David Festinger

Dr. David Festinger, a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology, passed away suddenly on November 9, 2021. Robert DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP, dean of PCOM's School of Professional and Applied Psychology, described Dr. Festinger as a "kind, gentle and sweet person who was a devoted mentor to his students and a collaborative and cherished colleague." Read obituaries from PCOM and American Psychologist.

Dr. Festinger held a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and master's degrees in counseling and clinical health psychology, and was a licensed clinical psychologist in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Festinger was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and served as President of APA’s Division 28 (Substance Abuse and Psychopharmacology). His National Institutes of Health-funded research focused primarily on empirically isolating the active mechanisms of drug courts, developing empirically based dispositional procedures for offenders with substance use disorders, integrating disease prevention and healthcare into criminal justice programs for substance users, and bringing experimental research methods to bear on major ethical questions and human subject protections involving research participants.

He served as principal or co-Investigator on more than 20 NIH-funded grants and numerous contracts and grants from other federal, state and local funding agencies, has authored over 70 articles and chapters, and has disseminated his research findings at conferences and scientific meetings across the US and abroad. In addition, he was one of the principal architects of several evidence-based helping tools for clients and stakeholders within the fields of substance abuse and criminal justice.