West Virginia University received $12.6M from the federal government to renovate and expand the School of Dentistry. The project, set to begin in 2025, aims to modernize facilities, enhance education and patient care, and address oral health needs in the state. Two phases of renovation are planned, with completion expected before the fall 2026 semester.
Rendering courtesy of WVU
The WVU School of Dentistry is working with the international architecture design firm SmithGroup to bring its facilities into the 21st century, as shown in this rendering.
Construction is set to start in early 2025 on an extensive West Virginia University (WVU) School of Dentistry expansion and renovation project being supported, in part, by a $12.6 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The university announced Nov. 18 that the multiphase project will encompass approximately 50,000 sq. ft. in the Health Sciences Center on the Morgantown campus that has largely remained unchanged from its original footprint since the dentistry school's founding in 1957.
Working in collaboration with WVU Facilities Management and SmithGroup, an international architectural design company, the planned facility has been reimagined to meet 21st century needs.
The WVU Board of Governors approved the first phase of the capital improvement project during its regular meeting in September following the award appropriation, setting in motion the significant modernization and unification of facilities that will enhance oral health education and patient care to meet the current and future oral health needs of West Virginia's citizens.
In addition to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration Congressionally Directed Spending award, WVU's capital campaign — Transforming Oral Health: The Campaign for Facilities — is an opportunity for alumni and friends to support the fundraising effort and help to advance the school and profession, according to university officials.
"We are incredibly grateful for those who have helped bring this project to fruition, including our generous donors and [U.S. Senators] Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, [WVU] President Gordon Gee, and Dr. Clay Marsh," said Stephen Pachuta, dean of the WVU School of Dentistry, in a news release.
"This support allows us to create a state-of-the-art environment that facilitates excellence in education, patient care and research to help meet the university's land-grant mission to improve the lives and livelihoods of those we serve."
New Dentistry School Renovations to Be Made in Two Phases
In 2021, an initial $1.5 million renovation project upgraded WVU's Urgent Care Clinic, including radiology services and the patient reception and waiting area, created office space for the Clinical Affairs team, and relocated oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, and forensic odontology faculty experts for better clinic access.
The remaining upgrades are planned in two large phases, the school noted in the WVU news release.
The first will focus on modernizing and integrating the Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics clinics, Faculty Group Practice, and Dr. W. Robert Biddington Center for Dental Innovation back into the Health Sciences Center from their current location at Suncrest Towne Centre in Morgantown.
Phase One also includes significant upgrades to sanitary, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems. The work is expected to be completed prior to the start of the fall 2026 semester.
"I am incredibly excited about the upcoming renovation project at the School of Dentistry," said Caroline Cartwright, a Class of 2027 Doctor of Dental Surgery student from Huntington, W. Va. "It will create a more cohesive and well-rounded learning environment.
"Working in these new facilities during my final year will significantly enhance my practical skills and clinical experience, as well as promote a more dynamic and supportive educational environment by fostering better interactions with faculty, peers, and patients," she continued. "I am excited to take advantage of the improvements and believe they will greatly benefit my overall learning experience."
The second phase of the expansion will focus on areas that include a surgical suite, specialty clinics, and administrative and academic offices.
As the state's only dental school, WVU offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery, a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, and advanced education programs that help address workforce shortages in the state and across the country. It is fully integrated with WVU Dental, a comprehensive oral health care system offering general and specialized dentistry care performed by faculty, resident and student providers.
"We are driven by our commitment to our students and to the patients entrusted to our care," Pachuta said. "This renovation project will ultimately enhance student education to the benefit of patients statewide. It is essential for meeting the needs of today and well beyond."
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