Roger Fillingim, Ph.D., has been appointed the associate dean of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, a new associate dean role for the UF College of Dentistry, beginning February 1, 2024.
The new administrative role focuses on assessment, evaluation of outcomes, strategic planning, data-informed decision-making, and continuous improvement. He will work closely with the college’s dean and leadership from all offices, departments and centers in the college to approach strategic planning and decision-making from a broad perspective.
“Dr. Fillingim’s track record over the years since founding and directing the UF Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, or PRICE, demonstrates his ability to forge collaborations between a variety of people and institutions that result in success for everyone involved. He also anticipates changes and challenges, and quickly adapts, which is an integral component in effective strategic planning,” said A. Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the college.
Another major strength he brings to this role is his wealth of experience in data collection and interpretation, which plays a critical role in our ability to evaluate the strength of our educational, research and clinical care missions, and identify where we need to make changes or enhancements, Garcia said.
Fillingim, who joined the college in 2000, is a distinguished professor in the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science and the director of PRICE. He received a 2020 University of Florida Foundation Term Professorship Award created to invest in the research endeavors of UF faculty members whose work is transforming lives. Fillingim graduated from Mercer University in Macon, GA, with a bachelor’s in psychology. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
His research investigates biological, social, and psychological factors that may influence the experience of pain, perhaps the most widespread and expensive health problem in the United States. One major area of focus for Fillingim’s research is how women and men experience pain differently. He served as president of the American Pain Society, or APS, in 2012-2013, and has been an active leader in APS for many years. He has served in several leadership roles including as chair of both the Scientific Program and Education Advisory committees. In 2009, he received the APS Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award for his clinical pain scholarship and research achievements. In 2017, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the APS to recognize his outstanding and dedicated service to the society.
Fillingim also leads the UF Mentor Academy which was established in 2013 to provide training in best mentoring practices for UF faculty who mentor students, postgraduate trainees and early career faculty. The Mentor Academy employs an active learning model that encourages participant engagement and experiential learning. The program runs twice a year in the fall and spring semesters. More than 150 UF faculty have completed the Mentor Academy across 10 UF colleges, including 25 UFCD faculty.
“I am delighted that Roger has agreed to serve in this role for the college and I am positive that he will help create a roadmap to an even greater future for the UF College of Dentistry,” Garcia said.