UMass Boston

Presented by the Department of Gerontology and the Gerontology Institute in the Donna M. and Robert J. Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston & the Department of Population Health and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

To Attend an Upcoming Speaker Series Event Listed Below,

Please Email Charles G. Ruberto or Sung S. Park

2024-25 Academic Year

Monday, September 16, 2024

Nekehia T. Quashie, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Studies
University of Rhode Island

“Paths Less Travelled: Family Ties and Later Life Health in Latin America and the Caribbean”

Monday, October 28, 2024

Hui (Cathy) Liu, PhD
Professor, Department of Sociology
Purdue University

“Same-Sex Couples and Cognitive Function in Later Life”

Monday, November 4, 2024

Huijing Wu, PhD
Assistant Research Fellow, Institute of European and American Studies
Academia Sinica, Taiwan

“Living apart together (LAT) relationships and psychological well-being: Does partnership status matter for older adults?”

Monday, February 3, 2025 - HYBRID SESSION

Ariane Bertogg, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Konstanz

"Coupled Inequalities? Gender, Educational Assortative Mating and Cognitive Health in Later Life"

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 – IN-PERSON SESSION – SPECIAL TIME (12-3:30pm Eastern)

Gerontological Association of America
Forum with Faculty, Staff, and Students

Monday, February 10, 2025 – HYBRID SESSION

Ariane Bertogg, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Konstanz

"Careers in Europe: Funding, Mobility, Programs: Ask-Me-Anything Workshop for Graduate Students"

Monday, March 24, 2025 – SPECIAL TIME (2pm Eastern)

Panel on Non-Academic Careers in Aging
Featuring Alumni from UMass Boston’s Gerontology PhD Program

Bios:

Patricia Oh, PhD, MSW, serves as Assistant Director for Community Innovation & Research at the University of Maine Center on Aging, where she leads the Lifelong Maine initiatives and oversees the AmeriCorps Senior Companion and RSVP programs. As Co-Director of the Consortium on Aging Policy, Research and Analysis, she studies the impact of policy on the lives of older Mainers. Dr. Oh leverages her UMass Boston degree in Gerontology to provide technical and program support for the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC) in Maine (and similarly structured initiative), advise AARP Livable on rural policy and program support, and provide evaluation support for AARP NAFSC nationally. Her current projects focus on climate and aging, volunteer resource navigation, and higher education’s role to advance age-friendly community development.

Hayley Gleason, PhD, MSW is the Strategy Officer at the Governor's Office of Federal Funds and Strategic Initiatives overseeing the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing’s implementation of over 60 American Rescue Plan Act funded initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Gleason is the Strategic Outcomes Division Director within the Office of Community Living at the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. Within this role, she oversees the Office’s communication, engagement, and strategic planning. Prior to joining Colorado’s Medicaid Agency, Hayley served in leadership roles within a non-profit providing training and advancement opportunities for direct care workers and an assisted living community. Hayley also has experience working on community-based efforts to improve services for older adults, including age-friendly initiatives. Dr. Gleason has a doctorate in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Dr. Gleason's research focuses on the recruitment, retention, training and supervision of the direct care workforce.

Natalie Shellito, PhD is an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. Dr. Shellito works on federal government contracts across multiple agencies including CMS, Veterans Affairs, CDC and NIH to support clients with quantitative and qualitative research, scientific presentations and talks, project management and auditing. She also leads and contributes to business development efforts to expand Booz Allen's reach in government health spaces.

Monday, April 21, 2025 - HYBRID SESSION

Deke Cateau
Chief Executive Officer
A.G. Rhodes

“Innovations in Nursing Home Care”

Our nation’s nursing homes are drastically unprepared to meet the needs - and expectations - of today’s elder population. Are we at a watershed moment? How can we imagine a new type of nursing home and model of care for our rapidly growing aging society? And what is the lasting impact from the public scrutiny and vilification of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Brush Fire: COVID 19 and Our Nursing Homes, by Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, explores the reality of care and life in our nursing homes. In this session, you will get an open and honest look into skilled nursing facilities during the most difficult time in our sector’s history. You will learn how we go here, but more importantly, you will learn how we are leading a path to change and innovation and improving the quality of life for those most entrusted to our care.

Monday, April 28, 2025

Jill Harrison, PhD

Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy, & Practice
Executive Director, National Institute on Aging IMPACT Collaboratory
Brown University School of Public Health

"TBA"

Monday, May 5, 2025

Dave Knapp, PhD
Senior Economist, Center for Economic and Social Research
University of Southern California

“HRS International Network of Studies & the Gateway to Global Aging Data"

2023-2024 Academic Year

Monday, October 2, 2023

Brian Downer, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Public & Population Health
University of Texas Medical Branch

“Building a Career in Gerontology: My Path to a Career in Academic Research”

Monday, October 16, 2023

Joseph Saenz, PhD
Assistant Professor, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Center for Innovation in Healthy and Resilient Aging
Arizona State University

“Disparities in Cognitive Aging in Mexican Older Adults: Exploring the Role of the Physical and Social Environment”

Monday, October 23, 2023

Maira A. Castañeda-Avila, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

“Career Journey in Cancer Epidemiology: Focusing on the Colorectal Cancer Care Continuum Among Older Hispanic Adults”

Monday, November 20, 2023

Jaqueline Contrera Avila, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Gerontology
University of Massachusetts Boston

“Tobacco Use Among Older Adults: Health Impact and Opportunities for Interventions”

Monday, November 27, 2023            

Debby Dodds, MS
Gerontologist and Head of Caregiver Engagement
Generation Connect

“From Capstone to Commercialization: A Journey in Gerontology, Dementia, and Tech Innovation”

Monday, February 5, 2024

Emma Zang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
Yale University

“A Novel Time Use Approach to Successful Aging: Examining Racial and Gender Disparities in Daily Productive Engagement”

Monday, April 1, 2024

Manu Thakral, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing
University of Massachusetts Boston

“Chronic Geriatric Pain and Its Impacts on Health and Quality of Life”

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Sarah Forrester, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
UMass Chan Medical School

“Stress, Depression, and Age Acceleration: Why Time Matters in Black Health”

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Chantel Pheiffer, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Public Health
University of Massachusetts Boston

“Migration and Population Health: Insights from South Africa”