NEW YORK, October 17, 2011 -- Prof. Richard Isralowitz, of Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), recently received the U.S. National Distinguished International Scientist Award for his work as director of the Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources (RADAR) Center.
This award is presented by the International Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which works with colleagues from around the world to find evidence-based solutions to the public health problems of drug abuse, addiction and drug-related HIV/AIDS.
Established in 1995, RADAR's research focuses on substance use and related problems among Israeli and former Soviet Union-origin youth and adults. The Center is part of an international network of experts and organizations addressing substance abuse prevention, treatment and policy issues through education, training workshops, research, and publications.
RADAR has sponsored five international substance abuse experts at BGU for research and training purposes under the Fulbright Scholar Exchange Program – U.S.-Israel Educational Program. It is monitoring substance use in the Middle East, improving clinical treatment needs of addicted persons, and developing an evidence-based model of smoking cessation among high-risk youth in the Negev.
"Social outreach to communities in the Negev is a major component of BGU's mission," said Doron Krakow, executive vice president of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev based in New York City. "I congratulate Prof. Isralowitz on this well-deserved honor and for his critical efforts on behalf of underserved populations."
Collaborators with RADAR include the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); and the U.S. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Major participating universities include the University of California, Los Angeles; University of Southern California; New York University; Rutgers University in New Jersey; and others. RADAR receives funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel's southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev. For more information, please visit www.aabgu.org.