Ray L. Watts

Ray Lannom Watts (born December 18, 1953) is an American physician-researcher in neurology, educator and university administrator.

A Birmingham native and graduate of West End High School, Watts earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical and electrical engineering (with honors) from UAB in 1976.

Four years later, he graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as valedictorian of his class.

Watts then completed a neurology residency, medical internship, and clinical fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by a two-year medical staff fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In 1986, Watts joined the faculty of Emory University in Atlanta as director of a team that helped create an internationally renowned research and clinical center for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.

In 2003, Watts returned to UAB as the John N. Whitaker Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology.

There he led the development of an interdisciplinary research program aimed at translating scientific breakthroughs into promising new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and played a key role in the establishment of the UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center.

He also served as president of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation from 2005 to 2010.

The authors state that the Neurology paper was accepted October 24, 2006, and the Archives paper was submitted in December 2006.

The authors did admit "in retrospect, we should have notified the Archives about the complementary article in Neurology".

Watts is a member of American Neurological Association; American Academy of Neurology; Society for Neuroscience; Alpha Omega Alpha; Movement Disorders Society; International Brain Research Organization; Medical Association of State of Alabama; and the Alabama Academy of Neurology.

He has authored or co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed research articles published in journals including Annals of Neurology, Cell Transplantation, Experimental Neurology, Human Molecular Genetics, the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Archives of Neurology & Psychiatry, Journal of Genomics, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neurosurgery, Movement Disorders, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Neurology. Watts was the lead author of the paper "Randomized, blind, controlled trial of transdermal rotigotine in early Parkinson disease" published in January 2007 in the journal Neurology, and the second author of the paper "Transdermal Rotigotine Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Parkinson Disease" published in May 2007 in Archives of Neurology (the first author, Jankovic, was the second author of the first published paper).

The editor of Archives of Neurology, upon learning of the earlier publication, compared the two writings and deemed them to be "redundant publications...additional information [in the second publication] represents a minor contribution".

The second paper cited the first paper in a late draft after questions about the methodology arose, but did not mention the similarity of the data.

In response, the authors of the papers stated that they strongly disagreed with the editor's conclusions, and believe the focus of the two papers are different.

The authors also say that the primary author was not aware of the acceptance of the earlier paper during submission of the second paper.

He has also served and continues to serve on boards of other organizations aimed at improved education, economic development, and promotion of the arts and culture, including Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Prosper Birmingham, Innovation Depot, Southern Research, Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts (chair, corporate board), Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) (2009-2017), and Doctors for the ASO Giving Society (now Physicians & Faculty for the ASO) (founding chair, 2009–2013).

Upon taking office, Watts initiated the most comprehensive, campus-wide strategic planning process in UAB history.

The plan comprised individual strategic plans from all of UAB's schools as well as the UAB Honors College and UAB Athletics, and advanced the UAB Campus Master Plan for facilities.

In 2010, Watts became Senior Vice President and Dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, and later was named the James C. Lee Jr. Endowed Chair.

Watts has served as the seventh president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) since February 2013.

In February 2013, Watts was named UAB's seventh president by unanimous vote of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.

He has also served as chair of the UAB Health System Board of Directors and chair of Southern Research Board of Directors since 2013.

Watts has co-edited three editions of "Movement Disorders: Neurologic Principles and Practice."

Watts said of the ongoing strategic planning process in May 2014, "Established institutional priorities, as well as those of individual schools, departments and service lines, will allow us to confidently invest most heavily in the programs and people that Will Best advance our mission – where the most impactful achievements and benefits will be realized for the greater good."

In December 2014 UAB disbanded its football program and, as the rationale for the decision, Watts cited exorbitant operational costs and substantial investments that would be necessary to make UAB football financially sustainable.

"While this will be a challenging transition for the UAB family, the financial picture made our decision very clear," Watts said.

"We will not cut the current athletic budget, but in order to invest at least another $49 million to keep football over the next five years, we would have to redirect funds away from other critical areas of importance like education, research, patient care or student services."

On January 15, 2015, a two-thirds majority of the UAB faculty senate voted no-confidence in the leadership of Ray Watts as president of the university.

The resolution stated that "decisions by President Ray Watts were exercised in a manner that demonstrates no respect for, or commitment to, shared governance" and that changes in academic operations, faculty benefits, and the disbanding of the UAB Football, Bowling, and Rifle teams were examples of this.

Additionally on March 23, 2015, UAB's National Alumni Society issued a statement of no confidence and demanded Watts' immediate resignation.

On June 1, 2015, Watts announced steps would be taken to reinstate UAB football, rifle and bowling after campus and community leaders, the City of Birmingham and private donors pledged significant funds to reestablish and sustain the three programs.

"The biggest single difference is we now have tangible commitments for additional support that we have never had before," Watts told reporters.

"Without that additional support, we could not have maintained a balanced budget moving forward."

An initiative called "Finish the Drive" began on August 18, 2015, to conduct further fundraising for UAB Athletics.

As part of the UAB Campus Master Plan, UAB opened two new undergraduate-focused facilities in late 2015 and early 2016: a 714-bed freshman residence hall and the Hill Student Center.

Watts served as chair of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) for an unprecedented two consecutive terms (2016 and 2017) and remains a board member.

In his remarks at the grand opening celebration of the Hill Student Center in January 2016, Watts commented, "The new Hill Center is emblematic of the dramatic evolution of the UAB student experience over decades.... It will be, for years to come, a dynamic hub of educational, social and cultural activity, at the very heart of a student experience that is second to none."

UAB Football returned to competition in the fall 2017 season.

In late summer and fall 2017, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new Football Operations Complex, new School of Nursing building, and a new home for the Collat School of Business and Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.