Gerontology

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Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education honors UMBC’s innovative leadership in the field of aging

“Dr. Hrabowski has been at the forefront of creating and promoting a vision of how we think and talk about aging and longevity,” shares Dana Bradley, dean of UMBC’s Erickson School of Aging Studies. And the inclusive, forward-looking vision that he and the Erickson School emphasize has had notable impacts, including on the student experience. Continue Reading Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education honors UMBC’s innovative leadership in the field of aging

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UMBC’s Taka Yamashita receives $1.4 million grant for research supporting workers returning to community college

UMBC’s Taka Yamashita has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences for an innovative three-year research project on how adult literacy impacts success in community college STEM education and job training programs. Yamashita is an associate professor of sociology and faculty member in the UMBC/UMB gerontology Ph.D. program. Continue Reading UMBC’s Taka Yamashita receives $1.4 million grant for research supporting workers returning to community college

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UMBC and UMB partner to become Maryland’s first “age-friendly” universities

“What I love about the UMB and UMBC connection is that we draw many people together for a greater good. This is an interdisciplinary journey to address aging through policy, business management, life sciences, entrepreneurship, and technology lens,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski Continue Reading UMBC and UMB partner to become Maryland’s first “age-friendly” universities

Alumni Awards highlight profound impact, drive, and commitment of UMBC alumni and faculty

“People you see on this stage are not just amazingly talented, they are good people who have done great work,” shared President Hrabowski. “I can’t think of anything an educator would want more than that: People who care about others, who strive for excellence, and who never, never, never give up.” Continue Reading Alumni Awards highlight profound impact, drive, and commitment of UMBC alumni and faculty

Bill Thomas

Washington Post chronicles the life and career of Erickson School Professor Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas, an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare, was recently featured in a Washington Post profile on his life achievements. Thomas, who is a physician and Erickson School professor, has spent more than twenty years trying to make life better for seniors. His is well-known for developing “The Eden Alternative” — a radical system of humanizing nursing homes by introducing live animals and plants with the idea of making nursing homes feel more like gardens and less like hospitals. The article describes in detail Dr. Thomas’s goal to make his generation reinvent what it means to be old. “We need… Continue Reading Washington Post chronicles the life and career of Erickson School Professor Bill Thomas

Aging-Self-Stereotypes: Obstacle or Pathway to Health? (4/13)

The Doctoral Program in Gerontology at UMB/UMBC, Department of Sociology and Anthropology and The Erickson School present “Aging Self-Stereotypes: Obstacle or Pathway to Health?” by Becca Levy, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Levy’s research explores psychosocial factors that influence elders’ cognitive and physical functioning, as well as their longevity. She is credited with creating a field of study that focuses on how positive and negative age stereotypes, which are assimilated from the culture, can have beneficial and adverse effects, respectively, on the health of older individuals. This event will take place on April 13, 2015 at… Continue Reading Aging-Self-Stereotypes: Obstacle or Pathway to Health? (4/13)

Alums in the News: Griner, VanDyke, Doyle, Cangialosi, Clements, and Arthurs

Here at UMBC, we take pride in what our alums accomplish after graduation. Take a moment to see which Retrievers have been on the move and making news! Former UMBC professor and alumna Anita Griner ’99, psychology, was recently appointed Chief Performance Officer of Cognosante. In addition to her work as a graduate professor at UMBC, where she taught advanced program management sciences, Griner has experience with large IT and healthcare programs. Cognosante focuses on aiding healthcare services, specifically dealing with Health Reform initiatives using technology and BPO services. Read full article.   Maureen Evans Arthurs ’13, gender and women’s… Continue Reading Alums in the News: Griner, VanDyke, Doyle, Cangialosi, Clements, and Arthurs

Leslie Morgan, Sociology and Anthropology, in The Baltimore Beacon

An article published in the August 2014 edition of The Baltimore Beacon newspaper examines the struggles and challenges caregivers can face while caring for elderly family members. The article covers topics ranging from finding support and treatment for caregivers’ own health to caregiver stress and benefits. Leslie Morgan, professor of sociology and co-director of the UMBC/UMB Ph.D. program in gerontology, was interviewed for the article and said the subject of caregiver stress has been a focus of research for almost three decades. “This is a time when you and your loved can be together and get closer,” Morgan said, “when hopefully, you’ll have the… Continue Reading Leslie Morgan, Sociology and Anthropology, in The Baltimore Beacon

Gerontology Honor Society Expands, Plans Year Ahead

Sigma Phi Omega (SPO) is the national academic honor society in gerontology, for professionals who work with or on behalf of older persons. The UMBC chapter of SPO, Delta Lambda, has continued to grow, thanks to the strength of UMBC’s sociology, gerontology and Management of Aging Services programs. At a recent induction ceremony welcoming new members, the group also honored graduating member Susan Hannum, who pioneered Delta Lambda’s annual senior center “Food Drop.” Continuing volunteer activities with local senior centers and organizations remains a primary goal for the year ahead. The society also plans to connect with Washington D.C.-area colleagues… Continue Reading Gerontology Honor Society Expands, Plans Year Ahead

Leslie Morgan, Sociology & Anthropology, Honored with AGHE Award

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) has selected professor Leslie A. Morgan, Sociology & Anthropology, as recipient of the David A. Peterson Award for her Gerontology & Geriatrics Education article “Paradigms in the Gerontology Classroom: Connections and Challenges to Learning.” The AGHE will present Morgan with this “best paper” award at its 2013 annual meeting. The group notes, “The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in scholarship in academic gerontology.” Manuscripts are evaluated on “innovation, the soundness of their approach, and their significance to and implications for gerontology and geriatrics education.” Morgan’s research focuses on social… Continue Reading Leslie Morgan, Sociology & Anthropology, Honored with AGHE Award

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