Q&A with Elizabeth Vásquez, DrPH, FGSA

from the University at Albany

Q: How long have you been a GSA member?

A: I started attending GSA as a student in 2004.

Q: How specifically has membership in GSA benefitted you?

A: GSA is the one conference where all aspects of aging are well represented, from basic science to policy. As a student working on my dissertation, attending the annual meeting helped me keep current with my literature review. During the transition to a faculty member, GSA helped me with needed mentoring and developing the scholarly networks I needed to succeed.

Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?

A: I was raised by my grandparents in the Dominican Republic, where at the time there were not many accessible public health resources for older adults. Migrating to the USA opened a new line of research that has driven me to learn and see ways to improve older adults aging in place. Thus, based on my upbringing and the migration experience I became interested in the individual-level indicators and the ecological impact of social context, which contributes to differential health outcomes in older racial and ethnically diverse populations, in particular Latinos.

Q: What projects are you working on in your current position?

A: My research explores physical activity as a component of health and well-being and its relationship to health outcomes, and the role of psychosocial determinants and behavior among racially and ethnically diverse populations. Recently, as the Director for the Center for Elimination of Health Disparity at the University of Albany, my work includes mentoring and evaluation of health disparities in rural and small city areas.

Q: What do you love most about your line of work?

A: I love the multiple layers of my work, in particular the research, service, and teaching of the next generation of public health scholars. One of the most thrilling aspects of my career is seeing former students now as colleagues and moving the field forward.

Q: What was the best piece of advice you got early on in your career you’d like to pass on to emerging gerontologists?

A: ‘You have what it takes’ is what my father always said to me when things got hard. To this day, it is still the best advice I received.