University of Missouri - Kansas City SOD Ushers in a New Era of Innovation

Paul G. Luepke, D.D.S., M.S., FACD, joined the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC SOD) as dean in June 2025 with significant forward momentum. He will help guide the school’s transition to the new Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building (HDIB) in 2027. 

Dean Paul G. Luepke, D.D.S., M.S., FACD, visits the construction site of the new Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building (HDIB). 

Dean Luepke is excited to be at the helm as the future home of the school’s dental clinics, the HDIB, takes shape. The new building will enhance the school’s dental clinics, which provide 70,000 patient visits and $500,000 in uncompensated patient care per year. The 160,000-square-foot project at the 25th and Charlotte streets represents the largest capital improvement project in UMKC history.

Top: A building rendering of the future HDIB and its surroundings.

Bottom: The construction of the HDIB under full swing. 

The final beam was placed on September 17, 2025. The university celebrated this construction milestone by inviting elected officials, university leadership and students, faculty and staff to sign the beam before it was placed in the new building.

The HDIB gives the school a fresh start in terms of technology, said Dean Luepke, and he hopes to capitalize on that. For example, digital dentistry is moving at an accelerated pace, so plans are staying flexible to allow for adding new developments that may be available in the next year or two.

True to his leadership style, Dean Luepke is ensuring all voices are heard in the planning process, including those of new students and faculty.

Reaching out for feedback from first-year students is something he learned while visiting the U.S. Army Fort Riley in his current position. The military base in Kansas utilizes “incubators,” where they get feedback from the youngest soldiers. These soldiers don’t have strong biases yet, and their open-mindedness often allows them to think more outside the box.

“We want to ask first-years where they think dentistry is going and give them an opportunity to share their thoughts,” said Dean Luepke. “Sometimes the best ideas come from someone without preconceived notions.”

Dean Luepke chats with students at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry.

This past summer, Dean Luepke was a featured speaker at a retreat for third-year, advanced periodontal residents at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry (UT Health SA SOD). Their dental school recently moved into a new building, so Dean Luepke stayed an extra day to take a tour, learn about what some of their relocation obstacles were and go over their moving process. The UT Health SA SOD is a familiar place for Dean Luepke, as he received his master’s degree in periodontics there.

“The more we can expose our students to the latest technological innovations,” said Dean Luepke, “the better they will be at making decisions for their patients.”

Courtesy of University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry

Published on April 8, 2026