The 2012 scholars are examining such topics as civic engagement, trauma among African American seniors, and the psychosocial impact of female sexual dysfunction. The cohort also includes one scholar supported by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) who will focus on the distress experienced by older cancer patients.
The Hartford Scholars Program provides individualized mentorship from top-tier national researchers who offer comprehensive feedback and guidance, and covers travel expenses and registration fees for several gerontology and social work conferences and professional development institutes.
The program is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and administered by The Gerontological Society of America as a component of the nationwide Geriatric Social Work Initiative, which seeks to expand the training of social workers in order to improve the health and well being of older people and their families.
National Program Director Barbara Berkman, DSW, PhD, works together with a national program advisory committee to select the recipients, which total 125 individuals to date. Listed below are the new scholars and their primary research topics:
Sharon Bowland
Christina Costa
Emily Greenfield
Anne Hughes
Dennis Kao
Terri Lewinson
Frances Nedjat-Haiem (Hartford/VA Scholar)
Avani Shah
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,400+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society , and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education .
The John A. Hartford Foundation , founded in 1929, is a committed champion of training, research, and service system innovations that promote the health and independence of America's older adults. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the nation's capacity to provide effective, affordable care to this rapidly increasing older population by educating health professionals and developing innovations that improve and better integrate health and supportive services.