at the ceremony and thanked Howard University for the opportunities the school afforded him. He first came to the United States in the early 1950s from India. Arriving with largely foreign medical credentials, Dr. Marwah had trouble setting up his own dentistry practice in the United States, without first having an American Doctor of Dental Surgery (or D.D.S.) degree.

The Howard University College of Dentistry accepted Dr. Marwah for his final academic semesters and clinical work, allowing him to complete American D.D.S. requirements. Howard also awarded Dr. Marwah a fellowship and a teaching position while he attended as a student. At the time, Dr. Marwah was the only foreign dentistry student at the college. He completed his D.D.S. in 1958.

“Howard University gave me an education. It gave me the privilege and the credentials I needed to go into medicine in this country. Without the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Howard, I couldn’t have done that and I’ve spent the last 30 years of my life giving back,” Dr. Marwah said.

“The new Marwah Comprehensive Care Clinic will be a 3,000-square-foot, 22-chair, state-of-the-art facility and will enhance the clinical experiences of pre-doctoral and dental hygiene students,” said Dr. Andrea D. Jackson, Dean of the College of Dentistry. “The clinic will provide the long-awaited space for a faculty practice facility and will serve patients requiring more advanced care while also training our students.”

Arminco’s Head Designer, Allison Rasmus and Lead Architect on the project, Sasha Hewadpal, also spoke at the ceremony and expressed ARMINCO’s excitement at being chosen to design the new state-of-the-art clinic. They thanked the Dean and the building committee, as they have been intimately involved in planning for the next phases of the project. “We are committed to designing a modern dental clinic that reflects Dr. Marwah’s generosity and trains the next generation of Howard University dentists to serve their communities compassionately and help those citizens with their oral healthcare needs,” Hewadpal said.

“Working on this project will be a wonderful opportunity for our company,” said Artin Safarian, ARMINCO’s president. “We have designed and built many dental practices for Howard University alumni in the greater Washington, D.C. area - and now we have the opportunity to serve the university where they were trained. This is truly a great honor.”

The ceremony ended with a (literal) smash when Dr. Marwah - surrounded by dental faculty, students and Howard University leaders - was presented with a sledgehammer to officially begin demolition of the old clinic.

The video below, featured on Howard University’s WHUR, captures the excitement of that moment and the joy had by the whole Arminco team who participated in this historic occasion.