Member Spotlight

Q&A with Janice I. Wassel, PhD from Greensboro, NC.

Q:  Why did you become a member and how does GSA assist with your professional development? 
A: As a graduate student, I was encouraged to join professional organizations.  GSA was, and remains, an excellent organization for students entering the field with excellent mentorship programs and ESPO.  I joined GSA in 1991 and attended  my first annual conference in San Francisco.  It was an amazing experience for me to attend sessions and meet  some of the scholars whose research I’d been studying.  I still have that program on my bookshelf.

Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging? 
A: During graduate school I was introduced to the demographic issues of aging societies.   When I began my graduate studies gerontology was not on my radar, but as I began to understand how the boomers’ aging would influence society my interest grew.  Societies and families have limited resources and I became increasingly interested in how families would allocate resources and provide care for their own aging family members.   Currently my focus is on bridging businesses with both the needs of older adults and an aging society. 

Q: What are your key responsibilities at your job? 
A: My career path has taken a different turn than what I anticipated while in graduate school, my job is primarily administration.   As  the Director of The UNCG Gerontology program, it is my responsibility  is to ensure that our graduates have the knowledge and skill sets to be leaders in the profession prepared to meet the growing demand for trained professionals in aging and gerontology.  This has resulted in developing an applied graduate program from the ground up with a unique perspective on business and aging infusing business skills into many of our courses.  I am also the Director of UNCG’s Gerontology Research Network assisting in faculty research and I also organize the annual “Aging is Good Business Summit,” now in its 6th year.  For all these efforts, I spend considerable time in the community developing relationships for faculty. 

Q: What has been your most memorable experience in gerontology? 
A: Developing the “Aging is Good Business Summit” remains a highlight for me and it came from my mother’s shopping experience.  Her frustration made me realize that businesses were missing an opportunity to develop a growing market.  Over the past seven years, I’ve worked to educate businesses and professionals about the expanding market of older adults who need and want services that cater to their tastes.  We’ve had remarkable success in our efforts here at UNCG.

Q: How do you feel GSA serves the field of gerontology and aging research?
A: It is exciting to see how GSA is embracing business professionals through the Aging Means Business event at the Annual Scientific Meeting.  Through this venue, GSA members’ research has the opportunity to reach a broader audience expanding options for older adults, those who care for them, and the environment in which they live.  It is an exciting time for GSA and its members.

Q: Do you have any tips for emerging gerontologists? 
A: I have learned you should listen to those who are working in the field and dealing with issues of aging, resource allocation, and policy.  Regardless of which career path an emerging gerontologist chooses, s/he should volunteer to serve on community committees, participate in PetPartners, or serve on boards such as the Alzheimer’s Association or a county/state boards.  Stepping beyond the university or research lab reminds one of why they are in the field of aging.

Q:  Tell us a little about your most recent activities/accomplishments?  
A: In the last two years, I’ve been invited to South Korea twice for a number of speaking engagements to discuss the intersection of aging and business.  The South Korean government is proactively engaged in a five year aging plan to address concerns of a super aging society.   This has provided the opportunity to develop a number of research projects with Korean scholars on caregiving issues and imposed early retirement.  I was even interviewed by South Korea’s public television for a special on aging.

Q:  Have you had an important mentor in your career? If so, how did it make a difference? 
A: I have been privileged to have a number of mentors over my career and I would like to share a valuable lesson learned from one on administrative leadership.   She believed that leaders should strive to see career opportunities for their employees that they might not even know exist, invest in them, and help them achieve their potential, even if it meant the employee would go elsewhere.