Dr. Celinda Evitt, a graduate of the USF School of Aging Studies, Ph.D. in Aging Studies Program comments on the Aging Studies Program at USF. Dr. Evitt states. "One of the great gifts of being in the Aging Studies PhD program is the development of life-long friendships. Here are 3 students from different cohorts that have benefited from that gift." Other graduates in the photo from the Ph.D. in Aging Studies Program are Dr. Debbie Gavin and Dr.Dorothy Moore.
Congratulations! To Dr. Jung Kwak
Congratulations! To Dr. Jung Kwak, a recent graduate of the USF School of Aging Studies Ph.D. in Aging Studies Program for receiving the 2006 USF Graduate School’s Outstanding Dissertation Award. Dr. Kwak’s dissertation, “Predictors and Outcomes of Hospice Use Among Medicare and Medicaid Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents in Florida: A Comparison of Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic Whites.” was one of four selected to receive the award from the sixteen dissertations that were nominated.
Dr. Kwak’s dissertation committee included, Co-chairs, Dr. David Chiriboga from the Department of Aging and Mental Health, Dr. William Haley from School of Aging Studies and Dr. Susan McMillan, School of Nursing, Dr. Glenn Mitchell, School of Aging Studies and the Florida State Data Center, and Dr. Bill Rowe from the School of Social Work.
Dr. Kwak’s award will be presented at the Graduate School’s Ninth Annual Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Award Reception to be held on January 16, 2007, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Congratulations! To Wendy Anemaet
Congratulations! To Wendy Anemaet, a School of Aging Studies Ph.D. in Aging Studies Student, as the recipient of the George Sacher Student Award for 2006 for her poster at GSA on the “A Non-surgical Method for Induction of Synovitis And Osteoarthritis in Murine Knee Joints.” The George Sacher Award is given by the Biological Sciences Section of GSA for the best student presentation by a GSA member at the Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting (There are four sections of the GSA). As recipient of this award, she will receive a monetary cash prize and a certificate.
COUNSELING FOR CAREGIVERS CAN HELP KEEP ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS AT HOME LONGER
Counseling leading to improved well-being for the spouse caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease patients can result in a substantial delay in nursing home placement for their loved ones with AD, according to co-author William Haley, Ph.D. University of South Florida and researchers from New York University School of Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The authors' work appears in the November issue of the journal Neurology. Read more about it... http://usfnews.usf.edu/page.cfm?link=article&aid=1488 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=569855
November 16 – 20th was the 59th Annual Gerontological Society of America (GSA) conference in Dallas, Texas.
The USF Collaborative was well represented with 43 members from the Collaborative (faculty and students) presenting posters, papers, symposiums and workshops during the conference. To see photos click here ……
Aging Studies Student Meets Former First Lady!
Liz Perkins, a doctoral candidate in the School of Aging Studies, was recently invited to attend a 2 day Awards Recognition Gala and Workshop by the Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving. The event was held at Johnson & Johnson's Global Headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to honor major grant award recipients, and Mattie Stepanek Scholarship winners. Perkins was presented with a certificate from Jeni Stepanek (mother of Mattie Stepanek) and former first lady Mrs Rosalynn Carter, having already received the $2000 scholarship money.
Says Perkins, "It was an honor and privilege to meet both Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Jeni Stepanek (mother of Mattie Stepanek). Mrs. Stepanek was also keynote speaker at the pre-dinner workshop during the day. Her speech was deeply moving and served as a poignant reminder that the value of our work is ultimately measured by how much it helps others."
Details of the scholarship and the legacy of Mattie Stepanek can be found by clicking on the following links.
Congratulations to Pamela Stobaugh for receiving a Performance Bonus Program Award. These awards are intended to reward staff for "demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the workplace." The Program award was given by the College of Arts and Sciences to 20 of the 41 applicants who were nominated by their Departments.
Congratulations to Dr. Kathryn Hyer
for being honored as a 2005-2006 USF Million Dollar Researcher. She received this honor, along with 62 other faculty members, for being Principal Investigator on over $1,000,000 in grant funding during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Kathy was one of only 6 faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences to receive this honor (CAS has about 500 faculty).
FMHI celebrated its annual Halloween Event on October 31st, 2006. To see more ……
Congratulations to Dr. Jessica McIlvane and Dr. Ross Andel for receiving the “Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.” Dr. McIlvane and Dr. Andel are both faculty members in the USF School of Aging Studies, College of Arts and Sciences.
The USF School of Aging Studies held their Annual Welcome Back Kickoff Reception for New Faculty & Students August 30, 2006 in the School of Aging Studies Lobby. Dr. Cathy McEvoy, Director of the Ph.D Program, gave a brief overview of the Ph.D. and Masters Programs in Aging. Dr. William Haley, Director of the USF School of Aging Studies introduced new faculty, Dr. Debra Dobbs and Dr. Jerri Edwards. Dean Skvoretz, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed faculty, staff and students and introduced Dr. Cheryl Kirstein, the new Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship and Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. To see photos click here, more ....... click here
Congratulations to Karon Phillips, a USF School of Aging Studies Ph.D. in Aging Studies student, in being selected to receive an award to attend the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Technical Assistance Workshop (TAW) in Dallas, TX November 15 and 16, 2006 in association with the Gerontological Society’s (GSA) Annual Meeting. The TAW is tailored to students and investigators in different stages of their careers. The workshop sessions and presentations are designed to give each attendee substantial advice about preparing for a research career in aging and in taking the next step toward building an independent research career. Students and investigators participate in workgroup sessions and will describe their research proposal to the National Institute on Aging.
Establishing And Refining Hurricane Response Systems For Long-Term Care Facilities Kathryn Hyer 1*, Lisa M. Brown 2, Amy Berman 3, LuMarie Polivka-West 4
1 Kathryn Hyer is an associate professor at the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging in the School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida (USF), in Tampa.
2 Lisa Brown is an assistant professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, at USF.
3 Amy Berman, a registered nurse, is a program officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, in New York City.
4 LuMarie Polivka-West is senior director of the Florida Health Care Association in Tallahassee.
Before she became an assistant professor and assistant director for Academic Affairs at the University of South Florida's School of Aging Studies in Tampa, Dr. Sandra Reynolds was an executive with the Bank of Boston. Why the switch? Read the full article in the St. Petersburg Times….. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/29/Seniority/An_older__wiser_work_.shtml
Congratulations to Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Perkins, a doctoral student in the USF School of Aging Studies Program, for receiving one of the four 2006 Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Mattie J.T. Stepanek Intergenerational Caregiving Scholarships. To read more about the award Click here……..
Karon Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the USF School of Aging Studies, has been elected by the student members of the Gerontological Society of America to serve as Secretary for the Emerging Scholars and Professional Organization. Her term will begin at the conclusion of the 59th Annual Scientific Meeting in November in Dallas, TX.
Mary Kaplan, LCSW, Instructor in the College of Arts and Science, School of Aging Studies, recently published a book on Solomon Carter Fuller, a pioneering African American psychiatrist. This book has been favorably reviewed by the prestigious medical Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). The review can be seen in the March 8, 2006, Vol. 295, No. 10, pp. 1190-1191 issue of JAMA..
Congratulations to Jung Kwak, Ph.D.
Dr. Jung Kwak successfully defended her Doctoral Dissertation for her PhD degree in Aging Studies entitled, “Predictors and Outcomes of Hospice Use Among Medicare and Medicaid Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents in Florida: A Comparison of Non-Hispanic Blacks and Non-Hispanic Whites” ( Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 10am in MHA A-Westside Conference Center).
Congratulations to Nancy Lynn
Nancy Lynn, a Ph.D. student, in the School of Aging Studies for receiving an Honorable Mention in the American Public Health Association's Gerontological Health Section's doctoral student research award. This award, named after USF's Dr. Larry Branch, is awarded through a national competition with blind review. Nancy originally submitted a proposal for a poster session, but was invited by the APHA committee to compete for the award. Her study involved a collaborative effort with Jacksonville's aging services involving screening of more than 300 elder service recipients.
Nancy holds a full time job in FMHI's Dept. of Child & Family Studies and has completed her second year of doctoral studies in Aging Studies. Several years ago she was the first graduate of the FMHI/COPH certificate program in Behavioral Health Services Research while completing her masters in Public Health. She also has the distinction of working in all three FMHI departments.
The Student Association for Aging Studies hosted a Summer Social for Aging Studies faculty, staff, and friends on June 28, 2006 in the SAS Lobby. There was a good turn out for the event and everyone had a great time! SAAS has been very busy this year, having adopted a Meals-on-Wheels route, created the “Starving Students” cookbook, helped with the Seniors’ Prom, and participated in a few social events. SAAS also has a very special event planned for everyone around the beginning of the fall semester, so keep your eyes open for invitations!!
The number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease has reached 4.5 million at an estimated annual direct and indirect cost of at least $100 billion, according to the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging. With those already astounding numbers on the rise-Alzheimer's research and awareness are increasingly important. more at..http://www.research.usf.edu/absolutenm/templates/newro.asp?articleid=1552&zoneid=
Congratulations
Karon Phillips, Ph.D. in Aging Studies student, on receiving the College of Public Health “Lee Leavengood Senior Program Scholarship.” This scholarship supports a student displaying an interest and leadership in studies related to aging.
Congratulations to Gerontology BS student Frieda Williams
who was just notified that she will be the recipient of the Tampa Palms Women's Association Scholarship. Ms. Williams will be honored at a June 1st luncheon at Tampa Palms.
Dr. Keren S. Vergon successfully defended her Doctoral Dissertation for Ph.D. degree in Aging Studies entitled “An Exploration of Middle-Aged and Older Women’s Experiences of Bat Mitzvah Within the Framework of Erikson’s Theory of Human Development,” (Wednesday, May 03,2006 @ 9:00am in MHC 1329).
Kudos to the USF School of Aging Studies and members of the Interdisciplinary Coalition Arthritis Research Excellence group “Sassy Steppers,” Tamara Baker, Jessica McIlvane, Mary Kaplan Chivon Mingo and Mishu Popa, walked on April 29, 2006 in the Arthritis Foundation Walk to raise money for a cure for Arthritis.
Congratulations to this year’s USF School of Aging Studies Scholarship Awardees
Ms. Nonna Kozlenko, Ms. Marjorie Temme and Ms. Barbara Herrington. The USF School of Aging Studies held its annual Preceptor Awards Reception on April 14, 2006 in the Westside Conference Center. The following scholarship awards were given:
The Tollette Family Endowed Scholarship in Gerontology was awarded to Ms. Nonna Kozlenko.
The Dick Rotsell Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Gerontology Florida Health Care Association, District V awarded to Ms. Marjorie Temme and the The Harold L. Sheppard Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Gerontology was awarded to Ms. Barbara Herrington.
Other Recognition of Note: Ms. Pamela Stobaugh was awarded the Wiley P. Mangum Service Award in Gerontology
Ms. Mary Kaplan was awarded the Sue V. Saxon Teaching Award in Gerontology and all Preceptors received a Certificate of Appreciation.
April was one of two winners in the Social Sciences category at the Fifth Annual Graduate Research Symposium sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences. April’s presentation was on “Health and Cost Outcomes of Medicaid Funded Assisted Living”. April received acknowledgment and a certificate from the CAS Deans Office, and a $750 travel scholarship. This is a high honor since there were a total of 12 submissions in the Social Sciences category.
Congratulations! To Mihaela Popa
PhD student in the USF School of Aging Studies program, on winning the fourth place 2005 International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Osteoporosis Journalism Award, in the Medical category, for her article entitled “Highlights of Osteoporosis Prevention.”
Karon Phillips, a master’s student in the Department of CFH and a doctoral student in the School of Aging Studies, has been selected to serve as an American Public Health Association (APHA) Student Section Liaison to the Gerontological Health Section. The Gerontological Health Section works to stimulate public health actions to improve the health, functioning, and quality of life of older persons and to call attention to their health care needs. The Section Liaison is the point person who orchestrates communication between students who belong to the APHA Student Assembly and the section leadership. Her role is to advocate for the development and promotion of student involvement, recognition, and leadership in their section; to promote her section within APHA; and to assist in retention & recruitment efforts with the assistance of Lection leadership and APHA staff.”
Congratulations to Elizabeth Bergman
in receiving the Student Paper Award, established in memory of Richard Kalish, at the 28th Annual Association for Death Education & Counseling (ADEC) Conference on March 29th – April 2, 2006 Ms. Bergman received this award for her paper entitled: Breaking down barriers to the hospice care option: Opportunities for education and advocacy.”
USF Ph.D in Aging Studies students attended the “Seventeenth Annual Southeastern Regional Student Mentoring Conference in Gerontology and Geriatrics” in Lexington, Kentucky, April 7th – 9th, 2006. There were 5 awards given (out of about 20 students presenting from 9 universities) and students in USF’s PhD in Aging Studies program won 2 of those awards.
Congratulations to Chivon Mingo and her coauthors and mentors, Dr. Jessica McIlvane and Dr. Tamara Baker
for receiving the Outstanding Presentation Award for her presentation on “The Effects of Sense of Mastery and Functional Impairment on the Relationship between Pain and Depression for White and African American Women with Osteoarthritis”. Other School of Aging Studies students presenting at the conference wereCate McCarty, Karon Phillips, and Urikka Woods.
Congratulations to April Slack and her coauthors and mentors, Dr. Ross Andel and Dr. Kathryn Hyer
for receiving Second Place in the Anne and Everrett Lee Scholarship Competition for her presentation and poster, “Differential Risk Factors for Nursing Home Placement in Older Adults With and Without Dementia”. April was given a $100 prize as part of this award, which was based on the quality of her poster and presentation. On the basis of this award, April will be invited to make a Student Keynote Presentation at next year’s conference, with all expenses paid by the conference.
Congratulations to Dr. Claire Robb
Congratulations to Ph.D. in Aging Studies graduates Dr. Claire Robb who recently accepted a position beginning July 1, 2006 in a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Health Policy in the Department of Health Administration, Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the College of Public Health, at The University of Georgia. Dr. Carla VandeWeerd on receiving a tenure-earning faculty line in the USF College of Public Health and to Dr. Celinda Evitt for accepting an offer to become a faculty member in the USF Dept. of Physical Therapy.
Congratulations to Dr. Brent Small
for receiving an award for “Best Scientific Presentation” for his poster presentation at the recent Society of Behavioral Medicine conference in San Francisco, CA.
A copy of Dr. Small’s award winning poster can be found here.
Congratulations to Dr. Larry Polivka
ASA Award presented to Dr. Larry J. Polivka, Director of the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, in the School of Aging Studies, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Florida for receiving the 2006 American Society on Aging (ASA) Award as a member of ASA who has made outstanding contributions to aging-related research, administration or advocacy
March 27, 2006 on Bright House Network Channel 20 @ 7:00pm, Elizabeth Bergman, a USF Ph.D. in Aging Studies Student will appear as a panelist on “Speak Up.” This is a weekly live hour-long public affairs program hosted by Louise Thompson, Executive Director of TBCN. The topic for the panel on this date will be Women’s Health Issues. Viewers are invited to call in with comments or questions.
Professor's study yields some surprising results The Oracle by Candace Kaw
March 07, 2006
Congratulations to Mihaela Popa for being selected to receive the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, (Chapter 126) Scholarship award. Mihaela will be receiving this award on April 23rd, 2006 at 2:30pm in the Marshall Center Ballroom on the Tampa Campus at the Phi Kappa Phi Spring Induction Ceremony.
Congratulations to Mihaela Popa
Mihaela Popa, a Ph.D. student in the School of Aging Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, for being one of four awardees in the recent USF Health Research Day, February 23rd , 2006. The Research Day was organized by the USF Health Sciences Center and the student presenters were from three USF colleges, College of Public Health, College of Nursing and the School of Medicine. There were four awardees from the College of Public Health.
Dr. Popa was included in the College of Public Health, Department of Community and Family Health section of the College of Public Health due to her collaboration and co-authorship with Dr. Laurence Branch. The title of her poster was “The White-Black disability gap revisited: The case of older survivors of an initial incident heart attack”. The four awardees from College of Public Health are also selected as the COPH students whose poster abstracts will be entered into the national Delta Omega poster competition organized by APHA (American Public Health Association). For National Public Health Week in April, the posters will be displayed around the College of Public Health. The Public Health Week Awards Ceremony and Reception is Wednesday, April 5th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, and these 4 awardees will receive a certificate, and will be recognized along with other COPH students who have achieved COPH research awards this year.
Congratulations Nonna Kozlenko
Gerontology student, Nonna Kozlenko, has been accepted for a special undergraduate research training program focused on geriatric mental health sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. Ms. Kozlenko is one of only 29 individuals accepted at the undergraduate, graduate, and medical student levels from over 180 applicants, and she will receive $5,000 to support her work, plus she will attend a special program at the University of California-San Diego for the selected students.
Ms. Kozlenko will be co-mentored by Dr. Sandy Reynolds and Dr. William Haley, and completing a project focused on the impact of depressive symptomatology on active life expectancy in older adults. Nonna has a sincere interest in geriatrics and a promising career in geriatric mental health research.
Vital Signs: Aging: Too Old to Benefit From Exercise? Pish!
New York Times
"Based on our findings," he said, "it is reasonable to expect that a similar exercise program would be successful in older individuals who have difficulties in activities of `daily living." Dr. Andel is an assistant professor of gerontology at the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida.
Younger retirees, including the baby boomers, came of age during a generation of civic duty in the 1960s but were heavily influenced by the "get ours now" decades of the 1980s and 1990s, said Larry Polivka, director of the Florida Policy Center on Aging at the University of South Florida. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/17/Brandontimes/Volunteer_vexation.shtml
It's Never Too Late to Work Out Newswise
Publishing in the Journal of Aging and Health (vol. 18 No.1), University of South Florida School of Aging Studies professor Ross Andel and co-researcher Robert Simons, executive director of the Bonsai Holistic Spa and Wellness Center, Largo, Florida, found that 64 volunteers, with an average age of 83.5 years, showed significant increases in body strength, flexibility, balance and agility after participating in an exercise program that included walking and resistance training exercises twice-per- week over 16 weeks.
Dr. Linda C. Albert successfully defended her Doctoral Dissertation for Ph.D. degree in Aging Studies entitled "A Three Part Study on the Relationship Between Retirement Planning and Health," (Monday, February 13 th , 2006 @ 3:00pm in Westside Conference Center Room C).
Tamara A. Baker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida School of Aging Studies has been invited to speak at North Carolina Central University, Department of Psychology. Dr. Baker did her undergraduate work at North Carolina Central and will present at their Guest Lecture Series on April 6 th , 2006. The title of Dr. Baker's presentation is: "Healthy Aging, Healthy Living: What does it really mean to older Blacks?"
Medical Beat
BayNews9
Andel is an assistant professor in USF's School of Aging Studies... Video clip at bayNews 9 Click here
School of Aging Studies faculty, staff, their families and invited guests enjoyed the annual SAS gathering on December 17th. Each year a theme for the gathering is planned and this year's theme was "Hawaiian Luau." To see some of the festivities click here.
USF PROFESSOR'S BOOK ON FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIST SUBJECT OF LECTURE
Mary Kaplan , an instructor in the University of South Florida's School of Aging Studies, will discuss her forthcoming book Solomon Carter Fuller: Where My Caravan Has Rested in a lecture Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. in USF's Education Building (EDU-TECO Room). Read more about it... http://usfnews.usf.edu/page.cfm?link=article&aid=1098
'Complex' work may help fight Alzheimer's Standard-Speaker, PA
The findings suggest that complex jobs may "provide some mental exercise" that helps delay the onset of dementia later in life, said the study's lead author, Dr. Ross Andel of the University of South Florida in Tampa. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9452628/
As society ages, students focus on gerontology New Britain Herald, CT
for receiving a Performance Bonus Program Award. These awards are intended to reward staff for "demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the workplace." The Program award was given by the College of Arts and Sciences to 15 of the 45 applicants who were nominated by their Departments.
Kudos to Elizabeth Corsentino, Honors College undergraduate Psychology major, who was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant Award to assist in the completion of her project, "Grief support provided for caregivers of patients with Huntington's and Parkinson's Disease through nationally-awarded Centers of Excellence." Ms. Corsentino's faculty mentor is Dr. Lori Roscoe, School of Aging Studies.
