Cathy A. Maxwell, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Robert L. and Joyce T. Rice Presidential Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging at the University of Utah College of Nursing, has been named a 2026 Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), one of the highest professional distinctions in the field of aging.
GSA, the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization focused on aging, named 50 exemplary professionals to its 2026 class of Fellows. Fellow status is peer recognition for outstanding contributions to the field of gerontology and represents the highest category of GSA membership, awarded for a range of activities including research, teaching, administration, public service, practice, and notable participation in the Society. Maxwell was selected as part of GSA's Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section.
Maxwell will be formally recognized during GSA's 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, held November 4 to 7 in National Harbor, MD.
"The Gerontological Society of America has been my professional home since I began my academic career as a PhD student," Maxwell said. "It is a great honor to be recognized for my work with older adults in research, education, and policy. I am deeply appreciative of my CON colleagues who nominated me. I love our strong representation at GSA, and I am so happy to be part of the University of Utah coalition."
Maxwell's research focuses on the trajectories of aging that lead to frailty, with a particular interest in geroscience, an emerging field examining the intersection of biological aging, chronic disease, and health. Her work aims to empower middle-aged and older adults to manage their own aging pathways by helping them better understand the changes their bodies undergo over time. She has developed several proactive-aging interventions, including a literacy-friendly booklet, Aging: Important Things to Know; a health and wellness program called AFRESH (Aging and Frailty: Resilience and Energy in the Second Half of Life); and a science-based video series, How to Slow Down Aging Through Mitochondrial Fitness.
Maxwell earned her BSN and MSN from Troy University and her PhD in Nursing Science from Vanderbilt University, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. She served on the faculty of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing from 2014 to 2024, where she co-chaired the Vanderbilt Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence. She has served on national and international advisory boards supporting best practices for the clinical care of older adults, and has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous funded studies, with more than 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Maxwell is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Academies of Practice.