Kelly Fitzgerald, PhD ‘08, has been named chair of the NGO Committee on Ageing – Geneva at the United Nations. From her home in Zurich, Switzerland, she has served as the committee’s vice chair over the last eight years, working on special projects.

The committee works to strengthen relationships with NGOS, bring diverse local and national voices to the international forum, and draw on committee members’ particular experiences. The committee’s past chair, Silvia Perel-Levin, will continue her work on human rights as a subcommittee focus. Fitzgerald plans to add several subcommittees, including one focusing on climate change.

The Geneva committee is one of three; the others are based in Vienna and New York City. Fitzgerald plans to increase coordination and communication among the three committees. One upcoming project is the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, a United Nations holiday observed since 1990.

Fitzgerald also teaches in UMass Boston’s Management of Aging Services online master’s program. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she began assisting with refugee relief efforts in Zurich.

Read more about her refugee relief work.