University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., has named Michael Leibowitz, Ph.D., interim director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute, effective Nov. 15.
Dr. Leibowitz, deputy director of UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute, succeeds Bruce Buehler, M.D., who is retiring after 24 years as director of MMI and 16 years as chairman of pediatrics. Dr. Buehler will continue to serve on the full-time faculty.
“Mike is as knowledgeable about MMI as anyone on this campus and will do an outstanding job as interim director,” Dr. Maurer said. “His background as deputy director will provide for a smooth transition during this interim period. I am most grateful to Dr. Buehler for his outstanding work in bringing MMI to its current level of achievement.”
“Dr. Leibowitz and I have worked together for 25 years,” Dr. Buehler said. “He is an outstanding administrator and he has long been an advocate for children and adults with special needs for the state and at the national level. Dr Leibowitz will be an excellent interim director of MMI.”
Dr. Leibowitz has served as deputy director of MMI since 1997. He also serves as director of the Nebraska Center for Disabilities at MMI, associate professor of pediatrics and section head in pediatrics for the rehabilitation medicine section.
Dr. Maurer said a new search committee will be formed to work with Korn Ferry, the search firm instrumental in recruiting UNMC’s new dean of the College of Pharmacy.
“Bruce will be a very tough act to follow,” Dr. Leibowitz said. “We have many ongoing programs and new innovations, and this is an opportunity to explore new directions with our board and the foundations that support us.”
The immediate goal, Dr. Leibowitz said, is to begin preparations for MMI to become an academic program at UNMC. “Building MMI’s academic mission will be a major opportunity for us to expand interactions with the other colleges and programs on campus,” he said. “It also will increase the visibility of the institute regarding the teaching we do for the 225-plus students at the institute, including medical students, residents, post doctoral fellows and interdisciplinary interns who come to us from as many as 40 colleges and universities across the country.”
Dr. Leibowitz came to UNMC in 1974 from Johns Hopkins University, where he was associate director of psychological services. He launched his career at UNMC as director of psychological services and has worn many hats over the years.
As deputy director of MMI, Dr. Leibowitz has been responsible for the day-to-day management of MMI and leadership of the Nebraska Center for Disabilities, which is federally funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The center provides administrative and core support to MMI in its efforts to help communities across the state respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.
A native of New York, N.Y., Dr. Leibowitz’s research interest is in developmental disabilities and analysis and remediation of behavior problems in young children.
Dr. Leibowitz received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University in New York, his master’s degree in general psychology from the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., and his doctoral degree in clinical and experimental psychology from the University of Maryland.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.