The Gerontological Society of America Awards New Hartford Doctoral Fellowships

Seven outstanding doctoral students have been chosen as the newest recipients of the prestigious Hartford Doctoral Fellowship in geriatric social work. The program is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation, administered by The Gerontological Society of America, and directed by James Lubben.

Each of the Hartford Doctoral Fellows receives a $50,000 dissertation grant plus $20,000 in matching support from their home institutions, which enables recipients to more fully concentrate on their dissertation research projects over the next two years. Fellows also receive supplemental academic career guidance and mentoring, as well as professional development enabling them to more successfully launch an academic career in gerontology and social work.

This fellowship program is a component of the nationwide Geriatric Social Work Initiative, which seeks to expand the training of social workers in order to improve the health and well being of older persons and their families. It was created to help social work doctoral students overcome their greatest obstacles, such as limited teacher training and career guidance. These fellowships cultivate the next generation of geriatric social work faculty as teachers, role models and mentors for future generations of geriatric social workers.

Lubben, the Louise McMahon Ahearn University Chair at Boston College and a professor emeritus at UCLA, works together with a national program committee, which plays a central role in selecting the Fellows. This year's committee consists of Iris Chi of the University of Southern California, Namkee Choi of the University of Texas at Austin, Ruth Dunkle of the University of Michigan, Jan Greenberg of the University of Wisconsin, Jeanne Marsh of the University of Chicago, Nancy Morrow-Howell of Washington University in St. Louis, and Deborah Waldrop of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Ad hoc members include Barbara Berkman of the Hartford Faculty Scholars Program and Carmen Morano of the Hartford Pre-Dissertation Award Program.

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The Gerontological Society of America is the nation's oldest and largest multidisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society - and its 5,000+ members - is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public.