2005 Awardee: James C. Cecil, III, DMD, MPH

2005 Knutson Awardee James Cecil (center) with previous recipients Alice Horowitz and Myron Allukian

The awardee, Dr. James C. Cecil, III, is the administrator, Oral Health Program, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and assistant professor, Dental Public Health, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. Dr. Cecil graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Dentistry in 1970, and obtained a Master of Public Health in 1976 from the University of Michigan. He pursued additional studies in oral epidemiology (University of Michigan) and human resources development (George Washington University). He served 25 years as a dental officer in U.S. Navy, making major contributions to the Navy’s preventive dentistry and dental research programs. During his distinguished Naval career, Dr. Cecil commanded the Navy Dental Research Institute, was executive officer of the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, and was director of Dental Health Care Operations, Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. He also served as senior consultant for dentistry to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. He has been a faculty member at the University of Kentucky since 1996. He developed a program to involve students in mobile outreach sealant program experiences. Since 2001, as the administrator of the Oral Health Program for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, he oversees a wide range of programs. Dr. Cecil has expanded local health department sealant programs and established the KIDS Smile Program, where public health nurses in local health departments conduct oral screenings, case manage oral health problems, and perform fluoride varnish applications. He has conducted oral health surveys of Kentucky’s children, adults, and elderly. Dr. Cecil has been a member of the American Public Health Association, American Dental Association, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and American Association for Dental Research for over 30 years. James C. Cecil, III is a distinguished practitioner of dental public health, with a career that has impacted many on the national and state levels.