Raymond Ownby, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Receives Prestigious NSU Provost's Research and Scholarship Award

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla., Nov. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nova Southeastern University (NSU) President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., recently presented Raymond Ownby, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., with the 3^rd Annual Provost's Research and Scholarship Award.

The purpose of the award is to recognize a faculty member who has demonstrated significant achievement in support of NSU's mission to foster scholarship, intellectual inquiry, and academic excellence. Research and scholarship are two of NSU's eight core values, and excellence in these areas enhances education, patient care, and public service, and develops superior scholarship.

"I congratulate Dr. Ownby for exemplifying excellence in research and scholarship, as well as his significant contributions to the fields of psychiatry and behavioral medicine," said Hanbury.

The announcement was made at the External Funding Recognition Reception, hosted by Gary S. Margules, Sc.D., vice president of NSU's Office of Research and Technology Transfer, at which NSU faculty members from all disciplines across the university are recognized for their commitment to advancing their fields of study.

"I am incredibly honored to be selected by my peers for this prestigious honor," said Ownby. "I am grateful to NSU for believing in me and my team and allowing us and our fellow researchers to pursue knowledge and discovery in our fields."

Ownby, who serves as a professor and chair of NSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, was nominated by Robin Jacobs, Ph.D., M.S.W., who is also from the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

"This award recognizes distinguished accomplishments in the pursuit of research and scholarly activities across the academic disciplines," said Ralph V. Rogers, Ph.D., NSU provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "Dr. Ownby has a natural ability to connect to students and enhance their education through mentorships and collaboration."

Ownby has published more than 100 articles and has been the recipient of several research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Recently, he and his team received a $1.35 million federal grant to create innovative methods to evaluate patients' health literacy.

His research and clinical interests include examination of the ways in which stress, mood, and inflammation interact in older adults.

Ownby was the founder of the Brain Fitness Program in the Center on Aging in Miami, a program to help midlife and older adults maintain their mental fitness, and has since created a brain fitness program at NSU.

Among other accolades, Ownby was recently selected by Best Doctors® as an expert in the field of medicine and is board certified in adult psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, behavioral sleep medicine, clinical neuropsychology, and neuropsychiatry.

He has served as contributing editor, section editor, and ad hoc reviewer for numerous prestigious peer-reviewed journals, and he is a founding member of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

Previous Provost's Research and Scholarship Award winners include:

• 2012: Bernard Riegl, Ph.D., associate director of the NSU's National Coral Reef Institute and professor at the Oceanographic Center
• 2012: Steven Kurtz, Ph.D., co-director for the NSU's Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities and professor in the Division of Applied Interdisciplinary Studies
• 2011: Mark B. Sobell, Ph.D., ABPP, NSU's Center for Psychological Studies

About NSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine:  The mission of the College of Osteopathic Medicine is to provide learner-centered education, both nationally and internationally, for osteopathic medical students, postgraduate trainees, and other professionals. Through its interprofessional programs, the college prepares competent and compassionate lifelong learners; supports research, scholarly activity, and community service; and advocates for the health and welfare of diverse populations, including the medically underserved. For more information, please visit http://medicine.nova.edu/.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with 27,000 students. NSU awards associate's, bachelor's, master's, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

SOURCE Nova Southeastern University