UMass Boston gerontology graduate students along with faculty and staff members delivered more than 60 presentations and posters at the 2023 annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. The meeting took place in early November in Tampa, Florida.

Students particularly benefit from impromptu networking opportunities that the annual gathering provides, says Edward Alan Miller, chair of the gerontology department. “With UMass Boston students involved in giving so many presentations, serving in leadership roles, and active in other capacities at the meeting, I heard from few colleagues, ‘Wow, your students are all over the place.’”

The program also hosted a reception at the meeting, giving students, faculty, alumni, and others a chance to renew acquaintances and make new connections. Taylor Jansen, PhD ‘23, a postdoctoral research associate at UMass Boston, “took the reins to organize this year’s reception,” Miller says, “and it was really nice. We had a very good turnout.”

Faculty, students, and alumni who were honored with awards at the conference included:

• Bei Wu, MS ‘97, PhD ‘00, Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging.
• Taylor Jansen, PhD ‘23, Emerging Scholar and Professional Oization award for her poster, “Intersection of Race and Place-based Disparities Among Older Adults 65+ in Mississippi.”
• Nina Silverstein, PhD, professor emerita, Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education Mildred Seltzer Distinguished Service Honor.
• Marc Cohen, PhD, co-director of LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, named a GSA Fellow in the Social Research, Policy, and Practice
• Janelle Fassi, doctoral student and junior leader of Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization, Social Research, Policy, and Practice Travel Award
• Yan-Ju Su, doctoral student and junior leader of Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization, Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education James McKenney Travel Award
• Shayna Gleason, doctoral student, Social Research, Policy, and Practice Travel Award
• Jeein Jang, doctoral student, Behavioral Health and Social Sciences Travel Award.

Row 1: Students Janelle Fassi (left) and Josephine Boateng; Professor Emerita Nina Silverstein, Department Chair Edward Alan Miller, and Bei Wu, PhD ’20 at the UMass Boston reception.

Row 2: Missy Destrampe, Sophia Webber, and Erin McGaffigan, an LTSS Center research fellow; award winners (from left) postdoctoral research associate Taylor Jansen, PhD ’23, student Yan-Ju Shu, Professor Emerita Nina Silverstein, and student Emily Lim

Row 3: Student Anyah Prasad presenting; Taylor Jansen, PhD ’23, talks about her award-winning poster on racial disparities in Mississippi.

Row 4: Students and friends enjoying the UMass Boston networking reception; Yao Chi Shih, PhD ’16, and Professor Emerita Nina Silverstein.