F. Charles (Bud) Mace, Ph.D., Named Recipient of Unicorn Children’s Foundation Endowed Chair at Nova Southeastern University

Internationally Renowned Psychologist to Direct Autism Institute and Serve on Faculty

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – F. Charles (Bud) Mace, Ph.D., has been named recipient of the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Endowed Chair at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). As such, Mace will serve as executive director of the Autism Institute at NSU’s Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies. In addition, he will serve as professor of psychology for NSU’s Center for Psychological Studies. The announcement was made this week by NSU Provost Frank DePiano, Ph.D.

F. Charles Mace, Ph.D.

In his role, Dr. Mace will provide innovative vision and leadership in advancing autism research encompassing the entire lifespan of those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and in creating clinical programs for children with emotional and developmental disabilities.

“The gift provided by the Unicorn Foundation has allowed the university to attract a psychologist of international stature to NSU,” said DePiano. “Dr. Mace has an impressive amount of experience in establishing major clinical research and post-graduate training programs in the area of developmental disabilities. We are confident that his background, expertise and innovative outlook will advance NSU’s goal of taking our programs and research to the next level of academic excellence.”

A licensed psychologist, Mace received his doctorate in school psychology from the University of Arizona in 1983.  He has held faculty positions at Lehigh University, Rutgers University, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the University of Wales and most recently as professor of school psychology at the University of Southern Maine.

Mace currently serves as editor for translational research for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and is past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. He has been the principal investigator for several state and federal research grants including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the United States Office of Special Education Research, and the Welsh Office for Research and Development. He is also a recipient of the prestigious American Psychological Association’s Don F. Hake Award for outstanding basic behavioral research and its applications

“Dr. Mace’s appointment will support the University’s effort to build centers of excellence in selected areas of need such as autism. This important research will advance our understanding of an increasingly prevalent disorder,” said Ray Ferrero, Jr., NSU chancellor.

Mace has served as president of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and is well known in academia for his research on functional analysis of severe behavior disorders, behavioral momentum and the Matching Law. He has published more than 100 research papers and book chapters and his work is among the most highly cited in behavioral psychology. Several of his papers are ranked as citation classics, having been cited well over 100 times each.  In 2004, he was ranked sixth among all applied behavior analysts in research productivity for the period 1992-2001. 

Mace will begin at NSU on Aug. 1, 2010. For more information about NSU’s Center for Psychological Studies visit http://cps.nova.edu/  and for the Mailman Segal Institute, visit http://www.nova.edu/msi/index.html.

Media Contact:
Felecia Henderson, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5315, fhenders@nova.edu