Clay-Warner named OIBR director

The UGA Office of Research named Jody Clay-Warner the new director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, effective Aug. 1.

Clay-Warner, Meigs Professor of Sociology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, received a Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University and has been at UGA since 1998, where she previously served as director of the Criminal Justice Studies Program and as head of the department of sociology. She has been involved with OIBR since 2000, when as an assistant professor she participated in the grant mentoring program. In 2019, Clay-Warner was appointed associate director of the Institute.

Established in 1970, OIBR is a service unit within the Office of Research. OIBR’s mission is to support innovative social and behavioral sciences research at UGA, with a particular eye toward fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. To fulfill this mission, the Owens Institute offers a variety of grant administration services, including pre- and post-award support. Faculty mentoring is also important to OIBR’s mission. The Grant Development Program fosters faculty career development and supports the UGA pipeline for future excellence by preparing social and behavioral science faculty to compete successfully for extramural funding. In addition, OIBR offers many multidisciplinary, collaborative events and networking. Currently, 171 faculty members are affiliated with the Institute, representing 45 academic units.

“I am honored to be named the director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research. OIBR has been an integral part of my experience as a UGA faculty member, and I am deeply committed to its mission,” said Clay-Warner. “I look forward to using my administrative skills to ensure not only that OIBR continues to be a model for grants administration customer service, but also that it responds effectively to new challenges in the increasingly complex world of social and behavioral science research.”

Congratulations to Dr. Clay-Warner and to the Owens Institute, as they continue their decades of research leadership for our faculty and innovative practices to serve an ever-expanding community.

Image: Meigs Professor Jody Clay-Warner, new director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research (Photo by Jason Thrasher)