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.
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
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
Aletraris, Lydia
Associate Research Scientist, Social Work
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | lydia@uga.edu
Research Interests: Substance use treatment; Cannabis legalization; Opioid use disorder; Human trafficking; Hidden populations
Andrews, Tessa
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, Genetics
Director, Scientists Engaged in Educational Research (SEER) Center
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | tandrews@uga.edu
Research Interests include STEM Education, Organizational change
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
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
Beach, Steven R. H.
Regents’ Professor, Psychology
Co-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
Brown, Anita
Associate Director, Center for Family Research
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | anitab@uga.edu
Research Interests include gene-environment interaction and engagement/informed consent issues with regard to collection of genetic material from community samples
Brown, Geoffrey
Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2015
website | glbrown@uga.edu
Research Interests include fatherhood, parenting, attachment, socio-emotional development, infancy, African American families
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
website | margaret.caughy@uga.edu
Research Interests include Parenting; Latinx families; Racism; Academic achievement; Mental Health
Clark, Malissa
Associate 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
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
Eby, Lillian
Distinguished Research Professor, Psychology
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
website | leby@uga.edu
Research Interests include Occupational Health, Mentoring, Careers
Ehrlich, Katherine
Associate 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
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
Goodie, Adam
Professor, Psychology and 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
Haider, M. Rifat
Assistant Professor, Health Policy & Management
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2022-2024
website | haider@uga.edu
Research Interests include HIV/AIDS; Substance abuse; Maternal & child health
Kogan, Steve
Athletic Association Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
2021 OIBR Mentoring Legacy 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
Lavner, Justin
Professor, Psychology
Co-Director, Center for Family Research
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
Lemons, Paula
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
Athletic Association Professor, Science 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
McDowell, Jennifer
Associate Director, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
Interim Department Head, Psychology
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
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.
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
Okech, David
Georgia Athletics Association Endowed Professor, Social Work
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2016
website | dokech@uga.edu
Research Interests include Human Trafficking, Evidence informed policies and programs, Asset development, Community development, Social welfare policy
O’Neal, Catherine Walker
Assistant 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
Oshri, Assaf
Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Distinguished Scholar, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
OIBR Grant Development Program Participant 2014-2016
website | oshri@uga.edu
Research Interests include Child Maltreatment, Resilience, Neuroscience, Risk Behaviors
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
Robinson, Dawn
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 of the 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
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
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
Meigs Associate 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
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
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 2013-15
website | jtinkler@uga.edu
Research Interests include Social psychology; Law; Sexual misconduct; Policy; Gender; Race