Lyon College to locate dental school in LR’s Riverdale neighborhood, vet school in Cabot

Lyon College officials announced Tuesday (May 7) the locations of their planned dental and veterinary schools with one locating in Little Rock and the other in Cabot.

In November 2023, an original plan to locate the dental and vet schools in the Heifer International headquarters in downtown Little Rock fell through.

OneHealth Companies, the school’s original partner in the venture, failed to meet the deadline to buy the Heifer International facility, according to numerous published reports. OneHealth is no longer involved with Lyon on the project.

The School of Dental Medicine will be will be located at 5 Allied Drive in Little Rock’s Riverdale neighborhood. The School of Veterinary Medicine will be located on a newly formed multi-acre campus located at Exit 21 in Cabot, adjacent to Game Time at The Grounds city park.

“After thorough consideration, the Lyon leadership decided to split the vet and dental schools based on proximity to related entities,” said Dr. Melissa Taverner, president of Lyon College. “The dental school in Little Rock will be located close to existing medical institutions; and the veterinary school in Cabot will be located adjacent to the planned Cabot Animal Services Center and will have space for future programmatic expansion. We are beyond thankful for the time and collaborative efforts of so many who worked in good faith to open these schools.”

Lyon officials said renovation and construction on both campuses is scheduled to commence this year, with the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine and Lyon College School of Dental Medicine expected to enroll their inaugural classes in the fall of 2025 and summer of 2025 respectively.

“As Lyon College continues to expand its academic offerings and strengthen its footprint as a leader in higher education, these new schools will play a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare in Arkansas and beyond,” said Victor Werley, Lyon College Board of Trustees chair. “We could not be more excited to be establishing a presence at two thriving locations in central Arkansas.”

The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will occupy floors 1-6 and 12 in Riverfront Plaza Building 5, which formerly housed Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield offices. The building will be renovated to include space for classrooms, offices, and patient care and simulation clinics.

In 2022, Lyon College signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to foster joint efforts in both entities’ respective missions and identify opportunities for joint teaching, research, graduate education and professional development to benefit students and faculty. Lyon College is also partnering with the Arkansas Department of Health and Arkansas Oral Health Coalition to increase awareness of oral health in Arkansas.

“While our location is changing, our commitment to Arkansans remains the same. We remain committed to addressing the oral health needs of the underserved across Arkansas and I am excited about the new possibilities that this location offers us to positively impact the community, improve oral health literacy, and increase access to quality oral health care,” said Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean of the dental school. “Lyon College’s new school will feature cutting-edge facilities equipped with advanced technology, fostering innovation and collaboration among students and faculty.”

In the plan approved by the Cabot City Council Monday, Cabot will lease facilities to Lyon College to develop its veterinary school.

Last year, the City of Cabot and Lyon College signed a memorandum of understanding signifying the commitment of both institutions to collaborate on community outreach, educational programming and the provision of care and support services at the City of Cabot Animal Services Center.

“As a veterinarian devoted to this profession and veterinary dean, I find Arkansas’s enthusiasm for the new veterinary school truly heartwarming,” said Dr. Eleanor Green, founding dean of the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine. “We had previously signed an MOU with Cabot for a mutually beneficial relationship to support its Cabot Animal Support Services where veterinary students would experience immersive learning opportunities. The plan is for Lyon College students to have access to hands-on experiences in animal care, health management and community engagement, contributing directly to the welfare of animals and residents in Cabot. The location in Cabot provides the ability to construct a large barn and classroom space that will allow expansion of outreach to students and civic groups across the state.”