Member Spotlight

Q&A with Michelle Washko, PhD from Washington, DC.

		"It was their first new grant program in several decades that focused on aging workers...an exhilarating feeling, especially seeing it through the process of writing and development all the way to awarding the funds."
Meet Michelle.

Q: How long have you been a GSA member?
A: I believe I joined GSA sometime in the mid to late 1990’s.

Q: How has membership in GSA benefited you?
A: Attending the annual meeting, reading the journals, sitting on various committees, serving as the chair of ESPO…all of these have all helped to better inform my understanding of the field and stay updated on new research, policy initiatives and projects that other members are undertaking. Engaging in GSA has also introduced me to many long-time friends and professional colleagues.

Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?
A: Coming from a rather large Ukrainian family, there was always a hefty contingent of older relatives around. I remember my family dealing with issues such as retirement, chronic illness, and death, though at that point I was viewing them through the eyes of a child and not a career gerontologist. While earning my Bachelor’s degree, I realized that the concept of “aging” (and all that goes with it) intrigued me, probably because of these early experiences. This eventually influenced my decision to earn a Doctoral degree in Gerontology and research issues in productive aging (especially around older adults who remain in the paid workforce and those who engage in volunteerism), which eventually led to my desire to work in the public policy arena where I could affect the lives of older adults from a national level.

Q: How do you feel GSA serves the field of gerontology and aging research?
A: I feel that GSA’s most important role is as a “networking” venue for gerontologists and aging experts, where they can come together and share new ideas or revisit old ones. Because its membership’s interests run the gamut from academia to research to policy, GSA offers infinite avenues for intellectual exploration.

Q: What are your key responsibilities at your job?
A: I work for the Federal Government, and just moved from the Department of Labor to the Administration on Aging about 2 months ago. I’m at AoA to help conceptualize a new workforce initiative. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to divulge too much more than that at this point in time, so stay tuned.

Q: What has been your most memorable experience in gerontology and aging research?
A: It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. Defending my dissertation was pretty monumental. Also, currently in press is an article I co-authored (with three wonderful colleagues) that is the first ever, peer-reviewed article using national level data to analyze the 44-year old Title V program of the Older Americans Act.

Q: Do you have any tips for emerging gerontologists?
A: Network, network, network! It exposes you to new people, new projects, new areas of interest. You never know where a connection might lead. I will always credit GSA with helping me land my first “real” job out of my doctoral program. I met my former ED through GSA’s Council. When I applied for a job in her research institute a year later, I know that while my experience qualified me for the position, it was the personal connection that sealed the deal.

Q: Tell us a little about your most recent activities/accomplishments?
A: Before I left the Department of Labor, I co-developed a grant initiative for older workers. It was their first new grant program in several decades that focused on aging workers. On my last day there I made phone calls to the new grantees, letting them know they had won, thus getting $10 million federal dollars out the door and into the research and practice community. It was an exhilarating feeling, especially seeing it through the process of writing and development all the way to awarding the funds. Plus, having a career that began in research, it is intriguing to be on the other side of things. It is a totally different perspective when you’re writing solicitations and awarding funds as opposed to being a grant applicant.

Q: Have you had an important mentor in your career? If so, how did it make a difference?
A: I’ve had a few, and I still keep in touch with all of them. Each one came into my career when I was at a pivotal point (e.g. deciding to go to graduate school, starting my dissertation, selecting my first job, writing my first grant proposal, etc.). Having that person as someone I respected and looked up to, someone I could talk to as I made decisions affecting my career, it made a world of difference. They gave me key pieces of wisdom I still reflect on to this day.