Record $25 Million Gift Will Help Establish New Dental School In Appalachia

The University of Pikeville, a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Pikeville, Kentucky, has announced that it’s received a $25 million gift, the largest single private donation in its 133-year history. The gift will be used to establish a college of dentistry, the first in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky.

The announcement was made by University of Pikeville (UPIKE) President Burton Webb at UPIKE’s health professions commencement ceremonies this last weekend.

“The foresight of a generous family giving to a university to establish a dental school is special,” said Webb in the university’s news release. “This is another example of challenges being met and solved right here by those who call this area home. It’s also incredible that the university, this family and now a dental school will each have their roots right here in these mountains. It’s a great day to be a Bear!”

The gift is being made anonymously. “This donor has a deep love for Appalachia and a passion for improving healthcare in our region,” said UPIKE Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations David Hutchens. “Their generosity will reverberate for generations, impacting not only the graduates of the program but also profoundly benefitting the lives of the countless patients they will serve for generations to come.”

Although plans for a dental school have been under consideration by the university for several years, its establishment waited on the opening of a college of optometry, which gained its accreditation in 2020. The university, which also operates the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM), hopes to have the new dental school open in three years.

According to the American Dental Education Association, there were 68 schools of dentistry as of 2020 in the United States. When the University of Pikeville’s school is up and running, it will give Kentucky three dental schools (the others are at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville), making it one of only seven states to have three or more dental schools.

“This is needed,” said Terry Dotson, Chair of the University of Pikeville Board of Trustees. “The founding of a dental program in these mountains will lead to better healthcare outcomes for a historically medically underserved population. This institution, its students, faculty and staff are a driving force for health education in the commonwealth. The dental school will complete the circle of medical services for the region and the immediate area.”

Founded in 1889, the University of Pikeville has a current total enrollment of about 2,000 students. Its chancellor is Paul Patton, former governor of Kentucky who spearheaded a number of higher education reforms during his time in office.