Exposure to learning different languages as a child, teen, and then young adult, lead Dr. Owen to be curious about how people acquire languages, and how they learn to read written language. He studied cognition and neuroscience as an undergraduate student, with a focus on memory and language systems. During his graduate studies, he focused his research on how people read single words. As cognitive science evolved, Dr. Owen’s interests expanded to include an embodied cognition perspective on language processing.

Beyond his research, Dr. Owen has engaged the UNBC community in several administrative roles. In these roles, he has focused on supporting students, faculty, and staff in achieving UNBC’s Vision, Mission, and Goals. Currently, Dr. Owen is the Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences.