WVU To Renovate Dental School With Federal Funds

West Virginia’s only dental school will soon receive upgrades thanks to a multimillion-dollar investment from the federal government.

The West Virginia University (WVU) School of Dentistry in Morgantown plans to renovate its “sanitary, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems,” the university announced in a Monday press release.

WVU will also use the funds to relocate its dentistry, orthodontics, group practice and dental innovation centers into its Health Sciences Center, which is more centrally located on campus.

The university expects to complete the renovations in fall 2026, funded in part through a new $12.6 million investment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. WVU also plans to renovate the school’s surgical, clinical, administrative and academic facilities in the future.

“This renovation project will ultimately enhance student education to the benefit of patients statewide,” Stephen Pachuta, dean of the dentistry school, said in the Monday press release. “It is essential for meeting the needs of today and well beyond.”

The dental school is integrated with WVU Dental, a dentistry health care system led by “faculty, resident and student providers,” the press release read.

The new funding is the latest step in a multi-year effort to enhance the 50,000-square-foot dental school at WVU. In 2021, the university completed a $1.5 million renovation project at its urgent dental care clinic.

The WVU Board of Governors approved the forthcoming renovation project during its regular meeting in September. Construction for the project is slated to begin in 2025, according to the press release.