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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Todd Kluss |
New Civic Engagement Resource Spotlights Boomers, Seniors
The Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) latest book features the most comprehensive overview to date of volunteering and service activities among older people. This unique publication includes forward-looking essays by leading scholars in the field, supplemented by classic research articles from GSA’s peer-reviewed journals.
“Civic Engagement in an Older America” is the capstone product of a multi-year initiative at GSA — funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies — designed to stimulate research on older adult civic engagement.
“There has been such rapid development of interest in civic engagement in later life,” said Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, of Washington University in St. Louis, who co-authored the book’s introduction. “The last decade has seen new program and policy initiatives, the birth of an academic area of research, and the burgeoning ‘civic enterprise.’ This volume helps us consolidate these developments, take stock, and move forward in the most constructive ways.”
The five main chapters of the book review the state-of-the-science to date for a particular area of civic engagement, address conceptual issues, identify research gaps, and provide direction for future research.
“This integrative scholarship helps to advance a growing paradigm shift that views older adults not just as passive recipients of care, but also as people who do and can contribute to the well-being of others,” said Emily Greenfield, PhD, of Rutgers University, who authored one of the book’s chapters. “The publication's service as a ‘go to’ source of previous work and contemporary insights will be helpful to many who are now working in the area of civic engagement in later life.”
The subject of civic engagement among America’s seniors has received increasingly widespread attention. In his first 100 days in the White House, President Barack Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — the largest expansion of national service programs since the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps. The Act included several provisions that specifically benefit midlife and older adults.
“Civic Engagement in an Older America” can be purchased from the Online Store at www.geron.org. Electronic versions of individual chapters also are available for download. Reporters may request review copies.
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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 5,200+ 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 branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.
Mildred M. Seltzer Distinguished Service Recognition
Presented to C. Joanne Grabinski, PhD, Eastern Michigan University, and Mary Alice Wolf, PhD, Saint Joseph University.
This award honors colleagues who are near retirement or recently retired. Recipients are individuals who have been actively involved in AGHE through service on committees, as elected officers, and/or have provided leadership in one of AGHE’s grant-funded projects.
Administrative Leadership Award
Presented to Tammy M. Bray, PhD, Oregon State University
This award honors administrators on AGHE member campuses who have made exceptional efforts in support of gerontology or geriatrics education.
David A. Peterson Gerontology & Geriatrics Education Best Paper of the Volume Award
Presented to Nina M. Silverstein, PhD, University of Massachusetts Boston; Elizabeth Johns, MS, University of Massachusetts Boston; and Judith A. Griffin, MA, MS, University of Massachusetts Boston, for the article “Students Explore Livable Communities.” Honorable mention is given to Emily J. Robbins, MS, Miami University; Jennifer M. Kinney, PhD, Miami University; and Cary S. Kart, PhD, Miami University, for the article “Promoting Active Engagement in Health Research: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Gerontology Capstone Course.”
The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in scholarship in academic gerontology in AGHE’s official journal, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education.
Graduate Student Paper Award
Presented to Deborah Gray, MBA, University of Massachusetts Boston, for the paper “Weight and Wealth: The Relationship between Obesity and Net Worth for Pre-Retirement Age Men and Women.”
This award acknowledges excellence in scholarly work conducted by an AGHE Annual Meeting student attendee.
Book Award for Best Children’s Literature on Aging
Presented to Caitlin Dale Nicholson and Leona Morinn-Nelson for “Niwechihaw/I help” in the primary reader (pre-K to 2nd grade) category, and Ann Grifalconi and Jerry Pickney for “Ain’t Nobody A Stranger to Me” in the elementary reader (3rd to 5th grade) category.
This award recognizes portrayals of meaningful aging in children’s literature.
