High Point University Plans School of Dental Medicine

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High Point University plans to invest $150 million to create a School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health, which would be the only dental school at a private university in North Carolina.

The proposed Doctor of Dental Medicine degree program is pending approval by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and Commission on Dental Accreditation.

HPU will build a new facility on International Avenue to house the School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health. If approved, it will enroll its first class in fall 2023. At full capacity, the highly competitive and prestigious program will bring 180 new students to campus.

Scott De Rossi to Act as Founding Dean

Scott De Rossi, DMD, MBA, has been named dean of the new school. He was previously dean of the Adams School of Dentistry and professor in the division of Oral & Craniofacial Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. De Rossi has won multiple awards in the field of oral and dental health.

HPU health facility rendering.
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“High Point University’s innovative culture and the thriving community of health care programs are the talk of higher education,” said De Rossi. “Being a founding dean is a unique privilege, and helping to start and grow a school of dental medicine is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

He added, “Dental education is experiential education. As our students are learning in the Triad, they will be caring for people in the Triad. HPU’s School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health will provide incredible opportunities and partnerships for local dentists. They’ll be invited to participate in the educational process by speaking to or engaging with students, and they can utilize the talent of those students by providing experiential learning opportunities in their offices.”

This new project, along with the planned opening of the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and Hotel, will lead to 300 new jobs in High Point and the Triad. It’s the seventh new school established under the leadership of HPU President Nido Qubein. It expands the HPU Research Corridor to include a total of $350 million in STEM-based academic programs.

“High Point University continues to be a substantial contributor to the development of a STEM-related academic cluster of expertise providing talent that is strategically aligned to meet regional and statewide needs,” said Nancy Johnston, executive director of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Piedmong Triad Office.

Allan Maurer, NCBiotech Writer
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