Gerontological Society of America Congratulates 2025 Awardees
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization focused on aging — is proud to acknowledge the work of 24 outstanding individuals through its prestigious awards program.
GSA salutes outstanding research, recognizes distinguished leadership in teaching and service, and fosters new ideas through a host of awards. Nominated by their peers, the recipients’ achievements serve as milestones in the history and development of gerontology.
The award presentations will take place at GSA’s 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 12 to 15 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Society-Wide
Donald P. Kent Award
Recipient: LaDora V. Thompson, PhD, FGSA, of Boston University
This award is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society.
Robert W. Kleemeier Award
Recipient: Pinchas Cohen, MD, FGSA, of University of Southern California
This award is given annually to a GSA member in recognition for outstanding research in the field of gerontology.
James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award
Recipient: Linda M. Chatters, PhD, FGSA, FAASWSW, of University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
This award recognizes outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring minority researchers in the field of aging.
M. Powell Lawton Award
Recipient: Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Minnesota
This award honors contributions from applied gerontological research that have benefited older people and their care. This award is sponsored by the Polisher Research Institute of Abramson Senior Care.
Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award
Recipient: Jeremy M. Hamm, PhD, of North Dakota State University
This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology. This award is given by GSA in conjunction with the Margaret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation.
Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging
Recipient: John W. Rowe, MD, FGSA, of Columbia University
This award recognizes instances of practice informed by research and analysis, research that directly improved policy or practice, and distinction in bridging the worlds of research and practice. This award is funded by the New York Community Trust through a generous gift from the Maxwell A. Pollack Fund.
Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award
Recipient: Ruth M. Tappen, EdD, RN, FAAN, of Florida Atlantic University
This award is presented to a GSA member who has a record of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research.
Krout & Elmore Children’s Book Award for Best Portrayal of Aging
Recipient: Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers, illustrated by Julie Flett, Published 2023, Heartdrum
This award recognizes realistic portrayals of older adults in picture books for children.
Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education
Clark Tibbitts Award
Recipient: Laura KM Donorfio, PhD, FAGHE, FGSA, The University of Connecticut
This award is given to individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of gerontology and/or geriatrics education.
Hiram J. Friedsam Mentorship Award
Recipient: Sean P. Curran, PhD, FGSA, of University of Southern California
This award recognizes individuals who have contributed to gerontological and/or geriatrics education through excellence in mentorship to students, faculty, and administrators.
Distinguished Faculty Award
Recipient: Kara Dassel, PhD, FGSA, of University of Utah
This award recognizes persons whose teaching stands out as exemplary, innovative, of impact, or any combination thereof.
Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award
Recipient: Angie Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA, of University of California Berkeley
This award recognizes new faculty whose teaching and/or leadership stands out as impactful and innovative.
Student Leadership Award
Recipient: Janelle E. Fassi, MS, PhDc, of the University of Massachusetts Boston
This award recognizes a student whose leadership has advanced the goals and mission of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) as well as the respective goals of his/her AGHE-affiliated institution.
Behavioral and Social Sciences Section
Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award
Recipient: Debra Umberson, PhD, FGSA, of University of Texas at Austin
This award recognizes career contributions that have articulated a novel theoretical or methodological perspective or synthesis that addresses a significant problem in the literature.
Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award
Recipient: William E. Haley, PhD, FGSA, of University of South Florida
This award is given to an individual who has fostered excellence in, and had a major impact on, the field by virtue of their mentoring, and whose inspiration is sought by students and colleagues.
Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award
Recipient: Antonia Diaz-Valdes, PhD MSW, of Universidad Mayor, Chile
For the article, “Testing the mediating mechanism of alcohol use on the association between retirement and depressive symptoms in the United States using generalized mixed effect models.” Co-authored by Christina Sellers, Jose Tomas Medina, Julian Ponce, Esteban Calvo, Sky Gavis-Hughson
This award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences in two categories: Book Category and Article Category.
Mid-Career Innovation Award
Recipient: Eileen K. Graham, PhD, FGSA, of Northwestern University
This award acknowledges outstanding and innovative contributions of an established mid-career member of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section.
Biological Sciences Section
Nathan Shock New Investigator Award
Recipient: Marissa Schafer, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic
This award acknowledges outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research.
Health Sciences Section
Joseph T. Freeman Award
Recipient: Jeff D. Williamson, MD, MHS, FGSA, of Wake Forest University
This award recognizes a prominent clinician in the field of aging, both in research and practice.
Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award
Recipient: Sajay Arthanat, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, of University of New Hampshire
This award acknowledges outstanding contributions in the field of rehabilitation of aging persons.
Mid-Career Innovation Award
Recipient: Lisa Cranley, RN, PhD, of University of Toronto
This award acknowledges outstanding contributions of an established mid-career GSA member of the Health Science Section to an innovative and influential area of the field in research and/or practice.
Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section
Barbara J. Berkman Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research, Practice, or Policy in Aging and Health Care
Recipient: Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, FGSA, of Washington University in St. Louis
This award acknowledges many years of significant and substantive career contributions to research, practice and policy in aging and health care services.
Elaine M. Brody Thought Leader Award
Recipient: Ernest E. Gonzales, PhD, MSW, FGSA, of New York University
This award acknowledges outstanding contributions in social research, policy, and practice.
Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award
Recipient: Roger Wong, PhD, MSW, MPH, of State University of New York (SUNY)
This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in social research, policy, and practice.
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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), founded in 1945, is the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization focused on aging. It serves more than 6,000 members in over 50 countries. GSA’s vision, meaningful lives as we age, is supported by its mission to foster excellence, innovation, and collaboration to advance aging research, education, practice, and policy. GSA is home to the National Academy on an Aging Society (a nonpartisan public policy institute) and the National Center to Reframe Aging.