Gerontological Society of America congratulates 2024 awardees

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the country’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is proud to acknowledge the work of 28 outstanding individuals through its prestigious awards program.

GSA salutes outstanding research, recognizes distinguished leadership in teaching and service, and fosters new ideas through a host of awards. Nominated by their peers, the recipients’ achievements serve as milestones in the history and development of gerontology.

The award presentations will take place at GSA’s 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 13 to 16 in Seattle, Washington.

Society-Wide

Donald P. Kent Award

Recipient: Peter A. Lichtenberg, PhD, FGSA, of Wayne State University

This award is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society.

Robert W. Kleemeier Award

Recipient: Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, PhD, FGSA, of Tel-Aviv University

This award is given annually to a GSA member in recognition for outstanding research in the field of gerontology.

James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award

Recipient: Lisa L. Barnes, PhD, FGSA, of Rush University Medical Center

This award recognizes outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring minority researchers in the field of aging.

M. Powell Lawton Award

Recipient: Stephen M. Golant, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Florida

This award honors contributions from applied gerontological research that have benefited older people and their care. This award is sponsored by the Polisher Research Institute of Abramson Senior Care.

Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award

Recipient: Nicole E. Werner, PhD, of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington

This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology. This award is given by GSA in conjunction with the Margaret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation.

Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging

Recipient: Edward Alan Miller, PhD, MPA, FGSA, of University of Massachusetts Boston

This award recognizes instances of practice informed by research and analysis, research that directly improved policy or practice, and distinction in bridging the worlds of research and practice. This award is funded by the New York Community Trust through a generous gift from the Maxwell A. Pollack Fund.

Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award

Recipient: Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing

This award is presented to a GSA member who has a record of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research.

Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education

Clark Tibbitts Award

Recipient: Joann M. Montepare, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, of Lasell University

This award is given to individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of gerontology and/or geriatrics education.

Hiram J. Friedsam Mentorship Award

Recipient: Dana Burr Bradley, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, of the University of Maryland Baltimore County

This award recognizes individuals who have contributed to gerontological and/or geriatrics education through excellence in mentorship to students, faculty, and administrators.

Distinguished Faculty Award

Recipient: Lyn M. Holley, PhD, FAGHE, of University of Nebraska at Omaha

This award recognizes persons whose teaching stands out as exemplary, innovative, of impact, or any combination thereof.

Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award

Recipient: Yeonjung Jane Lee, PhD, of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

This award recognizes new faculty whose teaching and/or leadership stands out as impactful and innovative.

Student Leadership Award

Recipient: Yan-Jhu Su, BA, MA, of the University of Massachusetts Boston

This award recognizes a student whose leadership has advanced the goals and mission of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) as well as the respective goals of his/her AGHE-affiliated institution.

Book Award for Best Children’s Literature on Aging

PK – 2nd Recipient: “Grandad’s Pride” by Harry Woodgate, Little Bee Books

PK – 2nd Honorable Mention: “Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps” by Srividhya Venkat and illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran, Yali Books

3rd – 5th Grade Recipient: “Abuelita and Me” by Leonarda Carranza and illustrated by Rafail Mayani, Annick Press

3rd – 5th Grade Honorable Mention: “Just Like Grandma” by Kim Rogers and illustrated by Julie Flett; Heartdrum

This award recognizes positive portrayals of older adults in children’s literature.

Behavioral and Social Sciences Section

Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award

Recipient: Kimberly S. VanHaitsma, PhD, FGSA, of Pennsylvania State University

This award recognizes career contributions that have articulated a novel theoretical or methodological perspective or synthesis that addresses a significant problem in the literature.

Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award

Recipient: David Manuel Almeida, PhD, FGSA, of Pennsylvania State University

This award is given to an individual who has fostered excellence in, and had a major impact on, the field by virtue of their mentoring, and whose inspiration is sought by students and colleagues.

Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award

Recipient: Ken Chih-Yan Sun, PhD, of Villanova University    

For the book, “Time and Migration: How Long-Term Taiwanese Migrants Negotiate Later Life”

Recipient: Anne Barrett, PhD, FGSA, of Florida State University

For the article, “Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework”

Recipient: Oliver Huxhold, PhD, of the German Centre of Gerontology

For the article, “Rethinking Social Relationships in Adulthood: The Differential Investment of Resources Model”

This award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences in two categories: Book Category and Article Category.

Biological Sciences Section

Nathan Shock New Investigator Award

Co-Recipients: Cristal Hill, PhD, of the University of Southern California; Sarah R. Ocañas, PhD, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

This award acknowledges outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research.

Health Sciences Section

Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award

Recipient: Roger Fielding, PhD, FGSA, of Tufts University

This award acknowledges outstanding contributions in the field of rehabilitation of aging persons.

Mid-Career Innovation Award

Recipient: Megan Huisingh-Scheetz, MD, MPH, AGSF, FGSA, of University of Chicago

This award acknowledges outstanding contributions of an established mid-career GSA member of the Health Science Section to an innovative and influential area of the field in research and/or practice.

Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section

Barbara J. Berkman Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research, Practice, or Policy in Aging and Health Care

Recipient: Judith G. Gonyea, PhD, FGSA, of Boston University

This award acknowledges many years of significant and substantive career contributions to research, practice and policy in aging and health care services.

Elaine M. Brody Thought Leader Award

Recipient: Nancy Kusmaul, PhD, MSW, FGSA, of University of Maryland Baltimore County

This award acknowledges outstanding contributions in social research, policy, and practice.

Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award

Recipient: Angie Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA, of University of California Berkeley

This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in social research, policy, and practice.

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure includes a nonpartisan public policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and GSA is also home to the National Center to Reframe Aging and the National Coordinating Center for the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research.

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