James Shepperd

James Shepperd is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Florida, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His academic career includes roles as Interim Director of Graduate Training in Social Psychology (2015–2016), Research Director of the Southeast Center for Research to Disparities in Oral Health (2014–2017), and Affiliate Professor in the College of Dentistry’s Department of Community Dentistry (2012–present). He holds editorial positions in journals like Basic and Applied Social Psychology and Medical Decision Making, and has received numerous accolades including the 2014 Fellow of the Society of Personality & Social Psychology and multiple Anderson Scholar Teaching Honorees.

• Education: BA (Psychology, Southwestern University, 1983), MA (Educational Psychology, University of Texas, 1985), PhD (Social Psychology, University of Missouri, 1988).
• Research Focus: Self-processes, future expectations, optimism, risk perception, and psychological approaches to gun policy. His work emphasizes caregiver-child health dynamics, particularly in asthma management and oral cancer screening.

His research explores how expectations about the future influence behavior, with notable contributions to understanding unrealistic optimism and health decision-making. Recent studies investigate caregiver risk perceptions in pediatric asthma and barriers to oral health screenings.

• Grants: Over $8.9M in funding, including NIH grants for asthma management (R01 HL137680A1) and genetic counseling outreach for ovarian cancer survivors (R01 CA240581-01A1).
• Awards: 2017–2020 University Term Professor, 2012 RTI Research Challenge Award, and 1987 Edwin B. Newman National Research Award.

Prof. Shepperd’s lab collaboration includes projects on health communication, decision-making under uncertainty, and the psychological impact of genetic risk information. He co-leads initiatives like the ‘Southeast Center for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health’ and advises on national health policy through NIH study sections.