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.”
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.
How do living arrangements affect the cognitive health of Asian American and Latin American older adults? Is there a relationship between the cognitive aging of older adults and whether they live alone or with others? These questions are at the heart of the research pursued by Qian Song, PhD, an assistant professor and the undergraduate program director of the Gerontology Department at University Massachusetts Boston.
The Innovations in Aging Forum invited special guests from the Gerontological Society of America to learn about the work being done by the Gerontology Department and the Gerontology Institute, as well as their partners.
The third special issue of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy addressing COVID has been published, nearly five years after its first COVID issue. “Putting these 25 articles together in one volume will hopefully further draw attention to the work around COVID and its impacts globally, particularly for older adults,” says Edward Alan Miller, Ph.D., JASP editor-in-chief.
The Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston welcomes Dr. Michelle Putnam as its new director, beginning January 27, 2025.
“I love the Gerontology Institute. It’s such a storied institution and important place,” Putnam says. “It’s a privilege for me to serve as the director of one of the first institutes solely focused on gerontological research in the United States.”
