The Southern Gerontologist

As President of the Southern Gerontological Society, I would like to extend an invitation to you to attend and contribute to our 38th Annual Meeting that will be held April 6–9, 2017. I am excited to announce that Asheville, NC will be our host city for this coming year’s meeting!

Asheville sits in western North Carolina nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an

eclectic city known for its locally-owned restaurants, historic architecture, vibrant art scene, and roughly 25 micro-breweries. Our annual meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in the Biltmore Village district and we look forward to being your host this spring.

Western North Carolina is also home to a growing number of older adults with an interesting mix of those who were born and raised in this region and a large retiree population. In this region, 23% of the population will be aged ≥65 years by 2032 compared to 18% in 2012. This increase will present significant challenges for local agencies in providing needed services and programming. Also, with the predominantly rural geography and a diverse aging demographic, this area is faced with a unique set of challenges ranging from engaging those that are still active to caring for those with significant health-related issues. This has resulted in hardworking and resourceful practitioners meeting the needs of this population and a great place to conduct research.

Our Annual Meeting’s theme this year is New Horizons in Aging: Advances in Research and Practice. We encourage those who are examining critical aspects affecting the older adult population through innovative research and those using creative approaches and programming to address the needs of this population to share your work at our meeting.

As you may already know, the Southern Gerontological Society prides itself in being a welcoming and supportive network of students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other gerontology professionals. We embrace a diversity of perspectives and want to highlight your work in an effort to promote applied research and effective practice that together expand our understanding of the experiences of older adults and their families. As such, we promise a dynamic and rewarding conference experience! I hope you will join us and share your important work in Asheville.

For additional conferenceinformation and links for abstract submissions, please visit our website at: http://www.southerngerontologicalsociety.org.

Sincerely,

R. Turner Goins, PhD, SGS President

Ambassador Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor

Western Carolina University

The Call for Abstracts will remain open until December 15, 2016. The SGS Program Committee will notify authors of acceptance status no later than January 20, 2017.

Please see the attached information for full details about the conference theme, location, conference tracks, session formats, travel and reservation details, instructions for abstract submission, special details about SGS membership, and our student awards and scholarships.

SGS welcomes all submissions and values the work of all who work in the field of aging, both SGS and non-SGS members alike. For additional information about abstract submission click on the link below:

https://southerngerontologicalsociety.org/sgs-annual-meeting/abstract-info-submissions/

For any questions, please contact us at:

admin@southerngerontologicalsociety.org

or call us at: (866) 920-4660.

Best regards,

SGS Program Committee

As the SGS Student Representative, I would like to encourage my fellow students to submit an abstract for the upcoming Annual Meeting in Asheville, April 6th-9th. SGS offers us a unique opportunity to showcase our work on the opening night of the conference as part of the presidential reception. While nibbling on appetizers and sipping drinks, attendees have the opportunity to learn about the research of the next generation of aging scholars. The jovial conversations are a fantastic opportunity to get feedback on your ideas or discuss future projects. The annual meeting attracts academics, practitioners, and researchers with a variety of backgrounds allowing for stimulating discussions and broadening perspectives. With a warm and inviting atmosphere, the presidential reception is perfect for first time conference goers and seasoned veterans to showcase their work. Abstracts are due December 15th--I look forward to seeing you there! - Sincerely, Jennifer Bellingtier

Since my last update, SGS continues to achieve wonderful accomplishments. When compared to data over the last 5 years, SGS membership shows continued growth with a diverse range of members, including practitioners, academics, and students! Our Facebook page continues to gain "likes" and both our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts continue to attract followers and friends. If you haven't 'like[d]' our pages yet, please do so as they are constant sources of great information about both SGS and SGS Member events and news.

We have successfully launched our members-only forum that can be accessed through the Southern Gerontological Society website. Once logged in, members can view job posting, student discussions, information about our upcoming conference in Asheville, and more! Members are welcome and encouraged to start threads and discussions! If anyone has suggestions about potential parent topics, please feel free to let me know and I'm happy to add them.

SGS is seeking interns for the Spring and Summer of 2017. There is a need for an intern who can help to develop and organize the April 6-9, 2017 conference. Some funding may be available to help the intern attend the conference. There is also a need for interns interested in compiling data that has been collected from each our 14 membership states. This data compilation will include summarizing similarities and differences between the various state agencies on aging. Please continue reading the newsletter to find the information specific to the internship. All interested advisors or students should contact me directly for additional information and instructions on the application process.

Once again at the Gerontological Society of America, SGS, along with Sage Publications and The Journal for Applied Gerontology, hosted a lovely evening reception at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Satiated with beignets, cafe au lait, and other goodies, our reception guests were able to mingle and engage in lively conversations, meet both the JAG editor, Dr. Joe Gaugler, and Sage Managing Editor, Lauren Schroeder. I was thrilled to see so many familiar faces AND to meet many first time guests. Thank you to all who stopped in to join the reception!

We are certainly getting closer to our Asheville, NC meeting. The quality of content submitted thus far in our Call for Abstracts is truly exciting! I encourage everyone to consider submitting an abstract before the Dec. 15, 2016 deadline. Given that the Asheville venue space has fewer rooms for concurrent sessions, the Program Committee will be constructing a very strong conference with high attendance anticipated for all sessions.

In the next few months, I would kindly request that you consider a few opportunities. First, the Call for Officers will be extended at the beginning of 2017. If you have interest in a leadership position in SGS, consider submitting your applications for considerations. It is the goal of our Nominations Committee that the 2017 ballot of officers be a comprehensive ballot which represents BOTH academics and practitioners.

Also, consider nominating someone for one of SGS's many prestigious awards. The award nominations are already available through the SGS website. SGS would like to recognize those who work on the behalf of older adults! SGS awards recognize excellence in Media, Best Practices, Applied Gerontology, and many others. Please encourage students to apply for the conference travel scholarship, as well as our poster and/or paper awards. So many of our members have so many wonderful achievements - we'd certainly like to know about them AND celebrate them!

Lastly, it has been my personal goal this year to make sure all of the SGS standing committees are active and engaged and we have made great progress! There is still room to grow. We are currently seeking members from all of our membership states to consider becoming an SGS State Representative (ambassadors) and to engage in work with our Membership Committee. State Representatives will help SGS by equipping us with knowledge about state level events and experiences. This is so critical to SGS as we continue to grow and expand programs, scholarships, and support. SGS also needs the help of State Representatives to spread the news about SGS and the many benefits of memberships in our thriving organization. Your help is needed and appreciated. Please contact me if you are interested in working on our ambassador program and state outreach mission.

I wish all of you the very happiest of holiday seasons and may your New Year be filled with happiness, productivity, and success. As always, it is my honor to serve as the SGS Association Manager and I am thankful for each and everyone of you!

Sincerely,

Lee Ann S. Ferguson

SGS Association Manager

The Past-Presidents’ symposium, “Gerontology and SGS: The View from the Backseat,” for the SGS annual meeting in Asheville aims to stimulate discussion of the future of Gerontology and SGS. Symposium presenters are asked to share personal and professional insights looking forward from the backseat. I enjoy “ruminating” from the backseat, free from analysis of eminent threats while driving.

None of you wants to hear “I walked to school two miles through 2 feet of snow” stories but I recall biannual Midwest Council for Social Research in Aging training seminars. Pre- and post-doctoral fellows from Midwestern campuses, program faculty, and invited mentors shared insights about gerontological research unbounded by disciplinary affiliation. Although the program faculty were sociologists, invited mentors were accomplished scholars representing other disciplines including anthropology, economics, political science, history, and psychology among others. I looked forward to these gatherings as an opportunity to learn from others free from disciplinary constraints.

Two years into my appointment in a sociology department, as the sole gerontologist on campus half of my time was allotted to develop educational programs in gerontology. About five years later that half time was redirected for a 15-year period to direct a multi-disciplinary research center on aging housed ultimately in the medical school. While the appointment fed my own interest in education and research on aging through work with colleagues in clinical and other disciplines, colleagues in my home department questioned whether I was “doing sociology.” Nonetheless, my multidisciplinary interests continue to the present, looking at the relevance of emerging paleoanthropological, genetic and neuroscience research results for the intersection of aging and cognition.

I also recall Association for Gerontology in Higher Education committee meetings discussing strategies to enhance the relevance and legitimacy of educational programs. The subtext was strategies to improve the competitive position of gerontology educational programs in the allocation of campus resources. In the absence of a professional accrediting body, we discussed results of AGHE’s national assessment of educational programs leading to “standards and guidelines” underlying program of merit designation stratified by undergraduate and graduate certificate or degree-granting status. The later emergence of doctoral programs in gerontology appeared to define a path to disciplinary legitimacy.

Looking forward from the backseat, I wonder whether the disciplinary quest will lead to “circling the intellectual wagons” undermining multidisciplinary inquiry that led many of us into gerontology. As a sociologist, I reveled in GSA and SGS annual meetings as educational venues spanning disciplines. Will the quest for disciplinary legitimacy foster theoretical and methodological stagnation undermining the unique SGS mission including academic and community partnership? Pending approval of the proposed symposium, I invite you to join the discussion in Asheville.

Jim Mitchell

Eastern Carolina University

SGS Past President - 2009-2010

Bob Dylan turned 75 this spring. Many of us, from older Americans to Baby Boomers, will identify him with our youth. Indeed, he is still writing and performing. Five years ago we noted Dylan’s turning 70 under the editorial Forever Young. This birthday calls for a re-visit. The author of ballads about failed loves and moving on and of protest songs against war and the human tendency of failing to learn lessons from past failures, Dylan was also, from many accounts, a loving father to a step daughter, three sons, and a daughter during these times. Five years ago, we noted one of his more misunderstood songs, Forever Young. Its message continues to deserve attention. Forever Young is not a screed against growing older, not a wish for eternal youth. Rather, it is a timeless message, lovingly delivered to his children, of the values that never grow old. The lines include: May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong, May you stay forever young… May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young. For the full 2011 editorial and others, visit www.vcu.edu/vcoa.

Edward F. Ansello

Virginia Commonwealth University

eansello@vcu.edu

Originally published in Age in Action: Activities in Geriatrics and Gerontology Education & Research, Virginia Center On Aging and Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Vol. 31, No. 3, Summer 2016. Reprinted with permission of the author.

Sudha Shreeniwas PhD, Dept. of HDFS UNCG (336) 484 1856 s_shreen@uncg.edu

Lia Miller BFA, Exec. Dir. Of CAN-NC (336) 253 0856 lia@can-nc.org

UNCG and Creative Aging Network NC (CAN-NC) has received support in the form of a National Endowment for the Arts Research: Art Works grant, for a community engaged participatory research study on seniors with memory symptoms. CAN-NC designs and delivers ARTmail: a structured participatory visual arts program which enhances the creative capacity of seniors for them to participate in their care communities. UNCG researchers are then able to evaluate a) whether participation improves neuropsychiatric symptoms (apathy, agitation, and depressive symptoms) among participating seniors compared to a control group and b) how to improve program design and delivery. These neuropsychiatric symptoms increase with the progress of dementia, and are linked with a worsening in quality of life.

ARTmail is an eight week arts creation activity, where seniors, with the help of trained artists, create art emphasizing individual creativity, not representative accuracy. In each hour-long weekly session, art is created and exchanged via mail with a partner at another site. That partner adds to the piece and sends it back to the first artist. After eight weeks, the piece is complete and an exhibition of works is held to which family and community are invited.

Dementia prevalence is increasing with population aging. Effective prevention or cures for dementia do not exist. Thus, non-drug-based interventions that improve symptoms and quality of life are needed. Engagement in pleasant and stimulating activities such as participatory arts can promote these goals. However, evaluating whether such programs improve healthy aging for seniors has been less to date, a gap we address.

Editorial Introduction: Ivette G. Valenzuela-Yu , PhD, MPH, RN, was a previous student awardee at the 2013 Annual Meeting of SGS in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was a student at Virginia Tech at that time, with faculty advisers Rosemary Blieszner, PhD, Kerry Redican, MPH, and Kathy Hosig, PhD. Dr. Valenzuela-Yu had received the 2013 3rd Place Student Poster Award for her research titled “Promoting a Longer Life Expectancy with a Better Quality of Life: Baby Boomers and Chronic Diseases.” Dr. Valenzuela-Yu is a notable example of how SGS student membership continue to take gerontology scholarship into research and service in our communities. While working as an RN for schools in Alexandria, Virginia, Dr. Valenzuela-Yu was also completing a three-year research study that exemplifies the SGS value of communities engaging aging. She created and taught a diabetes prevention and control curriculum among Hispanic adults, including elders between the ages of 70-90. Her editorial below reviews the issues that are particularly important for health care practitioners to understand in order to best serve the culturally diverse aging population in the United States. Dr. Valenzuela-Yu also emphasizes the importance of community-based interventions to best care for our nation’s elders.

Chronic Disease Prevention and Control in Hispanic Senior Citizens

Cultural Identity

In 2014, there were 55 million Hispanics American in the U.S. (United States Census Bureau, 2014). Also, in 2014 there were 3.2 million Hispanic older adults (65 years and older) in the U.S. and this number is projected to increase to 21.5 million by 2060 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). According to the U.S. Census, a Hispanic or Latino identified individual is a person from a Spanish speaking country regardless of race (U.S. Census, 2010). This definition differs from the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española) definition where a Latino or Latina is a person that was born either in an American or European country where the mother tongue has Latin as a root. Also, according to the Royal Spanish Academy, a Hispanic is a person that lives in the U.S. and that was born in a Spanish speaking Latin American or Caribbean country (Royal Spanish Academy, 2016).

Experience of Chronic Disease and Diabetes in Elder Hispanics

According to the National Council on Aging about 87 % of seniors have one chronic disease. Chronic diseases often affect quality of life and decrease activities of daily living among individuals experiencing them (Ralph, 2013). In 2014, diabetes was the 6th leading cause of death in people 65 years and over (National Center for Health Statistics, 2016). In 2013, diabetes was the 4th leading cause of death in Hispanics. Specific barriers faced by Hispanics such as limited English proficiency (LEP) and immigration status decrease access to health education and healthcare (Dominguez et al, 2015). Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that can be controlled and prevented; diabetes education delivered in Spanish is important to control diabetes and prevent its complications among Hispanic older adults (Peña-Purcell, Boggess, & Jimenez, 2011; Valenzuela et al, 2015).

An Intervention: Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes (HBLD)

Specific barriers faced by Hispanics call for specific interventions. Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes (HBLD) is a type-2 diabetes lifestyle educational intervention designed to improve blood glucose control in Spanish Speaker Hispanics (Valenzuela et al, 2015). The election criteria to participate in HBLD are LEP status and A1c (blood test that measures the percentage of glucose in blood for past 3 months) greater than 5.7% (normal range 4% -5.6%). HBLD was developed and implemented in some cities of Southwest and Northern Virginia. HBLD aims are to increase awareness of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes risk among the Hispanic population, and to decrease language and access barriers faced by the Hispanic population (Valenzuela et al, 2015). Culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions delivered in community settings increase access to health education to people who may not otherwise have access to it. Moreover, delivering educational intervention in community settings has the potential to decrease chronic disease impacts on quality of life and function in older adults.

References

Domínguez, K., Penman-Aguilar, A., Chang, M. H., Moonesinghe, R., Castellanos, T.,

Rodriguez-Lainz, A., & Schieber, R. (2015). Vital Signs: Leading causes of death,

prevalence of diseases and risk factors, and use of health services among Hispanics in the United States—2009–2013. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 64(17), 469-478.

National Center for Health Statistics. (2016). Health, United States, 2015: With special feature on racial and ethnic health disparities. Hyattsville, MD.

National Council on Aging. (2016). Healthy aging facts. Retrieved from https://www.ncoa.org/resources/fact-sheet-healthy-aging/

Peña-Purcell, N. C., Boggess, M. M., & Jimenez, N. (2011). An Empowerment-Based Diabetes Self-management Education Program for Hispanic/Latinos, A Quasi-experimental Pilot Study. The Diabetes Educator, 37(6), 770-779.

Ralph, N. L. (2013). Multiple chronic conditions and limitations in activities of daily living in a community-based sample of older adults in New York City, 2009. Preventing chronic disease, 10.

Royal Spanish Academy. (2016). Latino, na. Retrieved from http://dle.rae.es/? id=Mz1HIZd

United States Census Bureau (2011, March) Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf

United States Census Bureau. (2014, July). Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States and States: April 1, 2010 to

July 1, 2014. Retrieved from:

http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging (2015, September). A Statistical Profile of Hispanic Older Americans Aged 65+. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/minority_aging/Facts-on-Hispanic-Elderly.aspx

Valenzuela, I., Hosig, K., Evia, C., Serrano, E., & Redican, K. (2015, November). Hispanic Balanced Living with Diabetes: A Lifestyle Intervention for Underserved Hispanics in Southwest Virginia. In 143rd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (October 31-November 4, 2015). APHA.

Catherine MacDonald

Network Integration and Outreach

Greater Richmond Age Wave & No Wrong Door

Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging

Attendees watched eight “innovators in aging” pitch their ideas and products at the recent Aging2.0 Richmond pitch event, and both the audience voters and the expert panel of judges agreed: Goldschmidt Music Services was the favorite in the house that day. Entrepreneurs, service providers, government officials, and others in the industry mingled with one another and visited expo tables from groups around the region, fostering a network of innovators in aging.

Daniel Goldschmidt, a certified music therapist in Richmond, won a professional focus group and strategic mentoring services. His four-minute pitch included a singing and response exercise, plus evidence-based explanations of his craft.

The Richmond chapter of Aging2.0, an international organization with a mission to reshape technology in aging is “raising the bar,” says the San Francisco-based headquarters team. The group has leveraged movement in the community by being housed in the Greater Richmond Age Wave’s Business for Life work group, which includes a diverse network of advocates and leaders.

Judges for the event included Dr. James Lesnick, Senior Vice President for Business and Venture Development for Riverside Health System; Marilyn West, owner and Chairman/CEO of M. H. West & Co., Inc.; Dr. James Cotter, professor in the VCU Department of Gerontology and for the School of Allied Health Professions in the PhD in Health-Related Sciences Program; and Dr. Henry Simmons, who has been part of the Greater Richmond Age Wave Readiness Coalition since the beginning, and worked on the Age Wave Planning Project -- "Age Wave Prepared Communities are Stable, Well, Engaged and Livable."

VCU Gerontology Department Chair Dr. E. Ayn Welleford hosted as master of ceremonies, and the official Richmond Aging2.0 time keeper was Mary Catharine Ginn Kolbert, Post-Acute Care Coordinator for Senior Services at Bon Secours Virginia Health System.

The Greater Richmond Age Wave especially thanks Riverside Health System for joining as premier sponsor for this event. Thanks to Genworth for hosting and supporting the Aging2.0 Expo & Pitch Event, as well as fellow philanthropic partners Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, The Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg and Bon Secours.

https://issuu.com/macdonaldcs/docs/come_together_zine_final_web_pages

See event photos on Facebook!

A moderate-intensity group exercise program called LaughActive was used in four assisted living facilities in Georgia over a six week period for a study conducted by a team of researchers from LaughActive, Georgia State University and the University of Arkansas. This program adds playful, simulated laughter to a workout that enhances strength, balance and flexibility as a benefit to participants' mental health as well as physical health. According to the research, including the laughter exercises helps to strengthen as well as relax muscles.

This research was conducted by Celeste Greene, M.A., Jennifer Craft Morgan, PhD, and Chivon Mingo, PhD, of Georgia State University and LaVona Traywick, PhD, of the University of Arkansas. Ms. Greene is a Master Trainer and creator of LaughActive.

Additional information about the LaughActive program may be found at

http://www.laughactive.com/ A news article on the program may be found at

http://news.gsu.edu/2016/09/15/laughter-based-exercise-program-health-benefits-georgia-state-researchers-find/. A broadcast news story on the program is at

http://www.fox5atlanta.com/health/fox-medical-team/213389511-story. And the published article on the research may be found in the Gerontologist:

http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/gnw105?%20ijkey=z8MiCiPYvQpOoXr&keytype=ref

Photo courtesy of Georgia State University News Hub

Pamela Pitman Brown, PhD & Dana Burr Bradley, PhD have announced that the WIGL (Women in Gerontology Legacy) Project’s Wave 1 videos have been uploaded to the WIGL Project YouTube Channel. The WIGL Project emanates from the Gerontological Society of America’s Women’s Committee (formerly Task Force on Women) and focuses on video-graphic documentation and distribution of the contributions and legacies of women to the field of gerontology/geriatrics. Wave 1, which began in the summer of 2014 and ended summer of 2015, collected 53 interviews/questionnaires, of which 47 are videos. The participants were asked: how they became interested in gerontology, their career trajectory as gerontologists, and if they had female mentors who impacted their move into gerontology. Additionally, they were asked what was unique about being a female gerontologist and how being a gerontologist has interacted with their personal aging process. Dr. Brown has worked with the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Media Lab at the O’Kelly Library, and has had an intern working with the production team to complete the editing of the videos. Dr. Bradley has a graduate intern who is also working with the team this summer. Several SGS members were interviewed for the project, including Laura Bauer, Gail Sonesso, Jan Wassel, Dena Shenk, and Christy Jensen. Others taking part in the WIGL Project from SGS were students: Karel Kalaw, Colleen Bennett, Sherry Lind, Cassidy Clevenger, and Lauren Campasano. The WIGL Team would like to thank the following persons/organizations who were instrumental in Wave 1:

Southern Gerontological Society

Lee Ann Ferguson (WIGL Logo Creator),

WSSU’s Gerontology Program, C.G. O’Kelly Library, Media Production Lab, and Department of Behavioral Studies

Western Kentucky University’s Center for Gerontology

The Mentoring Effect Small Grants (Gerontological Society of America)

The Gerontological Society of America’s Committee on Women’s Issues

Georgia Southern University’s Center for Social Gerontology, Dr. Adrienne L. Cohen

(Director)

Wave 2 collection has begun and the project has added new methods to data/video collection. The first interview of Wave 2 was conducted by Dr. Kelly Niles-Yokum, whose student interviewed Dr. Phoebe Liebig this summer and should be released soon!

Link to the WIGL Channel YouTube is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-

Contact: Pamela Pitman Brown, PhD, CPG

Tel.: 336-337-8274

Email: WIGLProject@gmail.com

Victor Marshall, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Sociology at UNC, in October received the Contributions to Gerontology Award from the Canadian Association on Gerontology. The award is made “In recognition of your outstanding contributions to the field of aging.” Victor is a long-time member of SGS and in 2003 received SGS’ Gordon Streib Distinguished Academic Gerontologist Award. He was a Board Member of SGS from 2000-2004, was the SGS Conference program Chair for the 2000 conference, and chaired the Publications Committee from 2004-2011.

Victor is also founding member of the Canadian Association on Gerontology and is the only person to have attended every one of its Annual Meetings, commencing in 1972. He previously served as Chair of the CAG Social and Behavioral Science Section, as Vice President of CAG, and as Editor of its journal, The Canadian Journal on Aging. Following doctoral studies in sociology at Princeton University, he undertook a faculty position in sociology at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. He subsequently moved to the Department of Behavioral Science (later, Dept. of Public Health Sciences) at The University of Toronto, where he also served as director of the University of Toronto Institute on Aging and the Life Course. He joined the UNC Department of Sociology in 1999, and served as director of the UNC Institute on Aging from 1999-2009. He formally retired from UNC in 2013. At this point in his career Victor has authored or edited fourteen books, 79 refereed journal articles, and 92 book chapters.

The SGS Editorial Team would like to congratulate Mayo, Harris and Buron on their recent publication:

Mayo, A. M., Harris, M. & Buron, B. (2016). Integrating Geropsychiatric Nursing and Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Competencies Into Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Education. Clinical Nurse Specialist: The International Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice, 30(6), 324-331.

Dr. Joseph Gaugler and colleagues have received a SPRINGER PUBLISHING COMPANY Geriatric/Gerontological Nursing Award for a Distinguished Single research manuscript addressing Geriatric/Gerontological Nursing. This award is made to a gerontological nurse researcher for a single published work which in the opinion of the reviewers reflects outstanding scholarship with the use of a comprehensive methodology to study a particular gerontological nursing problem, the results of which have the potential to improve the care of older adults. The award was presented at the Nursing Care of Older Adults Interest Group Meeting at the Gerontological Society of America meeting in New Orleans on November 18th by Sheri Sussman Editorial at Springer Publishing Company."

J Appl Gerontol. 2016 Jul 5. pii: 0733464816657472. [Epub ahead of print]
Managing Your Loved One's Health: Development of a New Care Management Measure for Dementia Family Caregivers.
Sadak T, Wright J, Borson S.

The Southern Gerontological Society is inviting applications for the position of Editor of the Journal of Applied Gerontology. The incumbent will succeed Dr. Joseph E. Gaugler, who will be retiring from the editorship of the Journal in 2017.

Preferred qualifications for the position include:

· Experience as a journal editor or editorial board experience

· A publishing record that includes publications in refereed journals

· A history of involvement in research involving applied gerontology

· An understanding of and commitment to the mission and strategic plan of the journal

The Editor tenure is three years with optional renewal for an additional three year term. The Editor reports to the Publications Committee of the Society. The editor is responsible for soliciting manuscripts and managing the peer review process for the Journal. Further Information is available from the Publications Committee Chairperson, Dr. Constance L. Coogle (contact information provided below).

For an Applicant to be considered, the following materials must be provided:

· Letter of intent outlining vision for the Journal of Applied Gerontology

· A current vita

· Reprints or photocopies of no more than three of the applicant’s most significant journal articles

· A statement from an administrator of the applicant’s institution or organization describing support for the appointment

Please send applications no later than January 13, 2017 to:

Constance L. Coogle, Ph.D.

Chair, SGS Publications Committee

Virginia Center on Aging

Virginia Commonwealth University,

PO Box 980229

Richmond, VA 23298-0229

Phone: (804) 828-1525

Email: ccoogle@vcu.edu

Internship Description

Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) is looking for qualified interns to join our association management team for either the Spring or Summer of 2017. SGS is a network of the South's most respected gerontology professionals. Southern Gerontological Society members are educators, aging network personnel, researchers, health professionals, students, and policy makers. SGS provides the bridge between research and practice, translating and applying knowledge in the field of aging.

The selected intern will work to help maintain daily SGS functions such as member communication, membership retention and recruitment, and work with social media campaigns. The intern will also be tasked with work related directly to the coordination of SGS’s annual meeting program development, communication with program committee chairpersons, and the development of the program schedule and program marketing materials.

This intern should be prepared to work in a multi-tasking, independent environment, and will finish the internship having gained broad experience in various aspects of gerontology and non-profit management. This is an unpaid internship. The intern will be provided assistance with travel to the annual meeting based on current SGS reimbursement rates (and time of year in which the internship is completed). Hours of the internship are flexible and this internship will be managed through weekly virtual meetings, emails, and phone calls. Travel to the office of SGS is not necessary.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with communication to members of SGS through social media marketing campaigns.

• Assist with organization and execution of the SGS Annual Program to be held April 6 to April 9, 2017 in Asheville, North Carolina or other upcoming meetings.

• Assist with the preparation and delivery of conference materials, including call for presentation, pre-conference brochure, conference program, and website promotional content.

• Assist in the creation of signage, circulars, mock ups, e-mail campaigns, online promotion, etc.

• Assist in the distribution or delivery of marketing materials.

• Enter membership, registration, exhibitor, and sponsorship information into contact management systems.

• Offer support in direct communication with the vast multi-state network of Southern Gerontological Society members to promote conference attendance, and membership recruitment and retention.

• Research and communicate with potential conference sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers.

• Work with SGS student representative and representative-elect to coordinate special select student topics sessions to be held at the SGS annual meeting.

• Work with SGS student representative and representative-elect to coordinate special select student topics sessions to develop “student resources” website content for the Southerngerontologicalsociety.org website.

Requirements

Southern Gerontological Society is looking for an undergraduate or graduate student who is focused, preferably, on Gerontology. This person should have excellent verbal and written communication skills, with extensive knowledge of Web and social media. PowerPoint, Access, Word and Excel experience is a bonus, and will be considered when choosing the best applicant for this internship position. Faculty support of a “remote-site” internship is necessary. Please discuss this option with your internship supervisor before applying to make certain you have their support.

Majors given preference for this internship include:

Concentration in Gerontology preferred

Human Development and Family Studies

Healthcare or Business Administration; non-profit management

Public Health

Sociology

Psychology

Marketing

To apply for this internship, please submit an internship proposal to include details about personal strengths and goals, and current resume, along with current contact information to:

Lee Ann S. Ferguson, Association Manager

Southern Gerontological Society

PO BOX 160

Taylorsville, NC 28681

Fax: 866-920-4649

For questions, please call 866-920-4660

Proposals/resumes may be sent to us via email at: admin@southerngerontologicalsociety.org

Please help us welcome our newest SGS members who have joined the organization between October 7 and December 1, 2016.

Sara Bailey, Student, North Carolina

Danielle Dishler, Student, North Carolina

Bethany Pecora-Sanefski, Student, Virginia

Mei-Lan Chen, Professional, Georgia

Aspen McCann, Student, Oklahoma

Sara Andrews, Student, North Carolina

Tarryn Witten, Professional, Virginia

SGS Annual Conference & Meeting Leadership & Professional Networking; Continuing Education.

Members receive a deep discount on registration fees for the annual meeting.

Publications

The Journal of Applied Gerontology and The Southern Gerontologist newsletter. A free subscription to the Journal of Applied Gerontology (JAG), the official journal of SGS is included with membership. The Journal is devoted to the publication of contributions that focus explicitly on the application of knowledge and insights from research and practice to improvement of the quality of life of older persons. Particular emphasis is placed on manuscripts and editorials that enhance dialogue among researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. In addition, members receive the Southern Gerontologist, a quarterly newsletter that complements JAG by providing updates on applied projects, member activities and emerging issues, and informing members of new books and videos of interest to the field of aging.

Members of SGS also receive a sizeable discount on publication fees, if their work is accepted for publication in the Journal of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine.

Student Privileges

Membership discount, conference registration discount, and networking & leadership opportunities. SGS Committees are member-friendly and provide an excellent opportunity to enhance one’s professional development. By adding your voice to SGS you can help ensure that dialogue and cooperation maintain the balance between research and practice, through the guiding principle of SGS-- the alliance of practitioners and academicians to enhance the lives of our elders.

Don't miss the opportunity to become a member of a group of the South's most respected gerontology professionals.

Delello, J.A., & McWhorter, R.R. (2017). Reducing the Digital Divide: Connecting Older Adults to iPad Technology.

Tsai, H.S., Shillair, R., & Cotten. S.R.. (2017). Social Support and "Playing Around": An Examination of How Older Adults Acquire Digital Literacy With Tablet Computers.

Jang, Y., Lee, A.A., et al. (2017). Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intent in Home Health Workers: the Role of Job Demands and Resources.

Rothwell, D.W., Sussman, T., et al. (2017). Patterns of Shelter Use Among Men New to Homelessness in Later Life: Duration of Stay and Psychosocial Factors Related to Departure.

Roh, S., Burnette, C.E., et al. (2017). Predicting Help-Seeking Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services Among American Indian Older Adults: Is Andersen's Behavioral Model a Good Fit?

Burnes, D., & Lachs, M.S., (2017). The Case For Individualized Goal Attainment Scaling Measurement in Elder Abuse Interventions.

The Publications Committee is looking for ways to tighten the bond between the journal (JAG) and the newsletter. We can consider a piece on the most cited articles. Standard content of the newsletter includes: a President’s Column; information about the Annual Meeting; upcoming articles in JAG; member news; a welcome to new members and membership info; a calendar to include upcoming conferences and programs; officers; and a Student Rep update.

Periodic content includes: highlights from the Council of Presidents; editorials; updates from states; featured articles/books/websites; awards and nominations; and obituaries. The newsletter editors would appreciate contributions from the Board related to the latter items.

Contact the editors of the Southern Gerontologist to share news or article ideas

or provide feedback. Member news and events are welcomed.

Chih-Ling Liou, Ph.D, email: cliou@kent.edu Office: 330-244- 3551

Kelly Munly, Ph.D, email: kam6832@psu.edu Office: 301-379- 2891

Sherry Lind, MGS, email: lindsr@miamioh.edu Office: 513-484-3829

2017 Newsletter Schedule

The Southern Gerontologist Newsletter will publish 3 times annually. Should you have information you wish to submit for publication, please note the 2017 newsletter schedule deadlines and publication dates are as follows;

Pre-Conference (Winter) Edition:

Deadline for news: February 1, 2017

Distribution by: March 1, 2017

Post-Conference (Spring) Edition:

Deadline for news: May 1, 2017

Distribution by June 1, 2017

Fall Edition:

Deadline for news: October 1, 2017

Distribution by November 1, 2017

Past editions of JAG can be accessed by SGS members through the Sage website. The Southern Gerontologist can be found on the Southern Gerontological Society’s website in the members’ area. Past editions of the Southern Gerontologist are available on the website and are distributed to the membership via email.

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine (GGM) is an interdisciplinary, peer reviewed open access journal sponsored by the Southern Gerontological Society. The journal publishes original research and reviews that cover a range of topics within the gerontology and geriatrics fields. GGM also welcomes letters to the editor, commentaries, book reviews, case reports, and more. Please make note that, if accepted for publication, active SGS members receive a significant discount on publication fees.

While the Journal of Applied Gerontology (JAG) is the official journal of the Southern

Gerontological Society, we affiliated with GGM to guide authors looking for an alternative

forum for their work. SGS’s sponsorship signifies our confidence in the quality of the peer review process and the strength of the GGM editorial board. This open publication represents a valuable addition to the SAGE prominent family of journals in this area of concentration. You can view GGM’s articles at http://ggm.sagepub.com.

We thank Lauren Schroeder for her hard work in getting the journal launched and engaging SGS as the sponsor. Natalie Katz (Natalie.katz@sagepub.com) is an Open Access specialist and took over as the main GGM contact from SAGE. SGS members, Dana Bradley and Pamela Pitman Brown, are the SGS representatives to the Editorial Board. SGS member James Peacock is also the Board. The journal is edited by Tamara Baker, PhD (University of Kansas), Ronald C. Hamdy, MD (East Tennessee State University), and Ravishankar Jayadevappa, PhD (University of Pennsylvania).

We ask you to encourage colleagues and students to submit to GGM. If you see an interesting poster or presentation at a conference, talk to the authors or presenters about submitting their research. Do the same with your colleagues or students.

We’re pleased to report that GGM has passed stage 1 of review for inclusion in PubMed Central (PMC) and is currently in stage 2, the technical evaluation. Pending passing stage 2, the journal will be indexed in PMC. GGM has also been accepted into the Committee on Publications Ethics (COPE) and the Database of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

In the next few months, GGM will be publishing a special section on the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), guest edited by Dr. Xinqi Dong and Dr. Melissa Simon, which assesses a wide array of psychological and social attributes and how they affect this population. This special section of the PINE study is a follow-up to the Journal of Aging and Health issue that was published in October 2014, which included a population-based epidemiological study looking at 3,159 community-dwelling Chinese older adults aged 60 and older in the greater Chicago area.

The selection committee requests a letter of recommendation [two to four pages] which describes the significant and innovative contributions made by the nominee to the Southern Gerontological Society and field of gerontology. This may reflect one or more areas of service through teaching, administration, research, advocacy, applied practice or leadership positions within SGS or SGS and the larger field. Further information is available on the SGS website.

The SGS Bylaws Committee is charged with soliciting, developing, and presenting to the Board of Directors proposed changes to the Society’s bylaws (and, as necessary, the Policy & Procedures Manual).

Any SGS member is entitled to propose Bylaws changes. If you wish to do so, please send the proposed change, with your rationale, to Bylaws Committee chair Dr. Ed Rosenberg, Department of Sociology, Chapell Wilson Hall, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, or email it to RosenbergE@appstate.edu.

February 26- March 1, 2017

Environment for Aging Expo & Conference

Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

http://www.environmentsforaging.com/

March 9-12, 2017

AGHE’s 43rd Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference

The Future is Here: Educating a New Generation of Professionals in Aging Worldwide

Miami Marriott Dadeland, Miami, FL

http://www.aghe.org/events/annual-meeting

March 20-24, 2017

ASA’s 17th Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging

Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, IL

www.asaging.org/aia

April 6-9, 2017

Southern Gerontological Society 38th Annual Meeting

DoubleTree by Hilton in the Biltmore Village, Asheville, NC

http://www.southerngerontologicalsociety.org.

June 26-28, 2017

2nd International Conference on Aging & Gerontology

San Diego, CA

http://aging.conferenceseries.com/

July 23-27, 2017

21st IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics

Global aging and health: Bridging science, policy, and practice

San Francisco Marriott Marquis, San Francisco, California

https://www.iagg2017.org/

July 29- August 2, 2017

41st Annual Conference & Tradeshow of National Association of Area Agencies on Aging

Savannah, GA

http://www.n4a.org/conference

Please be sure to send your calendars events to us to include and be sure to post them on our membership forum as well!

For more information about the Southern Gerontological Society, please contact the SGS Association Manager, Ms. Lee Ann Ferguson, at admin@southerngerontologicalsociety.org.

There are many opportunities for members to contribute to the organization and its progress in bridging those gaps that do exist between research and practice. Please let us know how we can include you!

A non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization established in 1979 for the purposes of bridging the gaps between gerontological research and practice.

Email: admin@southerngerontologicalsociety.org
Website: www.southerngerontologicalsociety.org
Location: PO Box 160, Taylorsville, NC 28681
Phone: (866) 920-4660
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southerngerontologicalsociety
Twitter: @sgsmgr