University of Central Florida (UCF) officials have approved the creation of a new College of Dental Medicine in Orlando, FL, the school announced.
The dental college will be built at the university's Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona, FL. UCF is not seeking state funding for the project.
The college is expected to create at least 110 permanent local jobs and an initial economic impact of $73 million from construction. Additional economic impacts will flow from research, which will include exploring the links between dental and medical health. The college also will provide services to the poor at its dental clinic.
The project still needs the state Board of Governors' approval to move forward. UCF hopes to open the school in 2014 with a charter class of 60 students. There are currently only two fully accredited dental schools in Florida.
