Volume 41, Number 2                                             Fall 2018
SPECIAL ISSUE
Stronger Together: AGHE and GSA
.
Message from the  
AGHE President
Judith L. Howe, AGHE President 
Dear AGHE Community:

This is indeed an exciting time for the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) as we fully integrate with the Gerontological Society of America. This special issue of the
AGHExchange  has been prepared to highlight programs and products of the Academy and to provide a guide to AGHE-related sessions at the annual scientific meeting of GSA in Boston November 14-18. 

Please be sure to attend at least one of the Information Sessions at GSA which will allow participants to learn more about the new AGHE. Also, don't miss the AGHE Sponsored Pre-Conference on Age Friendly Design (separate registration required) and make time for the AGHE Presidential Symposium on the Age Friendly University Initiative (AFU) which highlights some of the important work AGHE is spearheading. Additionally, you may know that some of the AGHE committees are now GSA Interest Groups which will expand the reach and scope of AGHE activities. You can find details about the date, time, and location for these key sessions, as well as information about how to meet with and join an Interest Group, in this special issue.

We will be distributing "Ask me about AGHE" buttons at the Boston meeting as well as a brief "elevator" speech so that our GSA colleagues will be clear about what the Academy brings to GSA in terms of expanding its education and dissemination mission. These will be available at the Information Sessions and other locations to be announced.

Our first fully integrated program will occur at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in Austin, Texas, November 13-17, 2019. AGHE related sessions will be available to meeting attendees throughout the conference. Abstracts will be due by March 18, 2019. I hope you are planning to share your important work with us there and to join us in celebrating this exciting new road ahead for AGHE.
 
You will find more information on our FAQ page , or reach out to us at aghe@aghe.org .
 
I hope to see you in Boston!
 
Best,
 
 
 
Judy Howe 
From the New Editor
Lisa Borrero,
AGHExchange
 Editor

Dear AGHExchange Readers,

I am honored to serve as the new editor for AGHExchange and look forward to engaging with many of you in this new role. I appreciate Elizabeth Bergman's terrific work on this publication over the past few years and plan to continue producing engaging, high-quality issues that promote the wonderful work of our AGHE colleagues.

For those who may not know me, I am a faculty member at the University of Indianapolis, teaching in both the Master of Gerontology and Doctor of Health Sciences programs. I have attended AGHE meetings since I was a graduate student and owe a great deal to this organization for bolstering my professional development, teaching skills, and scholarly agenda. I have formed many strong collegial relationships at AGHE, most notably through the Intergenerational Learning, Research, and Community Engagement Committee.  I am excited at the prospect of working more closely with even more AGHE and GSA colleagues via this editor role.

I invite readers to contact me with questions, ideas for content, or just to say hello! I can be reached at borrerol@uindy.edu.
 
Warmly,

Lisa Borrero
Information Sessions at GSA:  
Learn about Opportunities  
within the New AGHE 
Sessions to Focus on Collaboration
and Expanding AGHE's Reach

You are invited to attend one of two AGHE Information Sessions being offered at the GSA Scientific Meeting in Boston. The sessions will be held on:   
  • Thursday, November 15, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, and 
  • Friday, November 16, 1:30 - 2:30 pm in Tufts (Marriott)
These sessions will discuss the integration with GSA and explore opportunities for members to broaden AGHE's reach and impact through collaborations with GSA sections, members, and interest groups, as well as contribute to the Society's education mission.

Following an overview by President Judy Howe, participants will engage in smaller group conversations at breakout tables covering various topics, including the annual meeting in 2019 in Austin, TX; the Program of Merit; AGHE's publications; Interest Groups; Age Friendly Universities; and Membership.

Stop by to learn, share ideas about collaboration and connect with colleagues. Light refreshments will be provided.

Discover New AGHE  
Interest Groups in Boston
Find the Right Interest Group for You via  
In-Person Meetings and Online Tutorials  
 
With more than 45 interest groups  covering a range of topics, there is something for everyone. Interest groups are a great way to meet other members who share your interests and can help you connect and network in a smaller setting both at the meeting and year-round. As part of the integration, several AGHE committees have transitioned into interest groups and will be meeting in Boston:
  • Business and Aging Interest Group (Friday, November 16, 7:00 am - 7:45 am in 1077 CC)
  • Intergenerational Learning, Research, and Community Engagement Interest Group (Friday, November 16, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm in Dalton S)
  • Geriatric Education Interest Group (Saturday, November 17, 7:00 am - 7:45 am in 107 CC)
Two other new interest groups are Community College and K-12 Gerontology Education. Members can join an unlimited number of interest groups. Check out this brief tutorial on how to join an interest group (you may either read or watch the tutorial).  
Intergenerational Committee Corner
Intergenerational Global Curriculum Development and GSA: A True Story
   
Submitted by:
Lyn Holley, PhD
Dr. Chuck Powell Professor, Department of Gerontology
University of Nebraska at Omaha  

Grzegorz Zurek, PhD 
Professor and Head , Department of Neuroscience
University School of Physical Education
Wroclaw, Poland
 
Alina Zurek, PhD
Institute of Psychology
University of Wroclaw
Wroclaw, Poland
 
In June 2016, the President and Chancellors of the University of Nebraska formally adopted a revised Strategy for Global Engagement at the University. That document emphasized that "strengthening global engagement and building on a tradition of success with international activities will improve the educational outcomes the university seeks."

One of the six goals identified in the new Strategy document is to encourage faculty to increase global perspectives in their on-campus courses and programs.  Study abroad is out of reach for most of our student body.  We are a public university and more than 70% of our students do not participate in a formal education abroad program; it is important that these students be exposed to global themes, regional histories and perspectives, foreign languages and literatures, and disciplinary insights from different regions of the world.  All of these experiences are essential in order for students to develop a global mindset and the skills they need in order to contribute meaningfully in our rapidly changing and globalizing world.  Faculty were challenged to develop curricula that would provide students with access to these experiences without international travel and without substantial increases in the costs of instruction.

In July of 2017, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) held its annual meeting conjointly with the annual meeting of the International Association for Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) in San Francisco.  Told here is the story of how two University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) professors met two professors from the University of Wroclaw in Poland, discovered shared interests in development of a global curriculum for gerontology, and developed a multinational, interdisciplinary course that is being delivered collaboratively in two continents during Fall 2018.

Continue reading... 
Special Report
AGHE Founders Fund 3.0 Grant Update
 
Submitted by:  
David Burdick, Ph.D. Advancement Committee Co-Chair
Professor of Psychology
Stockton University
 
Most AGHE members are somewhat familiar with the three grants provided by The Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) to support AGHE's mission and innovative programming (i.e., a $15,000 grant in 2013 matched new donations to AGHE's Endowment Fund, pushing the total over $100,000, which triggered use of endowment income as seed funding for AGHE committee and taskforce projects; $30,000 in '14-'17 for Founders 2.0 that funded eleven one-year projects; 50,000 in February 2017 to provide larger grants for two-year projects).  Founders 3.0 ends on March 1, 2019 and we provide this update as some projects need member collaboration and assistance.

In June 2017, seven applications seeking $86,500 were reviewed. Due to significant AGHE and GSA Strategic Planning efforts at the time, nearly half of the funds were held back until the conclusion of AGHE's deliberations, which resulted in our name change to the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education in March, 2018 and a realignment of AGHE within GSA that promises several benefits.   

The two projects funded in June 2017 were the Founders Fellow Grant Writing position conferred to Janet Frank and (supported by the Membership and APDC committees) and a Health Program of Merit (POM) proposal spearheaded by Marilyn Gugliucci with support from several colleagues in AGHE's POM & Consultation committees.  
 
Community College Corner
Improving Career and  Technical Programs
 
Submitted by:
Janice Velazquez  
Associate Professor Family and Consumer Studies 
East Los Angeles College
 
The Gerontology discipline, part of the Child, Family, and Education Studies Department at East Los Angeles College (ELAC), was revamped in 2016. This endeavor started shortly after I attended a pre-conference workshop at the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) during their annual conference in 2014. During this workshop I had the pleasure of meeting Jan L. Abushakrah, a member of the Community College Committee. She then became instrumental in providing access to all the latest trends and resources I needed to create and develop an innovative program at ELAC. As part of the program creation, I also visited different types of national and international programs specifically designed to serve the older population. These visits provided more information to develop a robust program. Then, through mentoring and support, Dr. Abushakrah provided me with the confidence to start developing a program in gerontology that is a dynamic interdisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of Family & Consumer Sciences, and Health.

As the primary outcome of the collaboration, in 2015, ELAC Academy Senate approved the Certificate of Achievement in Gerontology/Health.  The certificate of achievement is comprised of a total of 16.5 units.  A program that is aligned with the competencies established by the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education and fulfills criteria for establishing a program of merit. This certificate currently prepares students seeking careers working with the senior population. It also meets the needs of employees already in the field who require training to enhance skills needed to continue their work with this population and to gain knowledge of policies, culture, and dynamics of employment servicing seniors.  
 
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT
Taylor & Francis Journal Discount for AGHE Members 
 
The official journal of AGHE is Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. Members of AGHE can receive an individual online subscription to Gerontology & Geriatrics Education at a special discounted rate.  
 
Online Access Only: $84
Print & Online Access: $95 (4 issues online, 4th issue printed and is a compilation of the entire volume)
 
Contact Taylor & Francis Group's Customer Service Department to subscribe:
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Toll-free: (800) 354-1420
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Email: customerservice@taylorandfrancis.com
 
Once subscribed, members will receive instructions on how to access the journal online. Please email any journal inquiries, request for subscriptions, or address changes to customerservice@taylorandfrancis.com  
In This Issue
Quick Links
 
 
 

Don't Miss these  
AGHE Offerings at GSA!  
AGHE
Pre-Conference on Age-Friendly Design
Title:
Age-Friendly Environments: Applying Design Principles form the Classroom to the Conference Venue (separate registration required
   
Date & Time:
Wednesday, Nov. 14
8:00am-4:30 pm

Location:
Back Bay D (Sheraton)  
 
Chair:
Birgit Pianosi,  
Huntington University 
AGHE Presidential Symposium on Age-Friendly Universities
Title:  
The Age-Friendly University Initiative: Higher Education Meeting the Needs of Aging Populations  
 
Date & Time:
Friday, November 16 
3:00-4:30 pm

Location:
208 CC (Convention Center) 
 
Chair:
Joann M. Montepare, Lasell College   
Open Committee Meeting:
Academic Program Development Committee
Date:
Saturday, November 17, 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Location:
Simmons (Marriott) 
 
Focus: 
General committee discussion from 3:30-4:30 pm;  
Special projects, including Age Friendly Universities (AFU) from 4:30-5:30 pm.
Open Committee Meeting:
AGHE Membership Committee
Date:  
Friday, 10:00-11:00 am

Location:  
Simmons (Marriott) 
 
Focus:
Discussion will center on a membership outreach project being launched. 
Activities for Emerging Scholars
Attention Student Members:  
There will be a number of activities organized for Emerging Scholars throughout the Annual Scientific Meeting, including a series of Informal Chats, networking events and an ESPO Lounge where emerging scholars can rest from the hectic conference pace, meet with colleagues, enjoy refreshments, and check e-mail on the computers provided in the lounge.   
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