UMASS BOSTON GERONTOLOGY NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025

Welcoming the Newest Members of UMass Boston Gerontology

This fall, UMass Boston Gerontology welcomes three talented members to our team. Here, you can get to know our new additions: One is a serious foodie with a secret ambition to win a James Beard Award; one studied music education prior to gerontology; and another loves spending a day kayaking on Lake Kanasatka.

Welcome Rebecca Tolman, New MAS Director

UMass Boston Gerontology welcomes Rebecca Tolman, MBA, to lead the Management of Aging Services (MAS) Program. Tolman comes to UMass Boston from Lakes Region Community Services, where she served as President and CEO. She brings extensive experience in training, development, and management to her leadership of the MAS master’s and certificate programs.

"My journey into the field of aging services grew out of both professional and personal experiences," Tolman says. "As a caregiver, advocate, and leader, I’ve seen firsthand how aging, disability, and community supports intersect. That perspective inspired me to pursue graduate studies that supported my MBA: in neurodiversity, DEI, and finally, gerontology, and now to step into academia professionally."

Meet Kent Cheng, UMass Boston’s New Assistant Professor of Gerontology

UMass Boston Gerontology welcomes Dr. Kent Jason Cheng as an assistant professor. Cheng, a gerontologist and demographer, studies social determinants of health across the life course in the United States, the Philippines, and other countries. His primary research focus is the health implications of family support, as well as social welfare policies among older adults and their families.

"As an assistant professor in my dream department, I am excited to continue my research on families, social policy, and health alongside colleagues I once admired from afar and now have the privilege to call my peers," Dr. Cheng says. "I look forward to gaining more applied experience by leveraging the department’s strong connections with state and local government and non-profit organizations, and I am especially eager to mentor the next generation of gerontologists."

Welcome, Dr. Whitney Mills, Associate Professor of Gerontology

UMass Boston welcomes Dr. Whitney Mills as an associate professor of gerontology. Mills’s prior roles were at Brown University School of Public Health, where she was an associate professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, and Providence Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, where she was a core investigator in the Center for Innovation in Long-term Services and Supports.

"I am really looking forward to engaging with the wonderful and diverse student population here at UMass Boston," Dr. Mills says. "As a first-generation, low-income college student at Indiana University, graduate school was never something I considered, but the McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Scholars Program found me and changed my life. Since beginning my career, I’ve had a personal mission to find ways to pay it forward."

Upcoming Events

Long-Term Services and Supports: Personal Crises, Private Payments, Social Policy

Monday, September 29, 2025 | 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Brandeis University and Zoom

Hear from special guest speakers from state legislatures, LeadingAge LTSS Center, National Council on Aging, 3iHoME, and WA Cares Fund. This event is hosted by the Institute on Healthcare Systems at the Heller School in collaboration with 3iHome, and generously supported by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation as part of its project on gender equity in LTSS financing and delivery.

Register to attend in person or online.

Dean's Seminar: Health Policy Advocacy in Today's Climate: Expert Experiences and Guidance

Friday, October 3, 2025 | Noon - 1:00 p.m.
UMass Amherst IALS S330 Conference Center

This panel discussion, presented by UMass Amherst School of Public Health & Health Sciences, gathers leaders in healthcare policy and administration to discuss how the campus community can seek support at the state and national level for public health research and initiatives at this critical juncture in our country. Panelists include UMass Boston Gerontology PhD alumna Dr. Elizabeth Chen, a professor of practice at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences and the inaugural Program Director for the Master of Healthcare Administration program.
Find more details and registration information.

Stepping Strong Lunch and Learn: Healthy Aging

October 16, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Webinar

Please join the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation for an impactful virtual discussion on aging without injury. This conversation will explore key factors that influence injury risk and health outcomes in older adulthood, and discuss best practices for promoting healthy aging and building resilience across the lifespan. Panelists include Caitlin Coyle, PhD, director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research in Aging at the Gerontology Institute.

Register to attend.

Joy Ride: Pedaling Toward Connection

Sunday, November 2, 2025 | 8:45 - 11:45 a.m.
UMass Boston Campus

Join an intergenerational bike ride with LeadingAge conference attendees, students, and older adults. We'll begin and end our ride at UMass Boston for a screening of Cycling Without Age, celebrating the power of movement and connection. Proceeds will support the purchase of a new trishaw to bring the joy of biking to more older adults. This event is in collaboration with Cycling Without Age, LeadingAge, and UMass Boston Gerontology

Register by October 9th to reserve your spot.

Watch the trailer for Cycling Without Age:

UMass Boston Gerontology in the News

The Madden Sisters Don't Want to Be Institutionalized. This New York Times feature story about the effects of Medicaid cuts on disabled older adults cites work by UMass Boston researchers, Jane Tavares and Marc Cohen.

Deadly Gabriel House Fire Exposes Gaps in Subsidized Affordable Assisted Living Business Model. MassLive interviewed Marc Cohen about safety and oversight in assisted living facilities.

Older Mainers Increasingly Staying in the Workforce to Make Ends Meet and Maintain Independence. Maine Public Radio cited the Healthy Aging Data Report, developed by a team at UMass Boston, in its examination of work habits in older adults.

'WISH Act' Could Dramatically Improve Retirement Adequacy for Long-term Services and Supports: Morningstar Report. A Moringstar analysis shows that the bipartisan WISH Act--designed, in part, by Marc Cohen--"drastically improves retirement adequacy for households who qualify for benefits."

New Initiative Aims to Make New Hampshire More Accessible for People with Hearing Loss: “We can share that burden”

The Concord Monitor cites the 2025 New Hampshire Healthy Aging Data Report in its story about the importance of addressing hearing loss -- to cognitive health, social connections, and quality of life. This was one of five reports that the UMass Boston Healthy Aging Data Report team released this year.

Paid Off Your Mortgage? These States Let You Live Well on Social Security Alone. Realtor.com uses the Elder Index to help retired readers understand the differences in living expenses from state to state. (The results offer good news for Delaware retirees, but rough news for those in Vermont.)

Retired and Receiving SNAP Benefits? Here's How You Can Make Up for Cuts. This Globe and Mail story cites a 2024 analysis by UMass Boston and the National Council on Aging to show the scope of SNAP cuts, as well as advice for older people who will be affected by them.

Lynn Gerontologist Advocates for Older Adults: Pattyanne Lyons, the Greater Lynn Senior Services Director of Development and a master's student in the UMass Boston MAS program, received the Jeff Henson Memorial Scholarship from the Society of Certified Senior Advisors. Lyons is the third MAS student who has won the scholarship, which honors students who demonstrates “professionalism, values, and dedication to older adults’ quality of life."

Want Data? Meet the New Connecticut Healthy Aging Data Report: Watch a recent webinar that shared findings from this year's report from the UMass Boston Gerontology Healthy Aging Data Report Team -- findings that will guide community investments and police developments in the coming years.

A Beautiful Day for the Beacon 5K

What a beautiful day for the UMass Boston Beacon 5k! Congrats to Gerontology Department members -- Department Chair Edward Miller, PhD student Janelle Fassi, and Associate Professor Qian Song -- for their strong showings in the race last Saturday!