GSA Congratulates 2008 Award Winners

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 13 Nov 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is proud to acknowledge the work of 12 outstanding individuals through its prestigious awards program. These distinctions foster new ideas, recognize leadership in gerontological teaching and service, and salute both outstanding and potential research.

The award presentations will take place at GSA's 61st Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 21-25, 2008, in National Harbor, MD, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among clinical, administrative, and research professionals who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.agingconference.com/ for further details.

Below is a list of all 2008 awards and their recipients.

Donald P. Kent Award

Presented to Terrie Fox Wetle, PhD, Brown University This award is given annually to a fellow of GSA who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society. It was created in 1973 in memory of Donald P. Kent for his outstanding leadership in translating research findings into practical use.

Robert W. Kleemeier Award

Presented to Jon Hendricks, PhD, Oregon State University This award is given annually to a fellow of GSA in recognition for outstanding research in the field of gerontology. It was created in 1965 and is dedicated to the memory of a former GSA president whose contributions to the quality of life through research in aging were exemplary.

M. Powell Lawton Award

Presented to Lou Burgio, PhD, University of Michigan This award, sponsored by the Polisher Research Institute, is presented annually to an individual to honor contributions from applied gerontological research that have benefited older people and their care. It recognizes significant contributions in gerontology that led to innovations in treatment, practice or service, prevention, or amelioration of symptoms or barriers.

Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging

Presented to Joseph Coughlin, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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. It is funded by the New York Community Trust through a generous gift from Maxwell A. Pollack Fund.

Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology

Presented to Anthony Ong, PhD, Cornell University This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology. It is given to a person from any discipline in the social sciences.

The Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award

Presented to Barbara Resnick, PhD, University of Maryland School of Nursing This award, presented by GSA's Health Sciences Section, in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is given to a member of the Society in recognition of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research.

Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award

Presented to Madonna Harrington Meyer, PhD, Syracuse University, and Pamela Herd, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison This award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences. It is underwritten by Baywood Publishing Company, with which Kalish was long associated.

Distinguished Career Contribution Award

Presented to K. Warner Schaie, PhD, Penn State University This award is presented annually to an individual whose contributions over the course of his or her career have articulated a novel theoretical or methodological perspective or synthesis that addresses a significant problem in the literature.

Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award

Presented to Kathleen Buckwalter, PhD, University of Iowa This award is given to individuals who have 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.

Nathan Shock New Investigator Award

Presented to Ilhem Messaoudi, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University This award is given annually for innovative and influential publications. Established in 1986 to honor Nathan Shock, a pioneer in gerontological research at the National Institutes of Health and a founding member of GSA, it is designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research.

Joseph T. Freeman Award

Presented to David Reuben, MD, University of California, Los Angeles This award is a lectureship in geriatrics and is given to a prominent physician in the field of aging, both in research and practice. It was established in 1977 through a bequest from a patient's estate as a tribute to Joseph T. Freeman, a leading physician and one of the Society's distinguished past presidents.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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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 5,000+ 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 of Gerontology in Higher Education.

Click here for a printable PDF version of this press release.

Source: Todd Kluss
The Gerontological Society of America