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By: UPIKE Public Relations | February 21, 2023
The University of Pikeville (UPIKE) and the Appalachian News Express (ANE) recently reached a purchase agreement for the ANE facility on Caroline Avenue in downtown Pikeville. The building, which currently houses the newspaper offices and its printing presses, will be home to the university’s recently announced college of dental medicine, which plans to begin accepting students in 2025.
With plans to relocate the ANE facility, the timing of the purchase will allow UPIKE’s dental program to move forward on schedule.
“This purchase allows Appalachian Newspapers Inc., to not only be a participant in the continued progress of our community, but also allows us to ensure the future of our company and the services it provides,” said Appalachian Newspapers Inc., Publisher Jeff Vanderbeck. “Our mission is to provide the most timely and credible local information available to the communities we serve, and we plan to do this for generations to come.”
“We saw a need to help both the university and the city grow,” said Vanderbeck. “The anticipation of more than 250 students and staff to become part of the community requires a lot of space. This arrangement is great for us, the city and the university and secures and solidifies our ongoing relationship.”
Located steps away from the bottom of UPIKE’s historic 99 steps, the site will allow the program and its students to enjoy the closeness and support of campus while giving proper space for the innovative and high-tech plans for UPIKE’s College of Dental Medicine.
“The most common question I have received over the last six months has been, ‘Where will the dental school be located?’” said UPIKE President Burton Webb, Ph.D. “Now we can answer that question in the way we had always hoped, in downtown Pikeville. Dental health is intricately linked to overall health and well-being. Our hope is that one day Central Appalachia could be among the most healthy places in America. Dental medicine is another way we are working to deliver on that vision.”
As a leader in higher education in Central Appalachia, UPIKE has a commitment to excellence in each endeavor. The university believes that by educating tomorrow’s leaders in the health professions, the landscape of healthcare in Appalachia will thrive. With a higher number of oral cancer cases and less access to dental care, the impact of the College of Dental Medicine in Eastern Kentucky would likely mean earlier detection, better outcomes and increased preventative care for the region.
For more information about the UPIKE College of Dental Medicine, email wewantyou@upike.edu or call 606-218-5250.