1 GeroNews 2014

Faculty and graduate student researchers at McCormack

Graduate School’s Gerontology Institute have

completed a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive report

providing data on nearly 100 healthy aging indicators

from the state’s 351 cities and towns as well as 16

neighborhoods in Boston. These profiles were created to

help community residents, agencies, providers, and

governments achieve a better understanding of the older

residents. The research team included Professors

Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, and Nina Silverstein and

gerontology graduate students Chae Man Lee, Kristina

Turk, Brittany Gaines, and Joo Suk Chae. The report

was commissioned by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, in collaboration with the

Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative and the Massachusetts Health Policy

Forum. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report: Community Profiles

was unveiled at the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum titled “Healthy Aging in

the Commonwealth: Charting a Path Forward” on January 24th in Newton, MA.

Story continued on page 5

Publishing 4

Holiday Party 5

Student

Accomplishments

9

Faculty

Accomplishments

10

Alumni

Accomplishments

10

Congratulations! 13

For a large print

copy, please call

617-287-7300

GeroNews

Editorial Board

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Frank Porell, frank.porell@umb.edu

Managing Editor:

Hayley Gleason, hayley.gravette001@umb.edu

Inside this Issue

GSA 1

Healthy Aging 1

Dr. Lin 2

SPO 2

Scholars 3

Dr. Steinman 3

Dr. Caro 4

Twenty-five student and faculty

members from the Gerontology

department attended the 66th

annual Gerontological Society

conference. The conference took

place November 20th through

the 24th, and was held at The

Sheraton and The Marriott

hotels in downtown New Orle-

ans, LA. Students and faculty

presented nearly 40 posters and

presentations at this years con-

ference. Prior to attending the

conference, Sigma Phi Omega

sponsored a practice day for

UMass Boston Gerontology Strongly

Represents at Annual GSA Conference

Winter 2013-2014

Volume 15

Issue 2

GeroNews A newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/umassgerontology

Healthy Aging Data Report Released

students to present their posters to faculty, staff, and other students. The event was

held at UMass Boston on November 18th during seminar and was a great

opportunity for students to prepare and receive constructive feedback.

Story continued on page 6

Student Andrea Lindemer, practiced presenting

her poster to fellow student, Ping Xu, at the

SPO sponsored GSA practice event.

2 GeroNews 2014

GeroNews Volume 15

Issue 2

From left to right: SPO Officers, Bon Kim and Brittany Gaines, and PhD

students, Ping Xu, and Andrea Lindemer enjoy time on the water.

Dr. Lin Presents Research on Behavior Health Disorders

Sigma Phi Omega hosted a fall

event at the Fox Point Landing on

UMass Boston’s campus. The

dock offers free access for students

to go kayaking and sailing from

the beginning of May to the end

of September. Students, Bon

Kim, Brittany Gaines, Ping Xu,

ShuangShuang (Wendy) Wang,

and Andrea Lindemer enjoyed a

warm day out on the water

socializing, getting some exercise,

and taking a break from their

studies!

Sigma Phi Omega is the

Gerontological Honors Society.

UMass Boston’s chapter is

Gamma Upsilon.

For more information about Fox

Point Landing, visit

http://boatinginboston.com/boston/

On Monday, October 21, Dr. Wen-Chieh Lin visited campus to

present his research to the Gerontology Seminar Series. Dr. Lin

is the Senior Project Director in the Research and Evaluation

Unit at the Center for Health Policy and Research at the

University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He

also is an Assistant Professor in the school’s Department of

Family Medicine and Community Health. In his presentation

entitled, “Behavioral Health Disorders in Older Adults:

Prevalence, Service Utilization, and Expenditures,” Dr. Lin

discussed the rising prevalence of elders with psychiatric

disorders and the increased complexity in treating people with

behavioral health disorders due to their multiple medical

comorbidities. Even further complicating treatment and

adherence are the high number of older adults with substance use

disorders, often times coupled with mental illness. Dr. Lin

presented estimates suggesting that in 2005 one in five Massachusetts residents over the age of 65 had a

behavioral health disorder whereas 38.8% of dual eligibles (elders with both Medicaid and Medicare), had

the diagnosis. Older adults with both substance use disorders and mental illness are at a higher risk of

having more chronic conditions and cost the system on average $17,000 per year more than those who do

not have a substance abuse or mental illness. Dr. Lin closed by discussing the importance of integrated care

for these older adults in order to continue to provide care for them in the community setting.

Dr. Lin with Brittany Gaines.

SPO Hosts Event to Explore Savin Hill Cove on Kayaks

3 GeroNews 2014

A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Dr. Bernard Steinman presented on December 2nd as part of the Gerontology

Department Speaker Series on the important issue of health disparities of older

adults with vision impairment. Vision impairment among elders is extremely

common. The number of elders with vision loss is projected to exceed 13

million, or 19% of all older adults by 2030. These older adults are at an even

greater disadvantage as research has found that they are significantly more

likely to experience more chronic diseases, functional and mobility

limitations, and difficulties with activities of daily living and instrumental

activities of daily living. This may be because, as older adults lose their

vision, they are less likely to be physically active, resulting in faster decline in

other systems.

Dr. Steinman is currently a Research Fellow at the Center for Social and

Demographic Research at UMass Boston where he works with Dr. Jan

Mutchler. He received is BA in English, a MS in psychology from Mississippi State University, and an MS

and Ph.D. in Gerontology from the University of Southern California. Dr. Steinman continues to be

interested in sensory impairments and their relationship to the health of older adults. Dr. Steinman’s

current work with the Center for Social and Demographic Research primarily focuses on assisting local

communities prepare for the aging of their population. Dr. Steinman is part of a team that assists these

communities by conducting needs assessments, which include a town survey, focus groups, and interviews.

and to develop goals and action steps for the

program. Some ideas include developing a McCor-

mack service project and establishing ways to

better link the many McCormack Graduate School

programs. The goal for the McCormack Scholars

program is to have it be mutually beneficial to the

students selected and to the school, with the school

offering the Scholars unique opportunities both on

and off-campus to engage with researchers and

policy-makers, and for the Scholars to assist with

recruitment and marketing of new students for the

McCormack Graduate School programs.

Two students will be selected from each master’s

and doctoral program to receive the award.

Scholars serve for two-years and receive a $2,000

stipend to support professional development. This

years Scholars from the Gerontology PhD program

are Elizabeth Chen and Hayley Gleason.

To read more about the McCormack Scholars

program, click here: McCormack Graduate School

Recognizes the Best and Brightest as McCormack

Scholar.

Ira Jackson, Dean of the McCormack Graduate

School of Policy and Global Studies, has

announced the creation of a new program for

students currently enrolled in McCormack

Graduate School programs. The McCormack

Scholars program brings together a group of

emerging leaders in their respective fields. The

students were selected for their impressive and

unique experience and research. Dean Jackson was

quoted as saying, “These awards can be a game

changer in a student’s career development. This

competitive and prestigious recognition should

help students in job placements, grant applications,

invitations to research conferences, and more.”

Jackson views this new program as a way to

illustrate the high caliber students attending

McCormack Graduate School programs. He hopes

that the McCormack Scholars will serve as role

models within their departments and throughout

the school.

Currently, the inaugural class is working with

Dean Jackson to outline the specific role of the

Scholars within the McCormack graduate school

Dr. Steinman Discusses Health and Vision Impairment

Dean Jackson Announces New McCormack Scholars Program

Dr. Bernard Steinman

4 GeroNews 2014

GeroNews Volume 15

Issue 2

Family and Children’s Service (JF&CS). Dr. Caro

has assisted with the project in many ways, includ-

ing bringing together people to help the project

expand to all of Brookline and serving as the co-

chair of BrooklineCAN. Through Dr. Caro’s vision,

BrooklineCAN has become a volunteer-based

organization with extensive collaborators, including

the Council on Aging, local business, Brookline

town departments, and local nonprofits. Member-

ship by Brookline’s older citizens has grown to 300

people, and 50 businesses have joined to offer

discounts to the members. BrooklineCAN will

celebrate its year anniversary this April.

Dr. Caro has not only taken a leading role within

the BrooklineCAN organization, he also leads the

Livable Community Advocacy Committee, which

works with local organizations and town

departments to advocate for changes that will allow

Brookline’s older residents by more successful age

in the community.

Professor Emeritus, Dr.

Frank Caro, was recently

recognized by the Brook-

line Community Founda-

tion to honor exemplary

commitment and leader-

ship in the community. Dr.

Caro was selected for his

work with the Brookline

Community Aging Net-

work (BrooklineCAN). The mission of Brookline-

CAN is to ensure a high quality of life for senior

residents of Brookline who wish to age in their

homes and continue to be vital members of their

community. Dr. Caro first became involved when

he and his wife were approached to participate in a

pilot program to help older citizens remain in their

homes as they age. Instead of participating as a

client, Dr. Caro decided to get involved in the

project alongside the programs sponsor, Jewish

Journal Editors Give Students Tips for Publishing

On December 9, 2013, Dr. Jeffrey Burr and Jane Tavares, editors for the

journal Research on Aging and Dr. Frank Caro and Robert

Geary, editors for the Journal of Aging and Social

Policy, presented at the Gerontology Seminar. The

Editors Panel Discussion focused on giving

students tips and suggestions to successfully submit

a manuscript in hopes of having it published. The

panel described several mistakes students often make

and gave guidance on how to avoid them. A couple of

the panel’s key suggestions include:

You should think about which journal you want to

submit to even before you do the research, this can

help guide your work.

Look at the journal’s statement of purpose when you are

trying to determine a journal to submit your manuscript.

Get to know the articles in the journal as this

may help you when writing your manuscript.

Know the journal’s requirements for submissions–each journal is different.

Make use of the journal’s website–they often offer tools and resources for authors.

The abstract is very important as reviewers often judge your paper solely by the quality of the abstract.

Do not get discouraged if you receive harsh critiques from reviewers–take the comments seriously.

Emeritus Professor, Dr. Caro Awarded Unsung Hero Award

Dr. Frank Caro

5 GeroNews 2014

A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Gerontology Department Throws Annual Holiday Party

Continued from page 1. The research team pulled together

secondary data from the Census, Centers for Medicare and

Medicaid Services, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveil-

lance System conducted by the Massachusetts Department

of Public Health to create a broad spectrum of indicators for

individual communities. Guided by the “Ingredients of

Healthy Aging,” shown here (left), the indicators include

measures of the socio-demographic composition and living

arrangements of older persons in each Massachusetts city or

town, and estimates of their physical and mental health,

nutrition and diet, wellness and prevention activities,

access to care, and Medicare service utilization rates. Each

community profile also contains selected indicators of environmental factors that may influence the health

of its older residents, such as a community’s walkability, its crime rates, and living costs. Finally, each

profile contains some preliminary data on older adults’ access to transportation and whether the town is a

Department of Public Health (DPH) Mass in Motion Community or has a Keep Moving Walking Club.

Community profiles may be accessed from the new Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative website:

http://www.mahealthyagingcollaborative.org/. The website also contains interactive state maps for healthy

aging indicators as well as a directory of more than 150 evidence-based and other healthy aging programs

in Massachusetts, which can be searched by community or topic area.

In the coming year, the Gerontology Institute research team will perform some statistical analyses of the

community-level data and work to understand some of the major factors contributing to the geographic

variations in healthy aging indicators across communities in the state. In future iterations of this report,

researchers will attempt to incorporate additional indicators related to family caregiving, disability, asthma,

and social issues like housing and volunteerism.

On December 12th, students,

faculty and staff celebrated the

end of the semester at the annual

holiday party. The party was held

in the Gerontology classroom

and was hosted by Gerontology

graduate students. Staff members

from the Gerontology Institute

also participated, bringing

together over thirty-five people

celebrating together. Attendees

brought along a wide array of

appetizers, entrees, and desserts

for all to share. Party-goers also

participated in a fun holiday game–teaming up to guess holiday

songs. The team that scored the highest on the game were able to

choose from an array of prizes donated by the McCormack Graduate School Dean’s Office. Dean Ira

Jackson was also in attendance to enjoy the food and visit with students and faculty.

Photo, left: Students ShuangShuang

(Wendy) Wang and Ping Xu

Photo, right: Professors Pamela Nadash

and Elizabeth Dugan

Release of Final Report at the Tufts Healthy Aging Forum

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Chae Man Lee & Elizabeth Dugan. A Longitudinal View of Driving Cessation among Older Adults from

the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2010), poster.

Kristina M. Turk. Cognitive Reserve: Does Education Moderate the Effect of Diabetes and Hypertension

on Cognition?, poster.

Elizabeth Dugan, Chae Man Lee, Maria Frances Devine, & Brittany Gaines. Is Driving Good for

Mental Health? Findings from the Health and Retirement Study, poster.

Mai S. Yang & Jeffrey A. Burr. Military Service Combat Exposure, Social Relationships, and Subjective

Health among Older Veterans, poster.

Mai S. Yang & Jeffrey A. Burr. Older Chinese in the Greater Boston Area: Living Arrangements and

Health Decision, poster.

Caitlin Coyle. Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Hypertension in Later Life: Gender Differences, poster.

Jeffrey A. Burr, Ping Xu, Jiyoung Lyn, & Jan E. Mutchler. How Does Cost of Living Shape Living

Alone? Evidence from the Elder Economic Security Index, poster.

Emma D. Quach, Maximiliane E. Szinovacz, & Frank W. Porell. Cross-Effects of Disability and Care-

giving on Spouses’ Distress, poster.

Kirsten Corazzini, Ruth A. Anderson, Christine Mueller, Lisa Day, & Kristie A. Porter. Directors of

Nursing Strategies to Facilitate Clinical Microsystems and Quality of Nursing Home Care, presentation.

Kristie A. Porter, Melissa B. Aselage, Tracey L. Yap, Kirsten Corazzini, Cathleen Colon-Emeric, & Ruth

A. Anderson. Innovation in Treatment Fidelity: Measuring Receipt of Treatment Using Individualized

Mapping, poster.

Andrea Lindemer. What Contributes to Satisfaction with Medicare Part D Plan Selection?, poster.

GSA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA

Sebastian Chae presents his poster at GSA in New

Orleans.

Continued from page 1.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Optimal Aging

Through Research.” Nearly 3,600 gerontologists

participated in over 400 symposia, paper and poster

presentations. In addition to presenting, students and

faculty also assisted at the UMass Boston booth, where

attendees could stop by and learn about UMass programs.

Additionally, the department hosted an evening event on

Friday, November 22nd, at the conference where faculty,

students, alumni, and friends were invited to network and

visit. Next year’s conference will be held in Washington

D.C. from November 5-9, 2014.

Below is a list of UMass Boston faculty, students, and

alumni’s GSA posters and presentations:

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A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Continued from page 6.

Tracey L. Yap, Susan M. Kennerly, Kirsten

Corazzini, Kristie A. Porter, Mark Toles, & Ruth A.

Anderson. Evaluating a Pressure Ulcer Prevention

Intervention in LTC: Applying Diffusion of

Innovation, poster.

Bernard A. Steinman, Jan E. Mutchler, & Susan

M. Allen. Participation in Everyday Activities and

Self-Reported Health Among Older Adults, poster.

Sae Hwang Han & Hey Jung Jun. Paid Work,

Volunteering and Mental Health: Complex Reality of

Productive Activities among Older Adults with

Different Economic Situations, poster.

Kerstin G. Emerson, Tamar E. Shovali, &

Kyriakos Markides. Loneliness Among Very Old Mexican Americans, presentation.

Kristen Porter & Sean Cahill. Congregate Meal programs: A Potential Resiliency Factor in Successful

Aging for LGBT Older Adults, presentation.

Kristen Porter, Samantha Sass, & Aimee Van Wagenen. Serving Vulnerable Older Adults: LGBT

Participation in Title III Congregate Meal Sites, presentation.

Yool Choi & Hyo Jung Lee. Disparities in effects of cholesterol test on health outcomes and health

behaviors among older adults in the US, poster.

Hyo Jung Lee & Maximiliane E. Szinovacz. Effects of Positive and Negative Marital Supports on the Well-

being of Older Spouses, presentation.

Kelli Barton & George S. Gotto. Evaluation of Missouri’s Partnership for Hope Medicaid Waiver: Findings

and Implications, presentation.

Joosuk Chae, Shuangshuang Wang, & Maximiliane E. Szinovacz. Can Healthcare Providers Rely on

Caregivers' Reports? A Pilot Study, poster.

Hayley Gleason. The Mental Health of Care Recipients: Does the Caregiver Matter?, poster.

Bruce R. Haimowitz & Elizabeth Dugan. SES and Loneliness: Comparing Results Using Direct and

Indirect Measures of Loneliness, poster.

Jiyoung Lyu. Cognitive Trajectories by Cumulative Advantages/Disadvantages: Exploring Different

Cognitive Domains, poster. Constance Inacio. Physical Performance as a Determinant of Balance Confidence, poster. Lien Quach, David R. Gagnon, & Elizabeth Dugan. How do Falls by Older Adults Vary by Race and

Gender? Findings from the Health and Retirement Study, poster.

Ping Xu and Jiyoung Lyu present their poster at the GSA

conference in New Orleans.

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Continued from page 7.

Pamela Nadash & Pamela Doty. Why

France's Private Long Term Care

Insurance Market Works, presentation. Kelly Fitzgerald, Allen Glicksman, &

Dana B. Bradley. Turning Policy into

Science: Applying the Age-Friendly

Cities Model to Studying Environment

and Aging, presentation.

Tara L. McMullen, Kelly Fitzgerald, &

Kelly Niles-Yokum. From Research to

Policy: Getting your Work in the Hands

of Decision-Makers in the Age of Social

Media, poster. Kelly Fitzgerald & Christian Beech.

The Potential Impact of the Presence of

an Age-Friendly Community Effort on Disaster Planning, presentation.

Lauren N. Ring, Allen Glicksman, & Kelly Fitzgerald. The Role of the Scientist in Creating Aging Policy:

The Case of Age-friendly Cities, presentation.

Natalie Leland, Pedro L. Gozalo, Thomas J. Christian, Joan M. Teno, & Vincent Mor. Getting home and

staying home after hip fracture post-acute care, presentation.

Natalie Leland, Thomas J. Christian, Pedro L. Gozalo, Joan M. Teno, & Vincent Mor. Racial/ethnic

Variations in Rehabilitation Successful Community Discharge after Hip Fracture, presentation.

Natalie Leland & Barbara Gage. What is High Quality Rehabilitation? An Examination of Structure,

Process, and Outcomes, presentation.

Mary Carter. Emergency Department Use for Attempted Suicide by Older Adults, poster.

Elizabeth. E. Chen, Jonathon H. Schwartz, Susan T. Moore, Joanne M. Fucile, Jessica Moschella, Charles

T. Pu, Terrence A. O'Malley, Maryann Nguyen, & Jan E. Mutchler. Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining

Treatment (MOLST) in a Long-Term Acute Care Setting – Preliminary Results, poster.

Edward A. Miller, Divya Samuel, Susan M. Allen, Amal Trivedi, & Vincent Mor. Implications of Rhode

Island’s Global Waiver for Designing and Implementing Long-Term Care Reform, presentation.

Edward A. Miller, Divya Samuel, Susan M. Allen, Amal Trivedi, & Vincent Mor. Implications of Rhode

Island’s Global Medicaid Waiver for Rebalancing Long-Term Care under the ACA, presentation.

Student, Faculty & Alumni Present at GSA

Kristina Turk shares her research through a poster at GSA.

9 GeroNews 2014

A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Awards and Honors

Kristen Porter was selected to receive the Alumni

Community Advocacy Award, New England School of

Acupuncture, 2013.

Jan Mutchler, Caitlin Coyle, and J. Kramer were awarded

the Borchard Foundation Center for Law & Aging Academic

Research Grant Program. The title of their project is:

"Bridging Aging and Disability: The role of Aging and

Disability Resource Centers in serving adults aging with

Intellectual Disabilities and their family caregivers."

[$20,000]

Hyo Jung Lee was awarded the Gerontology Scholarship

Award from the Department of Gerontology, McCormack

Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, in May 2013.

Caitlin Coyle, Hayley Gleason, & Elizabeth Chen

were selected to participate in the State Health Policy

Student Forum, sponsored by Brandeis University.

The event gives advanced graduate students access to

the workings of state government. The forum was

held on January 7th and 8th, 2014.

Publications and Reports: Hermos, J. A., Quach, L., Gagnon, D. R., Altincatal,

A., Weber, C., Cho, K., Lawler, E. V.., & Grotzinger,

K. (in press). Incident Severe Thrombocytopenia in

Veterans Treated with Pegylated Interferon plus

Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

Lee, H.J., Lyu, J., Lee, C.M., & Burr, J.A. (2014).

Intergenerational financial exchange and the

psychological well-being of older adults in the

Republic of Korea. Journal of Aging and Mental

Health, 18(1), 30-39.

Turk, K., & Dugan, E. (in press). Research brief: A literature review of frontotemporal dementia and

driving. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias.

Student Accomplishments continued onto page 12.

Kristen Porter being presented with her

Alumni Community Advocacy Award.

Students Receive Honors, Publish Manuscripts, and Present

From left to right: Elizabeth Chen, Hayley Gleason, &

Caitlin Coyle attend the State Health Policy Forum.

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Issue 2

Faculty of the Gerontology Department have been busy receiving awards, publishing books and articles,

and presenting at local and national conferences. Below is an excerpt to highlight their work:

Faculty Awards and Service:

Associate Professor Edward Alan Miller joined the editorial board of the British Journal of Health

Informatics & Monitoring and the Advisory Committee of the Long Term Services and Supports Interest

Group AcademyHealth. He was also asked to serve on Rhode Island’s Integrated Care Initiative Consumer

Advisory Council chaired by Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts. Dr. Miller served as the Chair of the Policy,

Costs, and Service Utilization in State Medicaid Programs Panel at the GSA Conference in New Orleans,

LA. On November 3, 2013, he was interviewed on WUMB91.9’s Commonwealth Journal for the program

“Aging, the Affordable Care Act, and Medicare,” which can be found

here:http://wumb.libsyn.com/affordable-care-act-and-medicare

Faculty Publications and Reports:

Miller, E. A. 2004. Block Granting Medicaid: A Model for 21st Century Medicaid Reform? Oxford,

England: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. See, http://www.amazon.com/Block-Granting-Medicaid-

Routledge-Administration/dp/0415720621. [Published November 1, 2013]

Presentations and Workshops: Miller, E. A. (Keynote Speaker). “The Affordable Care Act and Long-Term Care: Marginal Advancement

on the Status Quo.” Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston,

Massachusetts, October 16, 2013. [Oral]

Miller, E. A. “Implications of Rhode Island’s Consumer Choice Compact Medicaid Waiver for

Rebalancing Long-Term Care Under the Affordable Care Act.” 141st Annual Meeting of the American

Public Health Association, Boston, Massachusetts, November 2-6, 2013. [Oral]

Alumni Awards and Service:

Jennifer Sullivan was awarded two VA grants in 2013: “Examining the Relationship of Culture Change,

Adverse Events and Costs in CLCs” (IIR 11-356) and “Evaluating Implementation of Project Re-Engineered

Discharge (RED) in VA” (RRP 11-387).

Turner Goins was awarded a 4-year NIH grant on September 15, 2013, as part of the Native American

Research Centers for Health entitled, “Mental Health and Diabetes among Older American Indians.”

Alumni Publications and Reports:

Bruner-Canhoto, L. A. (2015). Policy and ethical issues for older adults. In R. H. Robnett & W. C. Chop

(Eds.), Gerontology for the health care professional. Third Edition (pp. 293-321). Burlington, MA: Jones &

Bartlett Learning.

Recent Faculty Awards, Publications & Presentations

Gerontology Alumni Receive Grants, Publish, and Present

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A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Alumni Publications and Reports (continued from page 10): Goins, R. T., Gregg, J., & Fiske, A. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Connor-Davidson Resilience

Scale with older American Indians: The Native Elder Care Study. Research on Aging, 35(2), 123-143.

Caspi, E. (2013). Aggressive behaviors between residents with dementia in an assisted living residence.

Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice. Published OnlineFirst (Ahead of

print) Sep 4, 2013.

Caspi, E. (2014). Does self-neglect occur among older adults with dementia when unsupervised in

Assisted Living? An exploratory, observational study. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Estimated

publication date: Jan 14, 2013 (online) and Feb 11, 2014 (Print).

Innes, K. E., Alshaarawy, O., & Goins, R. T. (in press). The association of self-reported type 2 diabetes to

physical function in older American Indians. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Robnett, R. H. & Chop, W. C. (2015). Gerontology for the health care professional. Third edition.

Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Schure, M. B., Kile, M. L., Harding, A., Harper, B., Harris, S., Uesugi, S., & Goins, R. T. (2013).

Perceptions of the environment and health among members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla

Indian Reservation. Environmental Justice, 6(3), 115-120.

Spencer, S. M., Goins, R. T., Henderson, J. A., Wen, Y., & Goldberg, J. (2013). The influence of

caregiving on health-related quality of life among American Indians. Journal of the American Geriatrics

Society, 61(9), 1615-1620.

Schure, M., Odden, M. C., & Goins, R. T. (2013). The association of resilience with mental and physical

health among older American Indians: The Native Elder Care Study. American Indian and Alaska Native

Mental Health Research, 20(2), 27-41.

Simonds, V. W., Goins, R. T., Krantz, E., & Garroutte, E. (in press). Cultural identity and patient trust

among older American Indians. Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Schure, M., Conte, K., & Goins, R. T. (in press). Unmet assistance need among older American Indians

with functional disabilities: The Native Elder Care Study. The Gerontologist.

Alumni Presentations and Workshops: Berger, S. (2013, October). Interprofessional education through a university-based, intensive, summer

program for stroke survivors. The American Occupational Therapy Association Educational Summit.

Atlanta, GA.

Caspi, E. (2013). Preventing behavioral expressions in persons with Alzheimer's disease: A road map. Fall

Mental Health conference, Minneapolis, MN, October 13, 2013.

Alumni accomplishments continued on page 12.

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Issue 2

Alumni Presentations and Workshops (continued from page 11): Caspi, E. (2013). Preserving the personhood of older persons with Alzheimer's disease: Possibilities and

opportunities. Shabbat Service at Shir Tikva Congregation, Minneapolis, MN, October 25, 2013.

Caspi, E. (2013). Keynote speaker: A practical education program for rabbis on understanding and assisting

people with Alzheimer’s disease. MN Act on Alzheimer’s Twin Cities Jewish Community Task Force,

Minneapolis, MN, November 14, 2013.

Caspi, E. (2013). Non-pharmacological prevention of aggressive behavioral expressions in older persons

with Alzheimer’s disease. Shaller Family Sholom East Campus, St. Paul, MN, November 21, 2013.

Hoover, E., Berger, S., DeAngelis, T. R., & Zawachi, S. (2013, November). An intensive, interprofessional,

community-based intervention program for persons post-stroke. The American Congress of Rehabilitation

Medicine.

Conference on Positive Aging

“Aging Transcends: The Voice of

Innovation and Community”

February 9-12, 2014

Sarasota, FL

AGHE’s Annual Meeting

“Taking Educational Quality to

New Heights”

February 27-March 02, 2014

Denver, CO

American Society on Aging

Annual Conference of the

American Society on Aging

March 11-15, 2014

San Diego, CA

Upcoming National Conferences 2014

Program Alumni Present Around the Country

Presentations and Workshops (continued from page 9): Coyle, C., Kramer, J., & Mutchler, J. “Changing

profiles in family caregiving: Sibling caregivers of

adults aging with intellectual or developmental

disabilities.” 2013 Roundtable on Aging and

Intellectual Disability, International Association for

the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities,

Simmons College, Boston, MA., September 19,

2013. [Presentation]

Nguyen, M. “Benefits of playing a musical

instrument on cognitive reserve: A literature

review.” The American Public Health Association

Conference. Boston, MA, 2013. [Poster].

Wang, S., Martin, L. A., & Burr, J. (2014).

“Bridging the gap between transportation and

health care: door-through-door volunteer escorts.” The Fourth Policy Forum on Healthy Aging - Healthy

Aging in the Commonwealth: Charting a Path Forward, Newton, MA. [Poster].

Students Present their Research throughout MA

Wendy Wang presents her poster at The Health Policy

Forum Conference in Newton, January 2014

13 GeroNews 2014

A Newsletter about the Gerontology Graduate Programs John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies University of Massachusetts Boston http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/academic/gerontology/index.php

Celebrating Student, Alumni and Faculty’s Big Moments

The Gerontology Department would like to offer its Congratulations to:

Alumna, Jennifer Sullivan, on the birth of her daughter, Kaia Rose, in July

2013.

PhD student, Corina Ronneberg, on accepting an adjunct teaching position at

Northeastern Illinois University in their undergraduate gerontology minor

program. She will be teaching Psych 328-Seminar in Aging: Exploring Aging

Programs, Policy, and the Long-Term Care Continuum.

PhD student, Caitlin Coyle, on her new position as an adjunct professor in the

Sociology Department at Emmanuel College in Boston. She will be teaching

Sociology 2119: Age & Generations, in the Spring semester.

Alumna, Suzanne Herzberg, on her new position as a practice facilitator for

the patient-centered medical home model, under the auspices of Brown

University and Memorial Hospital of Pawtucket, RI. She will be working with

physician practices to improve health outcomes and increase patient and staff satisfaction.

Aluma, Turner Goins, on her new position as the Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor at Western

Carolina University in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Cathy Wong on her successful

defense of her dissertation, “Gender,

race, and ethnic differences in the

effects of education on depression in

later life: The mediating roles of

mastery and stress” on January 22,

2014. Her committee members includ-

ed: Dr. Jeff Burr, Dr. Frank Porell,

and Dr. Kelly Trevino from Rowan

University.

And Jiyoung Lyu on the completion

of her PhD! Jiyoung’s dissertation was

entitled “The impact of childhood SES

on decline in cognition among older

adults.” She defended her dissertation

in front of faculty and students on

December 13, 2013. Her committee

included Dr. Jeff Burr, Dr. Elizabeth

Dugan, and Dr. Fengyan Tang from

the University of Pittsburgh.

From left to right: Dr. Jeff Burr, student, Jiyoung Lyu, Dr.

Elizabeth Dugan, and Dr. Jan Mutchler celebrate Jiyoung’s successful

defense of her dissertation.

Kaia Rose, born July 2013.

14 GeroNews 2014

GeroNews Volume 15

Issue 2

Academic Calendar

Spring Semester 2014

January 27 Classes Begin February 3 Add/Drop Ends February 17 Presidents Day March 16-23 Spring Break March 24 Classes Resume April 1 Fall ’14 Registration Begins April 10 Pass/Fail Deadline April 10 Course Withdraw April 21 Patriots Day May 14 Classes End May 19-23 Final Exam Period May 26 Memorial Day May 30 Commencement

Upcoming Gerontology Events:

Thursday, February 6, 2014 (10:30-11:45AM)

“Supporting Well-Being among Medically Underserved Older

Adults” with Silvia Sorensen, PhD, Research Associate Professor,

Department of Psychiatry, Center for Community Health, University of

Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY.

Monday, February 10, 2014 (10:30-11:45AM)

“Innovative New Practices in Resource-Poor Nursing Homes:

Comparing Culture Change & Palliative Care” with Denise Tyler,

PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Gerontology and Health

Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice,

Brown University, Providence, RI.

Monday, February 24, 2014 (10:30-11:45AM)

“If We Are All Created ‘Equally,’ Then Why Am I Treated

Differently?: Examining the Psychosocial Factors Influencing the

Pain Experience in Older Adults” with Tamara Baker, PhD, Associate

Professor, School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa,

FL.

Friday, February 28, 2014 (11:00AM)

Dissertation Defense for Judith Poey

Dissertation Title: “The social environment, APOE e4, and dementia:

The social environment as a moderating factor among individuals

genetically predisposed to develop dementia.

Monday, March 3, 2014 (10:30-11:45AM)

“Preparing for the Final Phase of Life: Growing Challenges in Elder

Care” with Kathrin Boerner, PhD, Associate Professor, Brookdale

Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medi-

cine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.

Friday, March 7, 2014 (10:30-11:45AM)

“Title - TBD” with Susan Enguidanos, PhD, Assistant Professor of

Gerontology, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of

Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

McCormack Graduate

School Upcoming

Community Gatherings

Wednesday, March 5th, 4-5pm

Supper at Conflict Resolution

Wheatley, 4th floor

Malcolm X Lounge

Wednesday, April 2nd, 12-1pm

Lunch at OLLI

McCormack Hall, 3rd floor

OLLI Lounge