WVU cuts ribbon on renovated dental school

MORGANTOWN - Sen. Shelley Moore Capito joined WVU leaders Wednesday morning to cut the ribbon on the renovated and modernized School of Dentistry.

The ribbon cutting marked the completion of the $12.6 Phase 1 of the project, bringing new orthodontic, pediatric and dental group practice clinics into the Health Sciences site, along with a Dental Innovation Center.

Gone are the yellow walls and green tiles, replaced with light colors and a clean, open feel. It opened this week for the Class of 2030.

Dental school Dean Stephen Pachuta said, "This was not a simple refresh of the spaces. This was a complete redesign and reimagination of our clinics."

Next year marks the school’s 70th birthday and this is the first modernization since it opened in 1957, he said.

"Over the years our dual professions of education and healthcare have greatly evolved," he said, "and never at a more accelerated rate than over the last five years. Staying current in both professions is integral to the success of each profession."

Combined with planned $15 million Phase 2, Pachuta said, "This is a generationally transformational event for West Virginia."

WVU President Michael Benson said, "This is such an important milestone for our university and for the overall health of West Virginia." This is the only dental school in the state, and about 83% of dentists practicing in the state come from WVU.

"Our School of Dentistry graduates are not just building successful careers, they are building healthy communities", he said.

Benson said the investment reflects a commitment to keeping WVU at the forefront of education, to attracting talented students and faculty, to advancing research and innovation, and to eliminating disparities in oral health by providing all West Virginians access to high quality care.

Clay Marsh, chancellor and executive dean of WVU Health Sciences, offered a little history tour. The Health Sciences Center, formerly the hospital, was funded through a tax on soda. And soda causes cavities, he joked. "Ultimately, we were called to have a dental school."

The first class of 23 dentists graduated in 1961. The first dental hygiene program opened that year with just two students, he said.

"To be able to see this growth happen, and now to be able to have a world-class facility to be able to host that is really a dream come true," he said.

Capito secured a $12.6 million Congressionally Directed Spending earmark for the project in 2024 and construction on Phase 1 began in early March 2025.

She commented on the fresh, new look of the school. "As you recruit students and you want to get the best, you have to have the right facilities. Not just the technologies; you have to have the right feel, the full experiences for your students."

Capito noted that some people criticize Congressionally Directed Spending earmarks, but they’re important. She works with her constituents to bring dollars tailored to the specific needs of the state.

"I know what’s going to work here. ... These Congressionally Directed Spending opportunities for West Virginia are absolutely essential." And they can serve to bring in more money: state, institutional, private donors.

After the ribbon cutting, the four held a brief press gathering. Pachuta said the $15 million Phase 2 - also Congressionally Directed Spending - will bring endodontic, periodontic, prosthodontic and oral surgery clinics under the roof, along with general practice residency. And a new front door.

With an eye on starting work in January 2027, he said, they estimate Phase 2 could open in August 2028.