UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS

JUNE 2026

Meet UMass Boston Gerontology’s New PhDs

Meet the newest PhDs from UMass Boston Gerontology: Andrew Alberth, Adrita Barooah, Jeein Law, Changmin Peng, Natalie Pitheckoff, and Molly Wylie. Read about their research and where they're heading next.

“This year’s graduates exemplify the intellectual breadth, scholarly rigor, and commitment to impact that characterize the Gerontology PhD program at UMass Boston,” says Gerontology Department Chair Edward Alan Miller PhD. 

Kent Jason Cheng Selected as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Asian American Studies

Kent Jason Cheng, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Gerontology, was selected as a 2026–2027 Research Fellow at the Institute for Asian American Studies (IASS) at UMass Boston.

“Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., yet remain critically understudied, largely because most national surveys don’t distinguish between Asian subgroups," Cheng says. "This fellowship gives me the resources and connections to start changing that.”

You're Invited: Upcoming Events

What Can I Do With This Degree? Why Aging?

For this July Conversations on Aging session from UMass Boston's Management of Aging Services, we turn the spotlight on some UMass Boston alumni from across the Gerontology Department's programs. They'll share their personal journeys into the field, what drew them to aging services, where their degrees have taken them, and what they wish they had known when they started.

July 1, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. | Zoom
Event details

Event link

Free Summer Classes at OLLI

Satisfy your curiosity with free classes at OLLI at UMass Boston, with offerings available in-person and over Zoom. You can attend a writing workshop, learn about the potential of artificial intelligence, discover the history of Ellis Island, attend a group walk, and more. Also, OLLI Reads is back for its fifth summer. Join us for community book discussions of the memoir, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, as well as related film and speaker events.
Summer class listings

To register, please email ollireg@gmail.com.

UMass Boston Gerontology in the News

NH’s Aging Population Is Not a Problem to Solve. It’s Our Future to Build.
Concord Monitor
Last spring, a New York Times opinion piece argued that older Americans are “hoarding America’s potential.” It provoked many responses from the aging sector, including this powerful piece by Becky Tolman, director of the Management of Aging Services at UMass Boston.

The 10 States Where Social Security Goes the Furthest
AARP
To build a retirement plan, people need a "full balance sheet" that balances expenses against assets. AARP talked with Caitlin Coyle about how the Elder Index can help people learn how far their Social Security benefits will go around the country.

Medical Frailty Rule Contravenes HR 1, Burdens The Health Care System, And Threatens Public Health
Health Affairs

Here's a look at how the Interim Final Rule put out by CMS will affect working age adults with serious and complex health conditions. Authors incude Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen with the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston.

The Long-Term Care Wake-Up Call
Stanford Center on Longevity
Can the WA Cares model create a baseline solution that can be implemented in places beyond Washington State? Marc Cohen shares the challenges and emerging solutions related to long-term care financing.

When It’s Time to Get Medicare, Where Do You Even Begin?

New York Times
In this story, Jane Tavares of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston discusses how changes to Medicare's automatic enrollment requirement may affect the system.

Wealth Inequality Among Older Americans
Risking Old Age in America

Harry Margolis, a fellow with the Gerontology Institute, explores the uneven distribution of wealth among older Americans. He cites research from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and National Council on Aging that shows a growing concentration of financial wealth among the top 10% of households.

Long Lives are for the Rich
Risking Old Age in America
How long we live can depend on where we live and how much money we have. Harry Margolis shares studies, including from UMass Boston, about the relationship between life expectancy and income.

Will You Ever Retire? How Trump Administration’s Decision on Social Security Impacts Future Homebuyers
Realtor.com
Will Social Security's reserves run out within a decade? How would an increase in the retirement age affect monthly benefits? This story explores uncertainties regarding the future of retirement, and it cites the Elder Index in its research.

Your Social Security Check Could Shrink by $500. Here's How. 
Rolling Out
A recent projection shows that a Social Security shortfall may trigger a reduction in benefits in six years. The story cites the Elder Index to show how that may affect the budgets of older Americans.

Danbury Hospital Earns Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation for its Excellent Care of Older Adults
Patch.com

This story cites the 2025 Connecticut Healthy Aging Report to show the health needs of older adults in the state and how this new accreditation offers needed care for this population.

Could Massachusetts Become a Leader in Long-Term Care Financing?

On June 18, people gathered for the panel, “The Future of Aging, Now: Why LTSS Financing Cannot Wait & How Massachusetts Must Lead in Creating a Sustainable Solution” at the Massachusetts State House. They shared how the WA Cares program may be adapted for use in Massachusetts.

"We can learn from Washington State's implementation experience, including both its successes and its challenges, while tailoring a Massachusetts solution that reflects our own workforce demographics and values," said panelist Marc Cohen. "The key message is simple, something needs to be done, something can be done, and Massachusetts is in a position to thoughtfully lead."

Pictured: Marc Cohen, co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston; Kaitlyn Kenney Walsh, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts; Elissa Sherman, president of LeadingAge Massachusetts; Robin Lipson, Secretary of the Executive Office of Aging and Independence; and Mark Railsback, government relations senior director at Genworth.