Groundbreaking held for KCU College of Dental Medicine

On Saturday, Kansas City University (KCU) held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a College of Dental Medicine on its campus in Joplin.

The new college will address the significant and growing oral health needs of the four-state region of southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas.

“The college of Dental Medicine for Kansas City University will be here in Joplin,” Dr. Linda C. Niessen, Founding Dean and Provost for Oral Health Affairs says. “We are KCU’s College of Dental Medicine.”

Dr. Neissen also says the presence of the new college will be a definite “win-win” for the City of Joplin.

“The College of Dental Medicine will serve as a source of economic development for the community as we hire 109 people, both faculty and staff,” she says. “We will bring 320 dental students and their families to Joplin.”

The dental program lasts four years. Niessen says most students will have undergraduate degrees in biology but graduates from liberal arts and other programs will be considered if they have completed the required science courses.

She says the first class of students will begin studies in the fall of 2023.