'Behind The Blue': College Of Dentistry Dean Jeff Okeson Discusses A Lifelong Career At UK

From the University of Kentucky:

By Carl Nathe and Kody Kiser

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A 1972 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Dr. Jeff Okeson returned in 1974 to begin a now 46-year career as a faculty member. Inducted into the 2015 class of the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Okeson has touched the lives of a vast number of students as well as members of the surrounding community.

Having worked as a teacher, a researcher, a lecturer and a representative of the University on a national and even international level, Dr. Okeson now serves as Dean of the College of Dentistry, a role he views as a privilege that enables him to give back to the school that gave him so much.

In an interview recorded in January of 2021, Dr. Okeson talks with UKPR’s Carl Nathe about how the pandemic pushed the College to find new ways of keeping students immersed in their work, the innovations in dentistry that UK Dentistry students are being trained in, the importance of getting dental care back into underserved areas of Kentucky, and more.

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This press release was produced by the University of Kentucky. The views expressed here are the author’s own.