Owen Recognized as PCOM Georgia’s First Professor Emerita

May 24, 2021

Dr. Owen served as a mentor to many PCOM Georgia graduate and medical students.

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Mary P. Owen, JD, PhD, CS. The suffixes after her name indicate the range of her expertise, interests and experience. Dr. Owen is the first retired PCOM Georgia professor to be recognized as a Professor Emerita, which marks her distinguished service to the College.

One of the founding faculty members hired at PCOM Georgia in 2005, Dr. Owen began her career with the College as an associate professor of neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. She earned the designation of Costin Scholar after attending the Costin Institute for Osteopathic Medical Education, a yearlong educational experience which signifies expertise in teaching, research, management and leadership skills. In 2009, she earned the title of tenured professor, which she held until her retirement in 2019.

During this time, she remained a member of the State Bar of Georgia and provided pro bono legal services in Gwinnett County.

Born and raised in Alabama, Dr. Owen graduated from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Her talent was recognized as she received the Entering Freshman Award. Following graduation, she worked in quality control and at research laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

She then earned a Master of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, along with a Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology. Her education was far from finished. In 2001, she graduated from the Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, New Hampshire, with a JD degree in Intellectual Property.

Following her post-doctoral studies at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical School, she taught pharmacology, physiology and toxicology courses and conducted research at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical School, the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, and Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

Later, her law degree allowed her to hold such positions as associate solicitor extern, Office of the General Counsel, US Patent and Trademark Solicitor Office in Alexandria, Virginia. She was also an associate attorney extern at Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams and Martin in Atlanta, and worked as a title and closing attorney prior to finding her way back to teaching and research, her first loves.

Dr. Owen has been an invited speaker at several international symposiums, including those in Japan, Germany, Canada and Scotland. In addition, she was an invited participant at international conferences in New York, Vermont, California, Illinois, Arizona and New Jersey. She has served on a wide variety of committees including the National Institutes of Health Scientific Review Committee in the Experimental Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section. In addition, she was invited to participate in review committees for the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.

From 2005 – 2007, Dr. Owen was recognized with the Ironman Faculty Award for her extraordinary dedication in designing and teaching the osteopathic medicine and biomedical sciences curriculum at PCOM Georgia. She received the PCOM Georgia Research Award, served as the chairperson of the Faculty Senate for the Philadelphia and Suwanee campuses, received the Champion of Healthcare Award for Innovation and Research, and was recognized as a “Favorite Faculty” by PCOM Georgia alumni. In addition, the Division of Research presented Dr. Owen with an award in recognition of her contribution, dedication and commitment to advancing research and education.

She was also recognized by her alma mater, the College of Graduate Studies at the Medical College of Georgia, as a nominee for the Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Owen’s research was funded by numerous organizations, including the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the National Institutes of Health, the Deborah Research Institute, and PCOM’s Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging. Her articles have been published in many peer-reviewed journals and she has authored several book chapters.

Dr. Owen served for many years as a mentor to students earning masters and doctoral degrees at PCOM Georgia. She was proud when her students’ presentations and posters won local and national competitions. But she was equally proud to see her students and graduates “happy, contributing unselfishly, and doing good things. I am honored to feel like I may have had a small part in their development – that they could go on and do great things in serving their communities.”

She received many accolades for her teaching style while at PCOM Georgia. One student named her the “Queen Bee” of pharmacology. He said, “She knocked it out of the park again. She teaches us exactly what we need for the boards.”

Another student said, “Dr. Owen was amazing. She took difficult principles of pharmacology and made them easy to understand. I was afraid going into pharmacology, but she actually made it fun. She is extremely qualified to teach and that definitely shows in her lectures.”

Dr. Owen said, “I took a lot of pride in helping the students understand the material because then they could remember it. My position was to inspire them and make them see that the material was important for them going forward. She also enjoyed opening doors for her students as her mentors did for her throughout her career.

Dr. Owen has returned to her beloved lakeside hometown of Centre, Alabama, where she volunteers her time and talent to her local community. She hasn’t forgotten her students and continues to serve as a door opener when needed.

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