The Gerontological Society of America congratulates 2019 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 two dozen 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 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 13 to 17 in Austin, Texas. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2019 for further details.

Society-Wide

Donald P. Kent Award

Recipient: Terry T. Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, of The John A. Hartford Foundation

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: Steven H. Zarit, PhD, FGSA, of Penn State University

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

Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award

Recipient: Allison A. M. Bielak, PhD, FGSA, of Colorado State University

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.

M. Powell Lawton Award

Recipient: Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FGSA, of the University of Maryland

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

Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging

Recipient: Karen Lincoln, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Southern California

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.

Minority Issues in Gerontology Committee Outstanding in Mentorship Award

Recipient: Tamara A. Baker, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Kansas

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

Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award

Recipient: Keela Ann Herr, PhD, RN, AGSF FGSA, FAAN, of the University of Iowa

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: David C. Burdick, PhD, FAGHE, FGSA, of Stockton 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: Bradley J. Fisher, PhD, FAGHE, of Missouri State University

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: Gayle Doll, PhD, FAGHE, FGSA, of Kansas State University

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

Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award

Recipient: Katarina Felsted, PhD, of the University of Utah

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

Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty Honor

Recipients: Vincent Bishop, MA, of Lasell College; Georgene R. Nitzsche, MS, CPG, CAF, of the University of Indianapolis

This award honors part-time and/or adjunct faculty members for their high quality of teaching, contributions, and long-term commitment to gerontological and/or geriatrics education at an AGHE member institution.

David A. Peterson Award

Recipients: Linda Pang, MD, of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Reena Karani, MD, MHPE, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Sara M. Bradley, MD, FACP, of Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

For the article “Medical Students’ Reflections of a Posthospital Discharge Patient Visit”

This award honors excellence in scholarship in academic gerontology and/or geriatrics for an article in a volume of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education.

Student Leadership Award

Recipient: Stephanie Bolton, BS, of the University of Southern California

This award recognizes students whose leadership has advanced the goals and mission of AGHE as well as the respective goals of their AGHE-affiliated institutions.

Behavioral and Social Sciences Section

Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award

Recipient: Christopher Hertzog, PhD, FGSA, of the Georgia Institute of Technology

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: Jacqui Smith, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Michigan

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

Recipients: Sara J. Czaja, PhD, FGSA, of the Weill Cornell Medicine; Walter R. Boot, PhD, FGSA, of Florida State University; Neil Charness, PhD, FGSA, of Florida State University; Wendy A. Rogers, PhD, FGSA, of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

For the book, “Designing for Older Adults: Principles and Creative Human Factors Approaches”

Recipients: Kira Birditt, PhD, FGSA, of the University Michigan; Nicky J. Newton, PhD, of the University of Michigan; James A. Cranford, PhD, of the University of Michigan; Lindsay H. Ryan, PhD, of the University of Michigan

For the article, “Stress and Negative Relationship Quality Among Older Couples: Implications for Blood Pressure”

This award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences in two categories: (1) Book Category and (2) Article Category.

Health Sciences Section

Joseph T. Freeman Award

Recipient: Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH, FGSA, of the University of Pittsburgh

This award is given for lectureship in geriatrics to a prominent physician in the field of aging, both in research and practice.

Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award

Recipient: Neil B. Alexander, MD, of the University of Michigan

This award is designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions in the field of rehabilitation of aging persons.

Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section

Elaine M. Brody SRPP Thought Leader Award

Recipient: Kathleen H. Wilber, PhD, FAGHE, FGSA, of the University of Southern California

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

Carroll L. Estes SRPP Rising Star Award

Recipient: Clara Berridge, PhD, MSW, of the University of Washington

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 also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational unit, the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.