Distinguished Scholars

The title “OIBR Distinguished Scholar” is reserved for faculty with current or past grant projects run through the Institute, who seek to be actively involved, and wish to take full advantage of OIBR’s services. Nomination by an active Distinguished Scholar and approval of the OIBR executive committee is required to be granted Distinguished Scholar status.

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Abney, Drew

Associate Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2023 OIBR Rising Star Recipient
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2020-2022
website | drew.abney@uga.edu

Research Interests include Sensorimotor development; Human interaction; Emotion regulation; Time series analysis; Language development

Abraham, Amanda

Michael and Caroline Fierman Professor, Public and International Affairs
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2015
website | aabraham@uga.edu

Research Interests include Health Policy, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Accessibility/Quality of SUD Treatment, Organizational Change, Maternal Health

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Ahn, Sun Joo (Grace)

Professor, Advertising
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2012-2013
website | sjahn@uga.edu

Research Interests include Virtual reality; Persuasion/Behavior change; Risk communication; Media psychology

Andrews, Tessa

Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, Genetics
Director, Scientists Engaged in Educational Research (SEER) Center
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2025 OIBR Lillian Eby Mentoring Award Recipient
website | tandrews@uga.edu

Research Interests include STEM Education, Organizational change

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Ardoin, Scott

Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Education, Early College of Education
Professor, Educational Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2009-2010
website | spardoin@uga.edu

Research Interests include Reading comprehension; Eye tracking; Classroom behavior management; Academic intervention; Applied behavior analysis

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Bauer, Brian

Assistant Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2022-24
website | brian.bauer@uga.edu

Research Interests include Suicide; Behavioral economics; Decisions

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Beach, Steven R. H.

Regents’ Professor, Psychology
Director, Center for Family Research
Co-Director, Center on Biological Embedding of Social Events & Relationships
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2023 OIBR Service Legacy Award Recipient
website | srhbeach@uga.edu

Research Interests include Family, Epigenetics, Inflammation, Obesity, Substance Abuse

Brosius, J. Peter

Distinguished Research Professor, Anthropology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | pbrosius@uga.edu

Research Interests include environmental anthropology, cultural politics of conversation, political ecology, hunter-gatherers, transnational environmental movements and institutions and human ecology in SE Asia

Campbell, W. Keith

Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | wkc@uga.edu

Research Interests include Personality; Psychedelics; Self

Caughy, Margaret O.

Georgia Athletic Association Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2024 OIBR Service Legacy Award Recipient
website | margaret.caughy@uga.edu

Research Interests include Parenting; Latinx families; Racism; Academic achievement; Mental Health

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Clark, Malissa

Department Head, Psychology
Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2015
website | clarkm@uga.edu

Research Interests include Workaholism; Work/family conflict; Enrichment; Employee health and well-being; Gender; Mood/emotions

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Clay-Warner, Jody

Director, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
Meigs Professor, Sociology
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2000-2001
website | jclayw@uga.edu

Research Interests include Justice, Violence, Victimization, Experimental Methods, and Gender

Clementz, Brett

Distinguished Research Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | clementz@uga.edu

Research Interests include Psychosis, Classification, Neuroimaging, and Genetics

Dolan, Erin

Meigs Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2023 OIBR Lillian Eby Mentoring Award Recipient
website | eldolan@uga.edu

Research Interests include Research training; Career decision-making; Career development; Mentorship; STEM workforce

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Eby, Lillian

Distinguished Research Professor Emerita, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | leby@uga.edu

Research Interests include Occupational Health, Mentoring, Careers

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Ehrlich, Katherine

Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2016-2018
website | kehrlich@uga.edu

Research Interests include stress, inflammation, resilience, social determinants of health

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Fiorella, Logan

Associate Professor, Educational Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2020 OIBR Rising Star Award Recipient
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2016-2018
website | lfiorella@uga.edu

Research Interests include: Instructional design; Learning strategies; Metacognition; Learning from visualizations

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Goodie, Adam

Associate Dean, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | goodie@uga.edu

Research Interests include gambling, decision making, psychology, recognition and addictive behaviors

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Haider, M. Rifat

Assistant Professor, Health Policy & Management
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2024 OIBR Rising Star Award Recipient
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2022-2024
website | haider@uga.edu

Research Interests include HIV/AIDS; Substance abuse; Maternal & child health

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Kogan, Steve

Athletic Association Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2021 OIBR Mentoring Award Recipient
website | smkogan@uga.edu

Research Interests include family centered substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, adolescent risk behavior, and African American men

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Lavner, Justin

Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2022 OIBR Rising Star Award Recipient
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2015-2017
website | lavner@uga.edu

Research Interests includes Couples and family relationships; Prevention/Intervention; Therapy; Health inequities; Minority and contextual stress; LGBTQ issues

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Lemons, Paula

Senior Associate Dean, Franklin College
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | plemons@uga.edu

Research Interests includes Learning; Instruction; Problem solving; Institutional change

Luft, Julie

Distinguished Research Professor, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies Education
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | jaluft@uga.edu

Research Interests include Science Teacher Education; Science Teacher Learning; Newly hired science teachers

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McDowell, Jennifer

Associate Director, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | jemcd@uga.edu

Research Interests include Psychotic disorders; Neuroimaging; Eye movements; Cognition

Miller, Joshua

Distinguished Research Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2007-2008
website | jdmiller@uga.edu

Research Interests include personality assessment and disorders, and antisocial behavior

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Nesbit, Rebecca

Professor, Public Administration & Policy
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2015-2017
website | nesbit7@uga.edu

Research Interests include Management of volunteers and how organizations can sustain volunteer commitment over time.

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Neuharth-Pritchett, Stacey

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs, College of Education
Professor, Educational Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 1998-1999
website | sneuhart@uga.edu

Research Interests include head start, pre-kindergarten, poverty, early childhood, teacher-child relationships, and asthma

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Okech, David

Georgia Athletics Association Endowed Professor, Social Work
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2015
website | dokech@uga.edu

Research Interests include Human Trafficking, Evidence informed policies and programs, Asset development, Community development, Social welfare policy

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O’Neal, Catherine Walker

Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | cwalker1@uga.edu

Research Interests include military families; risk and resilience; couples; health

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Oshri, Assaf

Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2015
website | oshri@uga.edu

Research Interests include Child Maltreatment, Resilience, Neuroscience, Risk Behaviors

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Phillips, Bradley

Professor, Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | bgp@uga.edu

Research Interests include Translational Sciences, Sleep Apnea, Cardiovascular, Obesity

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Robinson, Dawn T.

Director of Faculty Development, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
Professor, Sociology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2021 OIBR Service Legacy Award Recipient
website | sodawn@uga.edu

Research Interests include Group processes; Social networks

Shaffer, Anne

Associate Dean, Graduate School
Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2009-2010
website | ashaffer@uga.edu

Research Interests include Emotion communication & socialization; childhood maltreatment; predictors of parenting

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Shannon, Sarah

Meigs Professor, Sociology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | sshannon@uga.edu

Research Interests include Inequality; Family; Life course; Aging; Crime; Law; Deviance

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Simons, Leslie Gordon

Meigs Professor, Sociology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2003-2004
website | lgsimons@uga.edu

Research Interests include family, life course, aging, crime and law

Stanton, Julie

Professor, Cellular Biology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | stantonj@uga.edu

Research Interests include Metacognition; Reasoning; Community cultural wealth; Social change; Qualitative methods

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Strauss, Gregory P.

Franklin Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | gstrauss@uga.edu

Research Interests include Schizophrenia, Psychosis, Neuroscience, Emotion, Reward, EEG, Eye-tracking, and Social Cognition

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Suveg, Cynthia

Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2006-2007
website | csuveg@uga.edu

Research Interests include Family processes; Child anxiety; Developmental Psychopathology

Sweet, Lawrence

Gary R. Sperduto Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2022 OIBR Lillian Eby Mentoring Award Recipient
website | sweet@uga.edu

Research Interests include Neuropsychological Assessment, Neuroimaging, Addiction and Disorders of Aging (Cognitive)

Tinkler, Justine

Professor, Sociology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2013-14
website | jtinkler@uga.edu

Research Interests include Social psychology; Law; Sexual misconduct; Policy; Gender; Race