Dean Isabel Garcia announced that Valeria Gordan, D.D.S., M.S.-Cl., is appointed associate dean for the UF College of Dentistry Office of Research effective December 22, 2023, having served in the role as interim associate dean since December 2020.
“Valeria has done a remarkable job in this role over the past three years. She accepted the responsibility during a global pandemic that affected all aspects of our enterprise including research and, through her steady hand, our research programs and discovery continued smoothly despite the challenges. In addition, she led college’s research program during an accreditation self-study process and site visit in September 2023 with the best possible outcomes,” Garcia said.
As associate dean, Gordan is responsible for oversight of UFCD’s research activities and operations, furthering the college’s research mission, collaborating with UF, UF Health and UFCD colleagues to foster faculty, resident and student participation in research and providing administrative oversight of all sponsored research funding.
She joined the college in 1997, is a tenured professor in the Division of Operative Dentistry of the UF Department of Restorative Dental Sciences and serves as the director of the South Atlantic Region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. In 2022 she was named a distinguished professor by the University of Florida and received the Academy of Operative Dentistry’s Hollenback Memorial Prize last year, recognizing her distinguished research, leadership and substantial contributions toward the advancement of restorative dentistry.
“Since 2000, our college has ranked in the top 10 for NIH funding and, through the continued efforts of our college community and with Valeria’s leadership, last year we were ranked No. 6 in NIH funding among all U.S. dental schools. We are fortunate to have such a strong research program and a well-versed, experienced leader to continue its excellence in the years to come,” Garcia said.
Gordan earned her dental degree from State University of Londrina, Brazil, in 1993; a master’s in operative dentistry from the University of Iowa in 1997; and a master’s in clinical investigation from the UF College of Medicine in 2007. Gordan is a researcher, educator and clinician. Her research interests are in the area of caries diagnosis and preservation of tooth structure using minimally invasive restorative techniques through translational and clinical research applications.