February 26, 2019
Dr. John C. Higginbotham, associate dean for Research and Health Policy for the College of Community Health Sciences, has been tapped for the role of senior associate vice president for Research and Economic Development for The University of Alabama. Higginbotham, who is also professor and chair of the College’s Department of Community Medicine and Population Health and director of the College’s Institute for Rural Health Research, will continue his leadership roles with CCHS. As UA’s senior associate vice president for Research and Economic Development, Higginbotham will work to develop and enhance research initiatives across campus and serve as the chief operating officer for the Office for Research and Economic Development. He will focus on overseeing and growing ORED’s internal grant program and the annual process for identifying federal priorities for the University. “I appreciate Dr. Higginbotham’s willingness to serve in this key leadership role and look forward to working closely with him while developing and executing a new strategic plan for the Office for Research and Economic Development,” said Dr. Russell Mumper, UA’s vice president for Research and Economic Development. Higginbotham received a bachelor’s degree from UA, a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his doctorate in Preventive Medicine and Community Health from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He has an extensive portfolio of funded research, and his most recent presentations and publications focus on racial and ethnic disparities related to cancer and other health issues. He has chaired standing grant review committees for NIH, received the Charles Barkley Excellence in Mentoring Award, and the Alabama Public Health Association’s Ira L Myers Award for having a significant impact on public health. In his leadership roles with the College, Higginbotham teaches, conducts and oversees the CCHS research infrastructure. He works in partnership with all areas of the College to promote research and scholarly activities among faculty, fellows, family medicine resident physicians, medical students and others.
