High Point University President Nido Qubein announced that HPU was establishing a new School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health on Wednesday, May 5.
Qubein said the new dental school represented a $150 million investment and would be built without incurring any debt.
The HPU dental school will be the only dental school at a private university in the state, only the third dental school in North Carolina and will be the 69th dental school in the country. Qubein said that the first class would enroll in 2023 and the building to house the school will be built on International Avenue on the ever-growing campus of HPU.
Dr. Scott De Rossi was introduced as the dean of the new HPU School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health. De Rossi was formerly the dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
De Rossi said that being the dean of the new dental school at HPU was “a once in a lifetime opportunity and to do it at a place like High Point University is a dream come true.”
He added, “Truly the high point of my career.”
The dental school will be the seventh academic school added since Qubein became president of HPU, including the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and the Congdon School of Health Sciences.
In 2019, Qubein announced a $1 billion growth plan to take place over the next 10 years.
Qubein said, “High Point University’s health care programs have seen tremendous success, achieved academic prestige and produced graduates who are filling crucial health care positions. As HPU’s transformational growth plan continues, the university has continued to pursue additional health care programs. Establishing the states only private School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health reflects HPU’s commitment and innovative approach to health care education.”
Qubein noted that during the last year, when colleges and universities all over the country were closing down their campuses and sending students home, HPU never closed down and continued to educate students.
HPU currently has an enrollment of 5,600 students
Qubein also noted that HPU now has nearly $1 billion a year of economic impact on the local economy.
Qubein also advised people to stay tuned because more announcements were coming.
