This Founder’s Day, We Build Foundations for the Future

Happy birthday to GSA! We’re turning 80 on May 18, which is what we observe as Founder’s Day here at the Society.

Five pioneering founders signed the charter establishing GSA in 1945. Eighty years later, is it still possible for someone to be a founder in our field? The answer is yes, because you can provide a foundation for the next generation of scholars in the spirit of generativity.

Our original founders were visionaries as they took the steps to build a legacy for the study of aging those many decades ago. Now think of how your own career has benefited from those who came before you — professors, mentors, colleagues.  Will you “pay it forward” as the founders did by supporting the next generation?

GSA has section-specific Emerging Scholars Funds to provide support for graduate student, postdoc, and trainee involvement in GSA, primarily through the provision of awards for travel and engagement at the Annual Scientific Meeting. If you would like to establish a more enduring legacy, you can support GSA through planned giving as well. My May Gerontology News column also talks about another generative opportunity you can establish at your alma mater.

Current disruptions in federal funding for aging research are impacting many, but the most lasting impact may be on emerging scholars as they face more limited opportunities to pursue PhDs and postdocs, and ultimately aging-focused careers. These people are the future of our field, and anything that helps them stay connected is of extreme importance.

The steps our founders took in 1945 have rippled through the generations, helping us achieve so much to support meaningful lives as we age. We have it within us to make just as significant an impact. In another 80 years’ time, we can be seen as the founders of the 21st century.