How does someone’s work history—specifically, the physical demands of that work over the life course—affect their health as they age? What is the correlation between race/ethnicity and work conditions, and how may that contribute to health disparities in older adults? These questions compelled Sung Park, PhD, assistant professor of gerontology at UMass Boston, to begin her recent study.
A team of researchers, including citizen scholars from the community, is studying how to assess and alleviate loneliness and isolation among older Latino adults. “What I like about this particular project is that it’s not UMass Boston doing this off in a room somewhere, but instead, they’re going to the community itself,” says Arnaldo Solis, a citizen scholar. “They’re talking to the community, individually and in groups, to find out what’s happening and why.”
As policy makers have debated proposed Medicaid cuts this summer, Marc Cohen and Jane Tavares have been busy researching and writing. Cohen and Tavares, both with the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, have dived into data to explore what these potential cuts may mean to older adults.
At a library, aboard a harbor cruise, or online: What’s your OLLI open house style? Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UMass Boston invites the community to a free event on July 17, 2025.
UMass Boston Gerontology will be forever changed by the contributions of Jan Mutchler, Jeffrey Burr, and Ellen Birchander, all of whom will retire in 2025. This month, current and former colleagues and students gathered to celebrate the careers of these instrumental leaders.
“The sheer breadth of our graduating class – from the topics studied to the methods used in their dissertations, to the careers they are about to embark on – is truly a testament to the gerontology PhD program at UMass Boston and its diversity,” says Jeffrey Stokes, PhD, Graduate Program Director in the Gerontology Department at UMass Boston.
The reason why most people join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UMass Boston is simple: It looks like fun. What many members get out of it, however, is more substantial: a boost to mental health and well-being.
Congratulations to the students who earned honors for their contributions to the field of gerontology, to the community, and to the university.
What career opportunities await gerontology students? Nicholas Lance Bradley and Janelle Fassi, both gerontology PhD students at UMass Boston, spread awareness of the opportunities available in the field of gerontology.
On May 1, 2025, a new set of The Healthy Aging Data Reports will be released by a team at the Gerontology Institute. They present a detailed picture of aging in America that’s provided nowhere else: a neighborhood-level examination of the challenges faced by older adults.
