Jill Keaton, DMD, was recently appointed dean of the University of Pikeville (Ky.) Tanner College of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Keaton is currently associate dean of clinical affairs at the university. She has nearly four decades of experience serving the eastern Kentucky area, according to a Nov. 3 news release. This includes working in private practice as well as owning and operating The Center for TMJ Disorders in Pikeville.
She will begin her new role Nov. 4.
Dr. Keaton's appointment comes more than a year after the school previously announced Pamela Sparks-Stein, DMD, as the upcoming school's dean.
“UPIKE is forever indebted to the first dean of the dental school, Pamela Sparks-Stein, DMD, MPH, whose vision, brilliance and compassion for underserved people have laid a firm foundation for the success of the Tanner School of Dental Medicine,” Provost Lori Werth, PhD, said in the news release.
The University of Pikeville was given $25 million to establish a dental school in May 2022. It is expected to accept its first class in 2025.