Well-known locally and nationally for his advocacy for children with disabilities, J. Michael Leibowitz, Ph.D., will officially become the director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) on May 1, pending approval of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on April 24.
An associate professor of pediatrics and section head in pediatrics for the rehabilitation medicine section, Dr. Leibowitz has been the interim director of MMI since Nov. 15, 2007.
Prior to being named the interim director, Dr. Leibowitz served as deputy director of MMI for 10 years. He also is the director of the Nebraska Center for Disabilities at MMI.
“Dr. Leibowitz has been at the institute since 1974 and is the ‘go-to’ guy for me at MMI,” said Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “He has a new vision for the institute that includes building a strong research program in focused areas of excellence. I am very pleased with this appointment and look forward to further development of the institute under his leadership."
Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and head of the director search committee said Dr. Leibowitz is “a perfect example of our sometimes finding gold in our own backyard.”
“He did not throw his hat into the ring earlier for consideration as MMI director because he is a completely unselfish person who wants only the best for MMI, and so, he modestly stood aside while we looked all over the world for a replacement for Dr. (Bruce) Buehler,” he said. “As it turns out, he is indeed the best person for the job, and I look forward to the growth of the MMI under Mike’s able leadership.”
Dr. Leibowitz said he is honored to be chosen as only the third director of MMI.
“I am looking forward to exciting changes over the next few years as MMI enhances its ongoing mission of providing excellent interdisciplinary education and the provision of diagnostic and intervention services for children, youths and adults with disabilities, as well as expanding basic and translational research related to neurodevelopmental disabilities,” he said.
“With the chancellor’s leadership and support, our vision is to further the excellence at MMI and create the premier interdisciplinary center on disabilities in the Midwest."
Dr. Leibowitz is the principal investigator for the federally designated center, funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, which 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 New York City native, Dr. Leibowitz received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University and his master’s degree in general psychology and doctoral degree in clinical and experimental psychology from the University of Maryland.
Before he launched his career at UNMC as director of psychological services, Dr. Leibowitz worked at Johns Hopkins University, where he was associate director of psychological services at the Kennedy Institute.
The Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation is Nebraska’s federally designated university center of excellence for developmental disabilities. MMI opened in 1959 as a private therapy center to serve youth with polio. Over the past 50 years, the institute’s mission has broadened to serve individuals with genetic, developmental and other disabilities across the lifespan. As a part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, MMI provides interdisciplinary clinical services, state-of-the-art research, advanced education for future professionals and technical assistance to programs across the state. MMI is charged with unlocking the potential of individuals, helping community programs to support persons with diverse disabilities and advocating for the needs of all people with disabilities. For more information, go to MMI’s Web site, www.unmc.edu/mmi.
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 $82 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.