Dr. Julie Watts McKee selected as 2025 School of Dentistry Alumni Fellow

The School of Dentistry’s 2025 Alumni Fellow – Julie Watts McKee, DMD ’83 – was honored at the Wilson Wyatt Alumni Awards celebration during UofL’s Homecoming weekend in October 2025.

Dr. McKee grew up in Lawrenceburg, KY and graduated from Anderson County High School. She received a biology degree from the University of Kentucky and continued her education at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry.

She bought a practice in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, and worked as a general dentist for a decade.

Dr. McKee worked for Governor Brereton Jones, where she learned how local citizens impact state policy and priorities. Then, she worked in the Office of the Inspector General, where she learned the importance of good law. For over 12 years, she was the public health director for a multi-county health department. She managed the public health response to floods, food-borne illnesses, lead poisonings and the implementation of new, untested public health programs.

In 2006, she was recruited to become the state dental director, and she has been the chief dental officer since July 2007. During her tenure, she expanded the public health nursing application of dental varnish, provided training for dentists to treat young children, developed many local oral health coalitions, significantly reduced decay in Appalachian children, established a loan repayment program for dental school graduates, oversaw the development of a strategic plan for Public Health, and established the Public Health Registered Dental Hygiene program.

Dr. McKee is an ex officio member of the Board of Dentistry and the Dental Association, a Commissioner for the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and is a past clinical board examiner for the Southern Regional Testing Association.