Member Spotlight

Q&A with Moon Choi, Ph.D. from Lexington, Kentucky.

		"My first GSA meeting ... I felt that the meeting was like a festival celebrating life, resilience, and aging. I quickly fell in love. Since then I have never missed a single annual meeting."
Meet Moon.

Q: How long have you been a member and how does GSA assist with your professional development? 
A: I have been a member of GSA since 2004. At that time, I was a graduate student interested in the third age and joined the GSA to receive the periodical journals and newsletters to learn the latest research findings. Since then, GSA has been the center of my professional development. I found my postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Briana Mezuk, at the GSA meeting and also met many GSA fellows whom I had seen only in books and journals.

My first GSA meeting was in 2005 when I just started my pre-doctoral training at Case Western. The meeting was held in Orlando, FL, and I felt that the GSA meeting was like a festival celebrating life, resilience, and aging. I quickly fell in love with GSA meeting. Since then I have never missed a single annual meeting.    

Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?
A: I was born and grew up in South Korea, the country experiencing the fastest aging population around the world, and therefore, I was exposed to social issues related to aging in everyday life.  In Seoul, I was majoring in biochemistry as an undergraduate but unsure about what I really wanted to do after graduation; I just liked math and science. But the reality of my parents’ aging hit me, and I have become interested in social determinants of the aging process in individuals instead of biological mechanism at the molecular level.

Q: What are your key responsibilities at your job?
A: My main responsibility is to do research and teaching in the fields of macro social work practice and gerontology at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. I develop multidisciplinary research projects on aging, mobility, and mental health with the collaboration with researchers at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.  I also lead the gerontological social work program at our college, developing partnerships with the Graduate Center for Gerontology in the College of Public Health.  I am currently teaching a MSW course in hybrid format (80% online), developing digital media for distance learning.

Q: What has been your most memorable experience in gerontology and aging research? 
A: Two years ago, I gave a talk about social factors influencing driving cessation at a national conference. I went to the conference room early and practiced my presentation. A senior volunteer in the room walked up to me and said he recently stopped driving. He pointed out my presentation slide about previous reports that driving cessation increased mortality risk, and asked if he would die soon. His eyes were filled with fear. At that moment, I realized how research can directly affect people’s lives and more seriously thought about my role as a gerontologist.

Q: Why is it important for other individuals to join GSA? 
A: GSA has shown strong leadership in aging research, and GSA’s Annual Scientific Meeting is THE place that you should go to if you are interested in gerontology. GSA’s meeting is the premier gathering of gerontologists from both the United States and around the world, and the best place to network with emerging scholars and GSA fellows.

Q: Do you have any tips for emerging gerontologists?  
A: I would like to say three things: 1. Find research questions that you can be passionate about for the next ten years; 2. Find the right mentors who can walk with you through the journey to reach the answers; and 3. Develop and practice critical thinking skills and keep writing on a daily basis.

Q: Tell us a little about your most recent activities/accomplishments?
A: I joined the faculty as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky last July. This year I have published six peer-reviewed journal articles as the first author, and one of them was published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.  Also, I have developed a master plan of research, with overarching research questions, thus I will never be bored for the next twenty years.

Q: Have you had an important mentor in your career? If so, how did it make a difference? 
A: Mentors have made all of the difference in the world for my career. I have three key mentors who have walked with me throughout this journey.

Dr. Eva Kahana is the mentor who has led me to the academic career. I met her in 2006 when I was finishing up my pre-doctoral coursework. At that time, I pursued a career in international organizations. She saw scholarly potential in me and guided me to be on the path to be an independent researcher in gerontology. Talking with her always inspires me to think creatively and also see things in a different perspective. She is truly my role model. 

Dr. Kathryn Betts Adams is the mentor who saved me. Without her, I would have never been able to complete my doctoral degree. She supported me and gave me insightful advice when I went through the darkest days of my research life. Her generosity and grace have lifted my spirits and helped me to move forward.

Dr. Briana Mezuk is my postdoctoral mentor who taught me how to make an idea a reality. I have learned core values and skills for excellence in aging research and transition to be a principal investigator. Her passion for social justice and state-in-art research skills has inspired me. She has become my lifelong mentor and friend.