Augusta University is Georgia's health sciences university and a national center for cyber security education. Home to the state’s only public academic medical center, Augusta’s world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today. The university is comprised of nine colleges, including one of the nation's oldest medical schools, the Medical College of Georgia; the Hull College of Business; and the state's only dental school, the Dental College of Georgia.

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Albert Sans

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2021 University of Detroit Mercy, School of Dentistry

Outstanding Pre-Clinical Faculty Award

2022 Sigma Phi Alpha, National Dental Hygiene Honor Society, Omega Chapter

Faculty Award

Dental Faculty Award

2024 Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University

New Faculty Teaching Excellence Award

Commitee MVP Faculty Award

AADOCR Georgia Section : Past President

Pierre Fauchard Academy : Fellow

ADEA Leadership Institute : Fellow

Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene Honor Society

Effect of finishing protocols on dentin surface characteristics and bond strength after tooth preparation for indirect restorations

Microstructural evolution of cold-worked titanium dental implants following clinically relevant insertion torque

Surface microtexture and hydroxyapatite coating integrity of titanium dental implants following clinically relevant insertion torque

Evaluation of a new dynamic erosive aging method on the properties of restorative CAD/CAM dental materials

From names to concepts: Unraveling bioactivity in restorative dental materials

Dr. Rafael Rocha Pacheco, DDS, MSc, PhD, is Associate Dean of Digital Technologies and Associate Professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences at The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, where he also serves as Section Director of Dental Materials and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Oral Biology. In these roles, he leads the college's digital transformation, overseeing the integration of intraoral scanning, CAD/CAM, additive manufacturing and emerging technologies across the curriculum, clinics and research enterprise.  

Dr. Pacheco earned his DDS, MSc and PhD in Dental Materials from the Piracicaba Dental School at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil, with doctoral research conducted in part at Augusta University as a Special Visiting Scholar. Before returning to Augusta, he was a tenured Associate Professor and Division Director of Clinical Essentials and Simulation at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, and he has held teaching appointments at the University of Michigan and UNICAMP.  

His research spans dental materials science, resin composites, adhesion to ceramics, photopolymerization and digital dentistry. He has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters, including the Digital Technologies chapter in the 14th edition of Phillips' Science of Dental Materials, and holds three patents.  

Dr. Pacheco directs dental materials courses across predoctoral, dental hygiene and graduate programs. His teaching and service have been recognized with multiple faculty awards across two institutions and national organizations, including the student-selected Judson C. Hickey Award and the Augusta University Outstanding Faculty Award, both in 2026. He is a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy and an ADEA Leadership Institute Fellow. Before dentistry, he trained as a CNC machinist and information technology technician, a nontraditional path that continues to shape his hands-on, technology-driven approach to dental education and innovation.

Digital Dentistry

Dental Materials Science

Adhesive Dentistry

Dental Hygiene

Dental Ceramics

Bioactive Materials

Dental Technology

Faculty Profile

Research Profile

Google Scholar Citations

ResearchGate Citations

Revolutionizing dental education: DCG instructor creates 3D teaching tool

AU faculty teaching ‘lifelong learners’ through fall lecture series

Dr. Rafael Pacheco on Using AI to Personalize Learning

Associate Dean for Digital Technologies and Associate Professor, Academic Administration and Restorative Sciences

In this episode, Arthur Takahashi talks with Dr. Rafael Pacheco, associate professor and associate dean for digital technologies at the Dental College of Georgia, about how he is using AI to create more personalized learning experiences for students. Dr. Pacheco shares his path from dentistry and computer science to higher education, explains the teaching challenges that led him to build an adaptive learning tool for his courses, and discusses how immediate feedback, branching pathways, and confidence-based decision points can support student learning. He also reflects on using generative AI for smaller instructional tools through vibe coding and considers what great teaching may look like in a future where faculty increasingly serve as guides for critical thinking and human judgment. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity by visiting our show page and selecting “Request the Activity.” 

Speaking of Higher Ed is produced by the Center for Instructional Innovation at Augusta University. Find more episodes and resources on our show page at https://www.augusta.edu/innovation/sohe and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode. Continue the conversation with us on our Facebook page at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/augcii 



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