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Press Release: Congratulations!
Careers in Aging Week 2005 was a huge success!
A special CIAW section will be featured in June’s Gerontology Newsletter.

Summary of 2005 Events!
Please send a brief paragraph of your careers in aging success to CIAW@geron.org.

Boston College: The Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) hosted an information table as part of the Gerontological Society's Careers in Aging Week. Faculty, alumni and students were on hand to provide information and resources on opportunities (careers, jobs, research) in aging. We also had an on-going video about aging issues and working with the older adult population. Light refreshments were made available and a raffle drawing for a gift certificate to the bookstore was added to attract passersby (mostly students). This event was held on April 14th, between 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the McGuinn Lobby here at Boston College.

Cleveland State University: Cleveland State University's Careers in Aging Week was a success. We held an Information Fair from April 11 through April 13 with representatives from: CSU Dpt. of Health Sciences; CSU School of Nursing; CSU School of Social Work; CSU Career Services Center and Premier Therapy Services. Approximately 50 students stopped by and inquired about academic programs and professional career tracks. Students participated in a 'Myths on Aging' Tic-Tac-Toe game and won a variety of give away prizes.

On April 14, we help a Panel Presentation: four panelists addressed the students and talked about their careers in the field of aging. The profession represented included: a public relation and marketing director at an assisted living facility; an occupational therapist; a social worker with a local area agency on aging and a researcher in the field of aging.

Kennesaw State: We enjoyed a lovely reception on April 11 at the Kennesaw State University Alumni House, launching our Gerontology Alumni Alliance. We had about 30 people, representing community supporters, current students in gerontology, and alumni of both our graduate gerontology certificate and our Professional Development in Gerontology Certificate (continuing education) programs.

All were in agreement that an official alumni group will be beneficial.

Cathy Ward (alum) and Michele Weber (current student) were co-chairs of the event. Cathy Ward will be the leader as we develop by-laws and make decisions about structure and activities. Her first goal is to develop a directory of KSU gerontology alumni. We will continue to send out e-mail blasts about job openings.

Other news: our Gerontology Club (undergrads on campus) is being honored for community service at our Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on April 20.

Mansfield University: The first Career in Aging Week activity was held at Mansfield University on April 11, 2005 at noon. (MU has had a minor in Gerontology for a long time and is considering a masters degree in the future.) The program was open to the community and the students and was publicized through signs, class announcements, email newsletter and updates, and the university television and radio station. The program began with a viewing of the AGHE tape “Careers in Aging”. This was follow by our guest speaker Ms. Marlea Hoyt, Deputy Director, Area Agency On Aging, 220 Main Street, Unit 2, Towanda, PA. She addressed how she came to the aging field and her love of working with the population. She also talked about the opportunities for careers in aging in Pennsylvania. She also talked about the recently received funding for a trial program in this area of PA. This program’s goal is to return capable older adults to the community from nursing homes.

Nazareth College: At Nazareth College, the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Phi Omega held the induction ceremony for 13 new members. Delivering the presentation for the afternoon, was Catherine Kleckner, RN..Her presentation, "A Meaningful Entrance: The Use of Phototherapy as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention with the Elderly" relates to a project she conducted while at Nazareth. About 25 individuals attended. Next year , Nazareth will celebrat the 20th anniversary of the beginning of Alpha Lambda chapter at Nazareth, and the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Gerontology Minor at Nazareth.Currently there are 17 students enrolled in the minor.

Northern State University: Wednesday, April 13 was our Careers-in-Aging day. Posters were around the campus and announcement was made in sociology classes. We did have an excellent speaker, an older woman who works with seniors in a senior housing authority project. Next year we hope to get students from the PE emphasis involved and to co-sponsor the event with the nursing and social work programs at Presentation College, the other college in town.

Rhode Island College: At Rhode Island College, a conference (“Environment and Aging”) was organized as well as a spring party honoring our graduates at which an outstanding graduate was selected for an award and at which activities of the student gerontology club were showcased. In addition, we held a career fair, distributing the materials provided by AGHE/GSA and inviting distinguished alumni with whom our students could meet.

St. Cloud State University: The Gerontology Program at St. Cloud State University, in conjunction with the Beta Zeta Chapter of Sigma Phi Omega (National Honors and Professional Society in Gerontology), hosted a “Careers in Aging” Open House on Monday, April 11th from 3-5pm. Over 100 students, faculty, and community professionals joined together to network and learn more about current and future opportunities in the field of aging. Highlights of the afternoon included the announcement of the newly elected 2005-2006 Beta Zeta SPO Board (President: Angela Saari; Vice President: Krystal Wiebush; Secretary/Treasurer: Amanda Meyer; Members at Large: Sandy Bogart, Erin Jensen, and Kenndy Lewis) and the presentation of “Aging: Every Body’s Doing It!” t-shirts to SCSU College of Social Sciences Dean Ronald Farrell and Associate Dean Carolyn Williams.

State University of New York at Oneonta’s: SUNY-College at Oneonta’s participation in the 2005 Careers in Aging Week was their first year of participation and was very small-scale but successful. Lisa Curch, Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department, dedicated time in her Sociology of Aging & Health course (consisting of 34 students) to a discussion of careers in aging, supplemented by the distribution of literature and goodies that were provided by GSA. This sparked much interest among the students in the course (they devoured the various brochures), which even spilled over into the class that meets in that same room after Aging & Health, as the discussion caught on with a student coming in for the next class. Additionally, Careers in Aging posters were posted in prominent places around campus, including the Sociology Department and the Career Development Center. SUNY at Oneonta looks forward to participating next year and having their second year of participation develop on a larger scale, in which more students are reached with the message about the many opportunities in this field.

State University of New York at Oswego: On Tuesday April 12, 2005, the State University of New York at Oswego hosted its fourth annual Careers in Aging Panel in conjunction with Careers in Aging Week. The panel discussion was coordinated by the Center for Service Learning and Community Service. Six panelists answered questions from the audience, which consisted of approximately 50 students and a number of faculty members. The panelists each worked with the elderly in different capacities and were able to inform the audience about the many different career options available to those interested in working with this particular population.

Evita Perez, a Master’s student at SUNY Albany in the School of School Welfare Gerontology program, spoke about the program that she is in, and what it is like to be in a gerontology master’s program. She also talked about her different experiences and thoughts on working with the elderly. Elizabeth Zicari, the director of patient care at Home Care of Rochester, talked about her nursing career and the needs of the elderly. She talked a lot about the needs and wants of the elderly and how the agency she works for supports them. She had a lot of wisdom from her years as a nurse to share with the people who attended. Jane Peter, the Program Coordinator for Oswego County Opportunities- Senior Services, was able to share her knowledge of the services that her organization provides to the elderly in the community. She talked about the high demand of the services that they provide to the elderly. She also informed the people attending about all the services that the agency provides for the elderly in the Oswego community. Pat Casper is an Activities Assistant at Bishop Commons, a local assisted living home. Pat talked about her experience working with the elderly, and how much fun it is for her to be able to do a variety of different activities with the residents. Norma Church, a volunteer for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, spoke on both her experience as a home health aid and as a retired senior who volunteers. Norma brought into the panel a different view because of her work with the elderly, and her status of being an elderly person. She had a great deal of knowledge to share about her experiences in both, and offered advice to those looking to work with the elderly. It was a refreshing insight to have her talk about all the seniors who do volunteer in the community. Our other panelist was Robin Wheeler a current student at SUNY Oswego who is the coordinator of the Adopt-A-Grandparent Program. Adopt-A-Grandparent is program at SUNY Oswego that takes groups of students into area nursing homes to interact with the residents through a variety of programs. Robin was able to answer the audience questions about anxiety related to working with the elderly and what staffing needs are most common in nursing homes. She also gave a great perspective of what it means for a college student to work with the elderly.

The panel discussion was informative to all who attended. The audience was able to learn about the many different areas of work that are available to those interested in working with the elderly. They were able to hear some truly special and heartwarming stories about the panelists’ experiences working with the elderly. They were also able to hear the experiences, thoughts, feelings, and ideas of a person who is elderly. The main thing that was learned from the panel discussion was that working with the elderly does not mean only working in a nursing home or around people who are unable to perform day-to-day life tasks. It can mean advocating for the rights that senior citizens are entitled to and helping them to live in their own homes; improving their quality of life; providing services to them to facilitate their daily living; planning activities and other fun things for the elderly to do; and having the opportunity to make a person’s lasts days, weeks, months, or years of life the best they can be.

University of Alaska Fairbanks: The University of Alaska Fairbanks Northern Region Geriatric Education Center held its first geriatric career fair on Thursday, April 14th. The purpose of the fair was to introduce students to careers in professions serving older adults and to meet representatives from local senior provider agencies in Fairbanks. Agency representatives were asked to give a brief presentation about their organization, services offered, target population and a personal account of what they find interesting about working with elders or why they were drawn to this profession. Seven agency representatives attended the event.

UCLA: The UCLA Undergraduate Education Initiatives Aging Cluster held its Career Week event a little early to be able to participate before Spring Break, after which our 120 students would not meet all together again. On March 8th and 10th, we hosted a Careers in Aging panel consisting of professionals from the fields of nursing, investment banking, law and hospice care, who told our Freshmen students how they became interested in the field of Gerontology/Geriatrics, what they did as a professional in their area, and shared their opinions about the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of working with older adults. One student told her instructor, "This was my absolute favorite class of the quarter. It meant so much to me because it helped me understand what my parents, who are researchers in the field, really go through." This has been the 2nd annual Careers in Aging panel for our course and we plan to continue the tradition in years to come.

University of Georgia Gerontology Center: Our celebration of the 2005 Careers in Aging Week culminated in the 16th Annual Southeastern Regional Student Convention in Gerontology and Geriatrics, held in Tybee Island, GA, from April 15 to 17. The convention provided a great opportunity for students to network, gain presentation experience, and benefit from informal mentoring by faculty. Keynote presentations were made by Terrie (Fox) Wetle, of Brown University and immediate past president of GSA, and by students, Cynthia D. Jackson and Michelle C. Reece of Tennessee State University, and Katherina Nikzad, from the University of Kentucky. Ninety-three faculty and students participated in the conference. Forty-five student posters were presented. Careers in Aging literature was distributed and the video was shown. Other co-sponsors of the convention besides the University of Georgia included Armstrong Atlantic State University, Brenau University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, the Medical College of Georgia, North Georgia College and State University, University of Alabama, and the University of Kentucky. For more information, contact Anne Glass, Assistant Director, at the address below.

University of Massachusetts Boston: During Careers in Aging week, the Gerontology Department of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston will host a forum on Social Security Reform. This forum will feature Stephen C. Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, and has been designated an “official 2005 White House Conference on Aging event.” The following week we will hold our 6th Annual National Sigma Phi Omega Annual Meeting and Induction Ceremony. Our chapter, Gamma Upsilon, will be hosting Jim Wessler, the President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. He will be giving a speech entitled Navigating Long Term Chronic Health Issues within the Confines of Short Term Policy Options.

University of Nebraska Omaha: The UNO Department of Gerontology held an information session on the UNL campus for students interested in pursuing a career in aging. In addition, students enrolled in 2 sections of an introductory course in gerontology were provided with information about potential jobs in the field and educational opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

University of North Carolina Charlotte: UNC Charlotte’s Gerontology Program sponsored a panel discussion about careers in aging on April 12, 2005 as part of the 4th annual Careers in Aging Week. Three graduates of the Master’s program in Gerontology at UNC Charlotte talked about their own career paths and current jobs. The presenters included Megan McCutcheon, who is a Research Project Manager at UNC Charlotte, Angela Sullins, currently a Social Worker at Abernethy Laurels, and Lydia Batson, who works in Marketing at the Carriage Club in Charlotte.

The panelists came to the Gerontology Program with varied undergraduate backgrounds. Lydia Batson had an undergraduate degree in Microbiology, Megan McCutcheon in Social Work, and Angela Sullins in Anthropology. They each earned their Master’s degree in Gerontology and have gone on to successful careers in aging. Each speaker talked about her initial interests, choices she has made and her plans for the future. They provided good insights into the range of options available in the field of Gerontology and answered many questions for the audience of undergraduate and graduate students.

University of North Carolina Greensboro: Getting a jumpstart on Careers in Aging week, on April 5th the UNCG Gerontology Program, directed by Dr. Jan Wassel, hosted a presentation with special guest Greg O’Neill, Ph.D., Director of the National Academy on an Aging Society. O'Neill's presentation focused on informal pathways to careers in aging, including research, issue analysis, administration in aging services, elder advocacy, product design, elder law, architecture, interior design, tourism, or work within agencies that establish policies at the local, state, and federal levels. A plethora of websites that advertise jobs within the profession were revealed, and O'Neill reminded students of the value of the "information interview" as a foot in the door toward successful interviews leading to employment. Participants were assured "it's a great time for entrepreneurs" in the aging issues professions!

University of Northern Colorado: The University of Northern Colorado Gerontology program had activities on campus and in the community. First, gerontology faculty and students participated in the UNC spring Health and Human Sciences Job and Internship Fair. Gerontology students as well as students in related fields had an opportunity to bring resumes and meet with employers who work with or on behalf of older adults, including representatives from recreation, assisted living, health care and social service settings, rehabilitation, and community based service agencies. A training session/workshop was also held for graduate students and representatives from non-profit agencies, about how to interview, assess, and “hire” student volunteers and interns. The workshop was presented by the director of career services at UNC, and helped prepare professionals in the non profit sector of the aging network for a volunteer fair that was held on the UNC campus this spring.

University of Utah College: The University of Utah College of Social Work's W.D. Goodwill Initiatives on Aging participated in Careers in Aging week this year as well. Dr. Amanda Barusch is our faculty sponsor, however, I work closely with Amanda and she asked me to give this information to you. I hope it's not too late...but just in case... please know that in recognition of this national event, we hosted a guest presenter, Margy Campbell, LCSW, to come in to speak with students and other interested parties on the topic of private geriatric care management. Margy is a local community professional, private geriatric care manager, and founder and owner of Age Connections, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT. The title of her presentation was "Care Management: Other Duties as Assigned." She was phenomenal! We had almost 30 people in attendance who were intrigued and inspired by her talk. The event was a success!

Wayne State University: The Joint Poster sessions of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan were a success! We had over 80 persons attend and 28 posters presented.

Western Kentucky University:

This article appeared in The College Heights Herald-

Elderly, students come together to help children…
By Amber Coutler

Behind the thick rose-rimmed glasses of a 99-year-old county clerk from Iowa are the eyes of a woman who isn't ready to stop working for her community. Laura Henderson had forgotten her fashion accessories Monday night, but she looked at her fellow Red Hat Society members as they stuffed plastic bags with small toys and snacks for the Barren River Area Children's Advocacy Center. The Red Hat Society is composed of women over 60 who socialize and volunteer in red hats and purple ensembles. Their only rule is to have fun. And their laughter echoed through the room with other members of the Village Manor Retirement Home at they helped the advocacy center. The event was part of the gerontology minor's intergeneration’s program. The program is designed to link three generations in one volunteer effort as students help senior citizens assist children. The event was part of Careers in Aging Week, which is sponsored by the the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Denise Hendrix, Village Manor program services coordinator, said the event was a great way to give residents the opportunity to stay involved in the community. "Many of my residents do not drive, so they can't really get out," she said. "But they really came because of the chance to do some community service." Louisville senior Amanda Cecil, a gerontology minor, said she decided to pursue a career in care for the elderly instead of elementary education after watching her grandmother spend six months in a nursing home. She said it is important to stay involved with the elderly community because senior citizens still want to feel needed even though their motor skills may have deteriorated. "The more you're around, it keeps them young," Cecil said. "And you learn a lot from them, too." This effort to get Village Manor residents involved in the community is an important part of getting the gerontology program involved as well, she said. Susan Wesley, gerontology coordinator and associate professor of social work, helped establish the intergenerational event. She said the program will help the minor hold more community service, social and educational events. The gerontology program has an action agenda grant through the university to fund such events and educational workshops.

(posted 5/09/2005)

2005 Careers in Aging Participants

(posted 4/13/2005)

Press Release: 2005 Careers in Aging Week

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) are proud to present the 4th annual "Careers in Aging Week", taking place the week of April 11-15, 2005. The purpose of this week is to introduce to a broad audience the wide-ranging career opportunities that exist in aging and aging research and to promote GSA and AGHE as the premier organizations for supporting career development in the field of gerontology.

GSA and AGHE extend an invitation to its members as well as members of Sigma Phi Omega, the gerontological honor society, to participate. Members are asked to submit brief proposals to GSA of activities to take place on their campuses or organizations during the week. Examples of proposed activities include sponsoring forums with panels of professionals in the aging field. Others include receptions with gerontology faculty and students and open houses in university gerontology departments. Over thirty schools participated in the event in 2002, seventy schools in 2003 and ninety in 2004.

In addition to this website, GSA and AGHE has created special printed material including careers in aging brochures and booklets, flyers, posters, pins and notepads. We will also provide publicity for the event, promoting activities on our websites and in our publications.

For more information or to sign your institution up to participate, please contact CIAW@geron.org or 202-842-1275.
(posted 1/07/2005)