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High Point University students, faculty and community members are invited to participate in a variety of community service projects for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 15, 2024. Pictured are students packing winter care kits during the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Center for Community Engagement Awarded MLK Day of Service Grant

HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 5, 2024 – High Point University students, faculty and community members are invited to participate in a variety of community service projects for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 15, 2024.

Students will serve the community through projects to revitalize local organizations, clean areas of the city of High Point, pack thousands of seeds for the community, assemble care kits for veterans and more. For a full list of events and volunteer opportunities, click here to join HPU students, staff and faculty as they participate in community service projects on MLK Day 2024.

Community members are invited to join in service projects, such as:

In 1994, Congress designated a federal holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – A Day On, Not a Day Off. HPU has taken that charge to heart by leading hundreds of volunteers in service to the city of High Point and surrounding areas each year. HPU students, faculty, staff and community members annually perform 500,000 hours of service while volunteering in many ways.

In addition to these service projects, HPU will host multiple educational workshops, speakers and films highlighting King’s life and legacy.

Center for Community Engagement Receives MLK Day of Service Grant

North Carolina Campus Engagement recently awarded HPU’s Center for Community Engagement a $5,000 subgrant from a MLK Jr. National Day of Service grant, jointly received by Partnership Alliance organizations and funded by AmeriCorps, the corporation for national and community service.

This multi-year funded program aims to engage more than 6,500 students across 11 states in service on or around MLK Day 2024 to support underserved and marginalized individuals and communities, according to N.C. Campus Engagement.

HPU students, staff and faculty will use these funds to support related costs associated with activities the HPU community will participate in on MLK Day. These activities include a project in the Washington Street Historic District, a predominantly Black neighborhood. AmeriCorps VISTAs will lead a project that includes packing winter care kits to be distributed at the annual Guilford County Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers also plan to hand out reusable soup bowls, transport the HPU mobile lab and conduct a bookbag drive with the campus Circle K chapter. Click here to sign up to volunteer.

HPU’s Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Worship Service

Community members are invited to attend HPU’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Worship Service on Jan. 15, 2024, at 11 a.m. in Hayworth Chapel. This event is free and open to the public. This year’s keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, the founder and senior pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Cynthia Hale as our guest preacher for this year’s Dr. King Worship Service,” said Rev. Dr. Preston Davis, vice president and minister to the university. “Dr. Hale is, without a doubt, one of the most gifted preachers in the country. She is clearly anointed with God’s spirit with an extraordinary ability to bring the Gospel to life. I can’t wait for our students and community to experience her preaching.”

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Hale earned her Master of Divinity from Duke University and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary. She holds five honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees and an honorary Doctor of Law degree. Hale established two ministries: Elah Pastoral Ministries, a mentoring program to assist in the spiritual and practical development of pastors and para-church leaders, and the Women in Ministry Conference, a national conference to develop, coach and mentor Christian women in ministry.

As a recipient of numerous honors and recognitions, Hale was inducted into the African American Biographies Hall of Fame, the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College and the Atlanta Business League Women’s Hall of Fame. She received the National Urban League’s Women of Power award, the Preston Taylor Living Legacy Award and the Balm in Gilead Keeper of the Flame Award and was recognized on Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 list as one of the nation’s most influential African American leaders. In 2009, Hale was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. She also served as a member of the 2016 Platform Committee for the Democratic National Convention and delivered the invocation at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Hale is a contributing writer for many books and publications, including “Power in the Pulpit II: How America’s Most Effective Black Preachers Prepare their Sermons,” and the preaching resource series, “Feasting on the Gospels.” In January 2010, she authored her first book titled, “I’m A Piece of Work: Sisters Shaped by God.”

Hale presently serves as chair of the IC3 Conference Board, president for the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference, a member emeritus of the Board of Visitors of the Divinity School at Duke University, a member of the Board of Trustees at Hollins University, a member of the UNCF National Faith and Education Initiative advisory council and a member of the Welcome.US Council. She serves as the co-chair of the International Spiritual Oversight Committee and is an active lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Music at the service will be led by Genesis Gospel Choir and guest musicians. Each year, this worship service serves to awaken the faithful witness of Dr. King for our lives here and now.

Dental School Offers Free Dental Care to Veterans, Teachers and First Responders

HPU’s Workman School of Dental Medicine will provide free dental care at two locations to veterans, teachers and first responders on Jan. 15 as a way to thank these everyday heroes in the community. More than a dozen Workman School of Dental Medicine faculty and staff members will provide the free dental care at two HPU Health locations – HPU Randolph Dental in Asheboro, N.C., and HPU Hillandale Dental in Durham, N.C.

Veterans, teachers and first responders are eligible to receive free oral exams, head-and-neck exams, limited same-day care and information about their oral health needs. Walk-ins are welcomed. Individuals can make an appointment by visiting the following links:

By Anne Blythe

Less than three months after High Point University held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will be the first private dental school in North Carolina, the founding dean has left; one of his assistant deans has been promoted to fill the post.

It’s not clear why Scott De Rossi, the founding dean and professor of the Workman School of Dental Medicine, left after being at High Point University since January 2021. Efforts to reach him by phone and text message were unsuccessful.

“HPU extends its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Scott De Rossi for his remarkable contributions and wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” read a statement provided by the HPU media relations office.

Muhammad Ali Shazib, who had been the chief clinical officer and assistant dean for practice at the Workman school, has been selected as the new dean.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community of High Point University, its patrons and our North Carolinians in breaking down barriers and to come together for the mission of putting those who need our care at the center of everything that we do,” Shazib said in a statement provided by the HPU media relations office. “To wake up every morning and be able to serve our faculty, staff, learners and patients is a dream come true for me.”

Prepping for students’ arrival

The dental school being built in High Point is expected to welcome its first students in the 2024 fall semester — 60 in all.

It will be one of three schools in North Carolina educating the next generations of dentists. The state’s two public dentistry schools are at UNC Chapel Hill and East Carolina University.

In a phone interview with NC Health News after the groundbreaking ceremony in late September, De Rossi said the dental school in High Point had been in the works for nearly a decade and a half. First the Great Recession sidelined those plans, then the COVID pandemic tossed planners a few unexpected hurdles in the timeline.

The school had touted the possibility of opening to students in 2023, but accrediting requests to the Commission on Dental Accreditation got backed up during the pandemic, De Rossi said, and the opening date was pushed to 2024.

That has not stopped the school from setting up High Point University Health, a private network of dental offices within a 65-mile radius of High Point that are owned and run by the university.

Dental students will be able to get practical experience at the offices. Additionally, revenue from the practices, which could number as many as 30 if the planning goal is met, will be streamed to the dental school to help offset operational costs.

State-of-the-art innovation

Eventually, the Workman School of Dental Medicine will be housed in a 77,000-square-foot building on the High Point University campus in an area where other health care schools are clustered.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Nido Qubein, president of the university since 2005, and others who spoke described the new dental school as one that would be “innovative” with “state-of-the-art technology.”

In the release sent to NC Health News by the HPU media relations office, Shazib is described as someone who “seeks to advance the school’s mission of becoming a leader in innovation, experiential education and life skills in oral health care.”

Shazib became interested in oral health as a youngster working in his father’s lab. He went to Lahore Medical and Dental College in Pakistan’s second largest city from 2005 to 2009 and received a bachelor’s degree in dental surgery.

After that, he did a stint in Singapore, working at a cellular and tissue engineering lab from 2010 to 2012.

Shazib then came to the United States and earned a doctorate of dental medicine from the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine in 2014. He then completed a postdoctoral residency in oral medicine at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Making a mark in NC

In North Carolina, Shazib has worked as an assistant professor of oral medicine at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry.

In 2020, when he joined the Chapel Hill dental school faculty, Shazib’s interests included oral health outcomes for cancer patients and events associated with chemotherapy, a topic he became interested in while working in his father’s cancer biology lab.

“I always had an interest in science,” Shazib said in a video posted to a Novant Health website. “I grew up in my father’s cancer biology lab, teaching his students how to culture and grow cells. I had a fascination with doing things with my hands and problem-solving. And in my journey of exploring what I wanted to do when I grow up, this was sort of my calling, to be here as a health care provider, to help patients that suffer from diseases of the mouth, face and jaw.

“I love the fact that in my field I have been able to solve problems that patients have often been suffering for many, many years or months.”

Shazib maintains active patient care in oral medicine, oncology and medically complex dentistry at Novant Health, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and the HPU Health-Oral Health network.

News of the exit of the founding dean had been circulating last week, but few knew what prompted the change.

De Rossi, who received his dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania dental school, joined the High Point University dental school in January 2021 after four years as dean of the UNC dental school.

Previously, De Rossi told NC Health News that he liked the idea of building a program from the ground up that wouldn’t be bogged down by the wheels of bureaucracy that sometimes turn slowly in public state-supported schools.

“The Workman School of Dental Medicine will be groundbreaking with its innovative care curriculum, its novel admission processes, its unprecedented oral health networks distributed across the Triad, across the state, delivering care to the citizens of North Carolina, ensuring our students receive pre-eminent clinical and didactic education in authentic environments,” De Rossi told the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony in September. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of integrating medicine and dentistry to improve health outcomes.”

Winston-Salem, N.C. – The North Carolina High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame announced the 2024 class, naming High Point University Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach to the honors. The N.C. High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, coaches and officials who have significantly impacted the sports on the high school level and beyond.

"I am truly honored and humbled by this recognition and would like to thank the committee for choosing me among the many equally qualified coaches throughout North Carolina," Coach Esposito commented. "Thirty-plus years ago, I walked into a gold mine at Mount Tabor High School. I was blessed to be surrounded by talented and high character student-athletes in a setting with tremendous administrative support. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be assisted by passionate coaches who were in the sport for all the right reasons. The parental support I received throughout the the years was phenomenal as well.

"What success I have achieved would not have been possible without my amazing parents, rock star wife, and all those who believed in our vision for the greatest sport in the world. A special thank you to Dr. Vert, whose support helped me take the next step in my career. Most importantly, I would like to thank all of the student-athletes who I have been fortunate to work with over the years. This award is due to their hard work, dedication, and willingness to be coached. This Hall of Fame recognition is due to all of the above."

Coach Esposito coached at Mount Tabor High in Winston-Salem for 17 years (1988-2005) before coming to High Point. He guided the program to 11 state championship titles, developed four individual national champions and was an eight-time North Carolina Coach of the Year.

"In 2005, I decided to enter the collegiate ranks at a small, quiet university in High Point," Esposito said. "At our first staff meeting, I heard Dr. Qubein speak of his vision for the university. To say what has transpired since then is amazing would be an understatement. All I can say is 'Wow!' The track and field/cross country programs have grown to our current prominence due to the incredible support of the administration, alumni, parents, and friends of the program. In addition, I have the best coaching staff in America and we have some very lofty goals for the future of this program."

During his time at High Point, Esposito has continued his tradition of excellence, producing three All-Americans, eight qualifying student-athletes for NCAA championships and 64 qualifying for regional championships.

Esposito has led the Panthers to two Big South Conference cross country championships, six Big South outdoor track and field championships and four Big South indoor track and field championships. He was named conference track and field coach of the year 10 times and cross country coach of the year twice.

"Coach Esposito loves the sport of track and field with a passion that is impossible to match and he is incredibly deserved of his place in North Carolina track and field history," HPU Deputy AD Drew Sanchez said. "He is a valuable addition to High Point University track and field staff and has cultivated a great experience for all the student-athletes who have competed for him. We are proud of all his success at the high school level and at High Point University. We look forward to his continued leadership directing our cross country and track and field programs to conference and national prestige."

A statewide committee of 22 track and field and cross country coaches, officials and media representatives who cover the sport extensively nominated and elected the class.

The induction ceremony will be Feb. 3, 2024, in Winston-Salem during the Mondo Elite High School Invitational at the JDL Fast Track, which will house the Hall of Fame. Each elected class has been honored at the meet, which is the premier indoor meet in North Carolina each season.

"High school track and field has existed in North Carolina for more than 100 years, with the first outdoor state championship held in 1913, the first indoor track meet held in 1922, and the first high school cross country meet held in 1929," Brett Honeycutt, N.C. High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame Founder," said "and North Carolinas has a strong history of national success, dating to the 1930s when High Point High competed at cross country nationals in New Jersey. It is our goal to honor those who have helped make this sport so great in our state, and these first five classes are a great start at letting people know how much talent has come through North Carolina."

#GoHPU

The Workman School of Dental Medicine is North Carolina’s only private dental school.

HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 23, 2023 – High Point University broke ground today on a new three-story, 77,500-square-foot facility that will be home to the Workman School of Dental Medicine, the state’s only private dental school.

A large crowd gathered inside Congdon Hall for the groundbreaking ceremony, which was held during HPU’s annual Fall Family Weekend.

“I hope you understand the power of this moment. For all of history, this will be the day where we remember the beginning of the Workman School of Dental Medicine,” said Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU’s president. “It’s huge for High Point University.”

HPU received a $32 million gift from the Rick and Angie Workman Foundation to establish the new dental school, which will welcome its first cohort of students in the fall of 2024. Dr. Rick Workman serves as HPU’s Dental Innovator in Residence in addition to being the founder of Heartland Dental, which supports more than 1,600 dental offices nationwide.

“While students have to learn the sciences and they have to learn the technical skills, the learning of leadership and interpersonal communication, how to lead a team and your staff, how to interact with patients and how to be a valued member of your community is very important to yourself,” Workman said. “It’s very important to the dental profession to take that and accept that responsibility within the community.”

About the Workman School of Dental Medicine

HPU’s dental school will be located on the section of campus known as Innovation Corridor. The new building will feature a fully functional dental office, a student lounge, state-of-the-art simulation labs and seven innovative learning spaces and classrooms.

The haptic simulation lab will be the world’s largest lab using SIMtoCARE dental simulation units to help train dental students. The high-tech simulators can replicate the feel of a real tooth so dental students can train safely without seeing live patients.

In addition, students will learn about the analog and digital dentistry and 3D printing workflows in the building’s new analog and digital dental production lab. A standardized patient clinical simulation lab will provide opportunities for students to interact with patients before they treat them during their clinical rotations.

About HPU Health LLC

One of the hallmarks of HPU’s approach to dental education is HPU Health LLC, a network of dental practices owned and operated by the university with locations across the state, including High Point, Greensboro and Chapel Hill. These practices are already fully operational and treating patients, with additional practices to open in the future. Each of these practices will connect dental students with real-world learning opportunities under the guidance of trusted dentists with decades of experience.

Today’s groundbreaking is the latest milestone for the Workman School of Dental Medicine as it moves closer to opening. On Aug. 24, the dental school received its initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

“The Workman School of Dental Medicine will be groundbreaking with its innovative care curriculum, its novel admissions processes and its unprecedented oral health networks distributed across the Triad and across the state,” said Dr. Scott De Rossi, the dental school’s founding dean. “These practices will deliver care to the citizens of North Carolina while ensuring our students receive preeminent clinical and didactic education in authentic environments.”

HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — We’re getting a first look at what the proposed homeless center in High Point could look like.

Open Door Ministries is working to buy property off Brentwood Street for the new facility. The organization has raised $7.4 million to go toward construction.

Open Door Ministries held a donor thank you dinner and fundraiser Thursday night as a way to introduce people to the homeless day center. People got to see these mock-ups of the building for the first time and learn what it will offer.

The executive director is hoping once people see the designs, they’ll be able to better imagine how the center will fit into their neighborhood.

“My goal with this whole facility is to keep people from ever entering homelessness, but if they are, get them off the street through whatever they need if they need job readiness, if they need any kind of treatment, you know any anything, we can get them out of their crisis,” said Ryan Ross, executive director of Open Door Ministries in High Point.

Ross hopes to be able to accomplish that in a brand new 50,000 to 60,000 square foot facility located at 410 Brentwood Street in High Point where a former church currently sits. The plan is to tear it down and build multiple buildings, one of which will house a day center.

“Somewhere to wash your clothes, take a shower, charge your cell phone, but also job readiness, resume writing, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling,” said Ross.

Another building will be a men’s shelter.

“Our anticipation is 128 beds, so the actual shelter would over double in size from what we have right now,” said Ross.

Another part of the property will have transitional housing where people can live while they work

“Homeless shelters are a band-aid fix and what we want to do is set people up for long term successful sustainability and this this plan is the best way to do that,” he said.

The larger space will allow Open Door Ministries to double or even triple the amount of people the organization currently helps. Right now, it’s giving out more than 7,200 meals per month and housing 1,000 people per year.

“The goal is to make homelessness and hunger and need in general, throughout Guilford County and the Piedmont Triad a much more rare thing than it is now,” said Ross.

Some homeowners living near the proposed location have expressed concerns about having the shelter in their neighborhood. Ross told FOX8 the facility will be completely fenced in and there will be security.

It’s a large plot of land, which he hopes will allow for future growth.

“We want to be looking down the road in anticipation of if the need increases that we’re going to be there to address that as well,” said Ross.

As of Thursday, there has not been any movement on rezoning the property.

Ross said after the November election, he has a meeting scheduled with several city and county leaders to make sure everyone is on the same page about the plans.