Member Spotlight

Special Issue: Dual Member Spotlight

Q&A with Linda Krogh Harootyan, MSW & Robert Aram Harootyan, MA, MS from Vienna, VA.

"...I have been motivated by “the chase” -- not only to better understand various aspects of aging but to also do work that improves the well-being of older adults, especially the disadvantaged."

"GSA is a place where we try to get scholars to get out of their “disciplinary boxes."

Q: How long have you been a GSA member?
Linda:  member since 1979, a staff member since 1980.
Bob:  member since 1974, also a GSA Fellow and a GSA Research Fellowship recipient.

Q: How do you feel GSA serves the field of gerontology and aging research?
Linda:  For 65 years, GSA has been the leader in gerontological research and education.  Its founders recognized the importance of gerontology long before it was a popular.  One of GSA’s greatest assets and attractions is its multidisciplinary nature. GSA is a place where we try to get scholars to get out of their “disciplinary boxes.”  I am particularly excited by the new challenges and opportunities that the future will bring.  GSA will be expanding its international role and has been selected to host the 2017 International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics World Congress. 

Bob: GSA is the primary vehicle for advancing research and education in aging. Its members have been pioneers and leaders in the field.  The GSA represents their interests and promotes gerontological work that ranges from molecular science to social service program implementation.  There is no other organization that so effectively merges research, education, practice and policy in the field of aging.

Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?
Linda:  Aging was not initially on my career radar screen.  However, when I was in graduate school getting my master’s degree in social work, GSA member Percil Stanford and other key people at the school convinced me to change my area of concentration to aging.  To be honest, I was flattered that they sought me out, but the aging concentration also had great appeal because it was the only one with a policy focus. After that, I was hooked.

Bob: I was focused on urban sociology at Purdue (late 1960s), when the department chair asked me to lead a graduate-student team to study the county “old age home” in a rural area.  Our conclusion: Renovate a closed one-story school located near the town hall, close the home, move the residents into town, and get them off their rocking chairs.  The county did so, some years later.  At Cornell, the gerontology bug really took hold, in combination with my demography graduate fellowship.  These academic pursuits were fortified -- and perhaps induced -- by my upbringing, where respect and concern for elders was a given.

Q: What are/were the key responsibilities at your job?
Linda:  As Deputy Executive Director of GSA, I have many administrative and governance responsibilities, but my favorite role is to brainstorm and translate ideas into programs and activities.  It gives me a chance to be creative and work with great people.  I also consider mentoring as integral and one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

Bob: I began my career in academia at USC’s Andrus Gerontology Center and the Population Research Laboratory.  Along with teaching, I quickly learned the meaning of institution building!  But after a few years I followed my desire to do applied research when I joined the Department on Aging in California, then the ASA (aka WGS), Congress’s Office of Technology Assessment, and then AARP.  In all these endeavors I have been motivated by “the chase” -- not only to better understand various aspects of aging but to also do work that improves the well being of older adults, especially the disadvantaged.  Good research does make a difference, especially when you have the attention and respect of the decision-makers.  My current role as research manager at Senior Service America is a wonderful fit for me.

Q: What has been your most memorable experience in gerontology and aging research?
Linda:  Several memorable experiences come to mind.  When I first joined the GSA staff in 1980, I was so lucky to get to know personally many of the “legends” of the field.  Secondly, working with the Task Force on Minority Issues in Gerontology since its inception has been a great honor and privilege.  The Task Force’s visionary leadership and the involvement of many dedicated and passionate people make me proud to be a part of their many successes.  Being a participant in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging over the last ten years has also been a memorable experience.  After years of seeing things through the lens of the researcher, it has been fun and enriching to experience it from “the other side.”

Bob: The aforementioned initial foray in applied research at Purdue was the first, but there have been many others.  Creating a statewide database on California’s older population using a wide array of sources was a difficult but worthwhile endeavor.  Our work on underserved elders at ASA (with Percil Stanford) brought attention to the most disadvantaged.  The pilot program I co-directed on reverse annuity mortgages (Marin County, CA) established the basic tenets for the current federal requirements that protect the interests of elderly clients.  The Office of Technology Assessment studies on technology and aging and life-sustaining technologies benefited from the expertise of national experts as well as highly regarded analysts.  My collaborative research at AARP with academicians to produce the book on intergenerational linkages helped dispel the myopia of the “graying of the federal budget.”  Finally, my current work at SSAI each week presents new opportunities to serve the interests of disadvantaged older adults.  I am fortunate to have had all of these experiences.

Q: How does GSA assist with your professional development?
Linda:  My perspective is a bit different from most since I have worked at GSA for 30 years.  While I know that GSA offers many opportunities for networking and career development, I know firsthand how the organization has shaped my life and career as a staff member.  I have had the fortune of getting to know and learn from many amazing people.  Because GSA is a small organization (staff wise), I have had the unique opportunity to do many things that are not always available in other workplaces. Since 1980, I have attended and served in leadership roles on the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, comprised of the 50+ national organizations in Washington, DC. I have been given lead roles in strategic planning, grant writing, and other activities that have expanded my skills and expertise.  Most of all, I have worked for executive directors who believed in me and encouraged and fostered my career development.

Bob:  As an introvert problem-solver at heart, the GSA publications and annual meetings afford opportunities to continue the aforementioned “chase.”  GSA membership provides the best interdisciplinary exposure to research and practice across all components of the aging field.  Indeed, some of the most enlightening sessions at the annual meeting have been those that combine the natural and social sciences.  There should be more.  And the topically focused sessions often are precursors to the journal articles, books and other publications that enhance gerontological knowledge and practice. 

Q: Do you have any tips for emerging gerontologists?
Linda:  Dream big.  Do what you are passionate about and be open to new ideas and directions in your work. 

Bob:  Be as involved in the profession as possible and do not be afraid to seek out the advice of experienced gerontologists.  Throughout my career, many individuals have graciously shared their time and expertise because they wanted to help.  The GSA mentor program is a great opportunity in this regard.  No matter what you do, remember to do so for the right reasons.

Q: Tell us a little about your most recent activities/accomplishments?
Linda: Although I have been at GSA for three decades, I still find many exciting challenges before me.  I am currently working with various teams on grant proposals ranging from bringing ethnic journalists to GSA’s annual meeting to learn about aging, to looking at comparative effectiveness research in cancer and aging, to health disparity issues related to health care reform.  And, of course, I am extremely proud of our many successes with the Hartford Faculty Scholars and Doctoral Fellows Programs, for which I am the Program Officer.

Bob: I joined SSAI to be part of the mentor team for the first SSAI SCSEP Fellows Program in 2008.  It combined the excitement of implementing community-based research by 17 fellows with the opportunity to serve as a mentor.  In 2009 we focused on pilot projects that developed greater involvement of SCSEP participants with long-term providers.  Subsequent responsibilities have included many types of program initiatives in a work environment that encourages creativity, results and collaboration.  Having recently been named research manager, I am building a research program focused on SCSEP, its clients, and the larger community of disadvantaged older adults.

Q: Have you had an important mentor in your career? If so, how did it make a difference?
Linda:  I have been fortunate to have had many wonderful mentors along the way who provided guidance at critical times and influenced my decisions and paths I chose.  Percil Stanford encouraged and supported my move from my home state of California to the policy world of Washington, DC, one of the best career moves I could have made.  Previous GSA Executive Director, Jack Cornman, probably has had the greatest influence over my thinking, writing, and ideas about strategic planning.   He is my model of effective leadership. Thea Jackson, a key player in the creation of the Minority Task Force, was a major mentor in my early days with GSA and taught me so much about values and how to effectively bring about change.  And, more recently, Barbara Berkman, my friend and partner on the Hartford Faculty Scholars in Geriatric Social Work Program, from whom I have learned how two very different people can develop a great and productive partnership.

Bob: This question is fraught with difficulty, like the awardee who fears leaving someone off their list.  Aside from the indirect influence from the work of so many pioneering gerontologists, I have received wise and sometimes spirited guidance from many individuals.  To name a few (chronologically): Gordon Streib, Jim Birren, Paul Kerschner, Chuck Longino, Vern Bengtson, Cy Brickfield, Tony Sarmiento, and Linda Harootyan.

Q: This month celebrates the official inception of GSA – would you like to say a few words?
Linda: GSA’s first 65 years have been amazing, but stay tuned...the best years are yet to come! 

Bob:  As my boss Tony recently reiterated in a statement about the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, “What gets measured is what gets done.”  So do the best “measuring” possible to better understand the capabilities, contributions, needs, well-being, and concerns of the older population.  Simple!