David C. Schwebel, PhD, was appointed vice president for research at the University of Iowa in July 2025. He is proud to work with the dedicated and skilled team of professionals in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) to support faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity that improves and enhances the lives of people in Iowa and across the country and world.

Before joining the University of Iowa, Schwebel served as associate vice president for research facilities and infrastructure and university professor of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He earned an MA and a PhD in clinical psychology from Iowa, and a BA in psychology from Yale University.

Schwebel has announced several priorities for the OVPR, including:

• Supporting faculty research development, including an initiative to grow large grants at the institution and expanded efforts to help faculty secure external funding for their research, scholarship, and creative efforts.

• Guiding the university through evolving research funding and compliance landscapes.

• Ensuring that all university research activities meet legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.

In addition to his role as vice president for research, Schwebel serves as professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed manuscripts, most focusing on understanding and preventing unintentional injury in children and adolescents.

At UAB, he directed a federally funded laboratory that developed and implemented injury prevention techniques for a range of situations, including pedestrian safety training in virtual reality environments, remote car seat installation using interactive virtual presence, drowning prevention through lifeguard training, firearm injury prevention among youth, and kerosene safety in low-income South Africa neighborhoods.

Schwebel is a Woodrow Wilson Scholar, a Fulbright Award winner, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association.