Professional Recognition
The Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America selected Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted for induction as a Fellow. Fellow status – the highest category of GSA membership – is peer recognition for outstanding and sustained contributions – including notable participation in the Society, research, teaching, administration, public service, and practice – to gerontology. The induction ceremony will occur at the Presidential Symposium and Networking Program at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting on November 13-16, 2024, in Seattle.
Kirsten Schmutz successfully defended her dissertation titled Barriers and Strategies to Patient Participation in Early Mobility in the CVICU After Cardiac Surgery to committee members Dr. Andrea Wallace (Co-Chair), Dr. Alycia Bristol (Co-Chair), Dr. Haley Bento, Dr. Ann Butt, and Dr. Jorie Butler.
In the Media
Kimberly Ponce Gonzalez published Voices: An Ofrenda Helped My Family Honor Our Culture – And Make Room for the Emotional Complexities of Loss in The Salt Lake Tribune.
In a U Health Newsroom article titled Family Caregiving Collaborative Seeks Better Ways to Care for the Caregivers, Sophia Friesen described the College’s Family Caregiving Collaborative, and quoted Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Lynn Reinke, Dr. Kathie Supiano, and Dr. Echo Warner.
Dr. Katie Ward is co-host on The Scope 7 Domains of Women's Health. The current podcast series is on Stress with new episodes released weekly.
Presentations
Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program staff presented at the Utah Mental Health Counselors Association’s Utah Fall Conference on Substance Use on October 23-25, 2024, in St. George, Utah.
- Kimberly Ponce Gonzalez and Laura Bradbury, in collaboration with community partner Javier Alegre from Latino Behavioral Health, delivered a podium presentation titled Culturally Responsive Approaches to Grief Support.
- Kimberly Ponce Gonzalez, Laura Bradbury, Anna Fetzer, and Adrienne Bott presented a workshop titled Understanding & Utilizing Grief Literacy to Support Clients, Families, & Friends.
Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting
Numerous faculty, staff, pre- and post-doctoral fellows, and students will present at the Gerontological Society of AmericaAnnual Scientific Meeting on November 13-16, 2024 in Seattle. This year’s theme is The Fortitude Factor. Participants will learn about and discuss cutting-edge scholarship and research, and network with leaders and peers in the fields of aging and gerontology.
Poster Presentations
Adapted Conversation Analysis to Evaluate Dyadic Dementia-Related Advanced Care Planning Discussions. Dr. Sara Bybee, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Jordana Clayton, Nancy Aruscavage, Dr. Katherine Supiano, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Sharon Bigger, and Dr. Kara Dassel
Impact of Project ECHO on Self-Assessed Knowledge in Long-Term Care and Primary Care Workforces. Jacqueline Telonidis, Cherie Brunker, Christopher Hernandez, Dr. Kara Dassel, and Dr. Linda Edelman
Family Caregiving Competencies for Nursing Education: Course and Curricular Integration. Dr. Sara Hart and the National Consortium for Family Caregiving Competencies
Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot of the Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) Intervention. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Sarah Neller, Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Amber Dayley, Julene Johnson, and Dr. Lee Ellington
"Incorporate Into My Daily Life:" Responses to MitoFit Intervention Videos on Mitochondrial Fitness. Jeffrey Boon, Brandon Grubbs, Maulik Patel, John Dunavan, Kelly J. Knickerbocker, and Dr. Cathy Maxwell
Factors Affecting Implementation of Socially Assistive Robots in Long-Term Care Facilities. Judith Tate, Dr. Cathy Maxwell, Miroslava Migovich, Nibraas Khan, Ritam Ghosh, Kelley Colopietro, Abigail Kilpatrick, and Nilanjan Sarkar
Recruitment Strategies in Long-Term Care: New and Novel Approaches. Dr. Cathy Maxwell, Judith Tate, Lisa Juckett, Kelley Colopietro, Abbey Kilpatrick, Lorraine Mion, and Nilanjan Sarkar
Exploring and Characterizing Multimorbidity Profiles Among Adults with Heart Failure. Shirin Hiatt, Dr. Paula Meek, Christopher Lee, and Quin Denfeld
Grief Literacy: Community-Based Strategies to Reframe Grief in Older Adults. Dr. Katherine Supiano and Laura Bradbury
Podium Presentations
Supporting Diabetes Management for Persons Living with Dementia: Care Partner Experiences. Dr. Alycia Bristol, Synneva Hagen-Lillevik, Dr. Shinduk Lee, and Dr. Nancy Allen
Annual Wellness Screening and COVID-19: A Missed Opportunity to Address Health Disparities. Dr. Nancy Allen, Yao He, and Norman Foster
Older Age Predicts Positivity in Hospice Family Caregiver Audio Diaries: Implications for Assessment Innovation. Dr. Kristin Cloyes, Dr. Megan Thomas Hebdon, and Dr. Lee Ellington
Workshop
AGH Program of Merit: Technical and Practical Application Information and Assistance. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted and Marilyn Gugliucci
Symposia
Testing Interventions to Improve Outcomes for Older Adults. Dr. Cathy Maxwell (Chair)
- MITOFIT: A Formative/Summative Evaluation of a Novel Intervention on Mitochondrial Fitness. Dr. Cathy Maxwell, Brandon Grubbs, Jeffrey Boon, John Dunavan, Kelly Knickerbocker, and Maulik Patel
Engaging People Living With Dementia, Care Partners, and Staff to Inform Remote Me and My Wishes. Dr. Gail Towsley and Dr. Linda Edelman
Going the Extra Mile: How Pioneering Gerontologists Translate Research to Policy and Practice. Taylor Jansen and Dr. Sara Bybee (Co-Chair)
LGBTQIA+ Older Adults' Needs, Concerns, and Experiences in Health Care: Inclusivity, Caregiving, and Visibility. Korijna Valenti, Dr. Sara Bybee (Discussant), Gary Stein, Cathy Berkman, Jason Flatt, and Morgan Wright
Advancing an Applied Theoretical Framework of Creating a Legacy of Values: A How-to Guide. Sarah Neller, Kristin Cloyes, and Dr. Gail Towsley
Assessing Age Inclusivity Using the Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton and Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted (Co-Chairs)
Assessment of Age Inclusivity: Results from a Research-Intensive College of Nursing. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Summer Martin,Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Kara Dassel, and Dr. Sara Hart
Opportunities for Integrating a GSA Student Chapter With a Sigma Phi Omega Honor Society Chapter. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted
Posttraumatic Growth: Reframing Job Market Challenges and Lessons Learned. Dr. Sara Bybee
Advance Care Planning Concordance Associated with Relationship Quality and Grief Among Dementia Dyads. Dr. Sara Bybee, Jordana Clayton, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Nancy Aruscavage, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Sharon Bigger,and Dr. Kara Dassel
Exploring a Range of Roadmaps Leading to the Age-Friendly University Designation and Beyond. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton (Co-Chairs)
- That's One Way to Do It: The Experience of Successfully Pursuing and Implementing the AFU Designation. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton
Rural Health & Family Caregiving: Identifying Characteristics & Addressing Needs Across Populations. Dr. Caroline Stephens and Jacqueline Telonidis (Co-Chairs)
- Interagency Collaboration to Support Caregivers in Rural Communities. Jacqueline Telonidis, Christopher Hernandez, Randall Rupper, Jennifer Morgan, Dr. Katherine Supiano, Dr. Linda Edelman, and Dr. Kara Dassel
- Role of Family Characteristics of Rural and Urban Nursing Home Residents at End-of-Life. Dr. Caroline Stephens, Rachael Alexander, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Michael Hollingshaus, Dr. Djin Tay, Dr. Linda Edelman, Dr. Eli Iacob, Ken Smith, and Katherine Ornstein
- Impact of Rurality on Palliative Care-related Service Use: Findings from a Population Dataset. Dr. Djin Tay, Dr. Jia-Wen Guo, Katherine Ornstein, Dr. Xiaoming Sheng, and Dr. Lee Ellington
- Unrepresented to Flush-with-Family: The Role of Family Structure on Dementia Care, by Rurality. Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Eli Iacob, Michael Hollingshaus, Erin Bouldin, T. Cudjoe, K. Miller, Tim Farrell, and Katherine Ornstein
State Declaration
The Family Caregiving Collaborative’s effort to increase awareness regarding caregiving resulted in Governor Spencer Cox declaring November 2024 as Family Caregivers Month in Utah.
Professional Development
The Vice President’s Clinical & Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program accepted Dr. Megan Thomas Hebdon as VPCAT Scholar for January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026. Dr. Caroline Stephens and Dr. Jennifer Majersik will serve as Dr. Hebdon’s Scientific Mentor and VPCAT Senior Mentor, respectively. A key objective of the program is to provide a cohesive learning experience that will expand scholars’ research knowledge and skills, and prepare them for transition to independence. The VPCAT curriculum, delivered in multiple formats, offers training that aligns with three key mission themes – scientific career development, grant writing and management, and leadership.