BPD Gerontology Committee Meeting

BPD’s Annual Program Meeting

Destin, Florida

The BPD Gerontology Committee had a very productive meeting in Destin.  With about 15 people present, the following agenda items were discussed:

• Update on the Faculty Scholars Program
• Mit Joyner Gerontology Leadership Award
• Anita Rosen Student Awards
• Adding a student representative to the committee
• Developing a symposium for the 2009 BPD Annual Program Meeting in Arizona
• Increasing the visibility of the committee

Joy Ernst agreed to co-chair the Gerontology Committee this year with Cathy Tompkins and will take over as chair at the 2010 BPD Annual Meeting.  Sally Alonzo-Bell agreed to co-chair the Mit Joyner award with Harriet Cohen. It is hoped that the Mit Joyner award become a formal BPD award.  Cathy will look into this process.  With co-chairs for both the committee and the award, it is hoped that more time can be devoted to increasing the visibility of the award and promoting the great work of the Gerontology Committee. 

The committee was fortunate to have Barbara Berkman in attendance to provide an update on the John A. Hartford Faculty Scholars Program.  The scholars program is funded through 2011 so members of the Gerontology Committee will work with Barbara and Jack Sellers in promoting the program to undergraduate faculty.  It was suggested that the current undergraduate Hartford Faculty Scholars make themselves available to answer questions on the BPD listserv as well as during the CSWE APM.  It was also discussed that an undergraduate Hartford Scholar put an article in the BPD Update.  The scholars can also help market the Hartford Doctoral Fellows program and the NIA Institute.  It was suggested that the scholars work with faculty who may be interested in applying for the CSWE Gero Ed Center’s BEL program over the next two years.

Cheryl Waites agreed to lead the BPD Gerontology Committee sponsored symposium at the 2009 BPD Annual Meeting.  The Symposium will focus on Healthy Aging and Cheryl will solicit other BPD Gerontology Committee members to present with her during this symposium.

A student representative will be asked to join the committee for a one year term.  The student will be selected from a school local to the next BPD annual meeting.  It is hoped that student involvement with the committee will help continue and increase undergraduate student interest in Gerontology