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AGING INSIGHTS
Newsletter of the Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago
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From the Director:
In our May 2025 edition of Aging Insights we reflect on Careers in Aging Month, Celebrating Seniors, the American Society on Aging, as well as Reframing Aging efforts.
Through this newsletter, the Center for Gerontology shares insights into how the growing number of older adults can bring new energy to our communities as we promote age-friendly and age-inclusive programs, concepts and approaches. We align our insights in this issue to our four strategic areas:
1) Academic and experiential education
2) Service-based practice and policy shaping
3) Community engagement and intergenerational connection
4) Applied Gerontology and evaluation
We welcome your partnership in advancing our strategic priories!
-Lisa Peters-Beumer
| | Academic and Experiential Education | | Gerontology: A Growing Field Across Disciplines | |
Careers in Aging 2025
On March 12, 2025, the Center for Gerontology hosted a Careers in Aging Lunch and Learn offered in person and online. The Gerontological Society of America declared March Careers in Aging (CIA) Month to address the need for professionals in the field of aging.
Our CIA panel, featuring Dr. Nina Silverstein and including Eric Cho, MSW, Beth Truett, BS, MDiv and Desiree Schippers, MFA, highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. People in nearly all occupations interface with older persons or their family caregivers in one way or another. You are invited to visit our website and view the recording of this important conversation addressing intersectionality among disciplines, and current trends and opportunities in the field of aging.
"The world's population is aging, and the demand for skilled professionals in aging-related fields is growing!"
-Gerontological Society of America
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Nina M. Silverstein, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Gerontology Department
University of Mass-Boston
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Lifelong Service and Scholarship in Gerontology
Karen Marie Erickson, PsyD, MA Ed, joined Concordia University Chicago in the College of Health, Science and Technology in 2024. Dr. Erickson, Associate Professor of Gerontology, is serving as the Program Lead for graduate courses in Gerontology.
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Dr. Erickson is passionate about supporting learners and aligning her teaching with the mission of Concordia University Chicago. She believes both traditional and returning students bring valuable life experience. They are eager to build on it through theories and practices to enrich older adults and promote aging with grace and dignity.
Concordia University Chicago (CUC) graduate students in Gerontology are located across North America. They may only see each other online, but they form a close-knit scholarly community, allow for honest dialogue, mutual support, and an exchange of wisdom gained from diverse life and work experiences.
If you’re considering a graduate degree in Gerontology, Dr. Erickson invites you to reach out and explore the possibilities. Dr. Erickson: Karen.Erickson@cuchicago.edu Direct: 559.848.9098
| | Service-Based Practices and Policy Shaping | |
Reframing Aging in Your Community Project
Reaches National Audience
| | | | (l. to r.) Annette Mileski, Gail Zelitzky, Lisa Peter-Beumer and Beth Truett present on Reframing Aging at the American Society on Aging annual meeting. | |
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In April the Center led a workshop, Reframing Aging in Action: Making it Work in Your Community at the annual meeting of the American Society on Aging. Rooted in the Center’s strategic commitment to deconstruct ageism and drive positive social change, we highlighted the results of our year-long program of educating community organizations in partnership with the National Center to Reframe Aging (NCRA).
A roadmap for program development including online training, project consultation and a final project showcase was offered with case studies by Gail Zelitzky, Women Over 70 Co-founder and Annette Mileski, Director, Center for Life and Learning @ Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, Forest Park Public Library and the Office of Strategy & Innovation @ Concordia University Chicago.
The Center’s Operations Director, Lisa Peters-Beumer and Project Leader, Beth Truett, explored opportunities and challenges related to designing and implementing a year long program. They offered ideas for developing sponsors, activating communication channels and drawing an audience from community organizations committed to reframing the conversation around aging and helping people to live their best lives as they age.
| | | | Community Engagement & Intergenerational Connection | | 2025 Celebrating Seniors Events | |
Reframing Aging & Intergenerational
Opportunities for Faith Communities
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Katie Wozniak, Jackie Eckholm and Beth Long-Higgins exchange ideas during the Center's Celebrating Seniors Workshop
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Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, VP for United Church Homes and founder the Center for Abundant Aging in Marion, OH led a workshop focused on how faith communities can play a role in identifying ageism and developing age-positive programming that reaches across generations.
Rev. Long-Higgins, a trained facilitator with the National Center to Reframe Aging, emphasized the opportunity that intergenerational conversations and programming offer for our physical, mental, and spiritual growth and how churches are in a unique position to further these conversations.
The workshop, held on May 13th at Concordia University also featured stories from area churches and institutions. Dr. Katie Wozniak, Assoc. VP for Concordia’s Office of Strategy and Innovation told about a conference designed to foster intergenerational strength among by bringing younger and older pastors together.
Jackie Eckholm, a volunteer leader, described how First United Oak Park engaged lay persons across the lifespan through hosting two six-week series of intergenerational discussion groups. And Annette Mileski, Director, Center for Life and Learning at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, recounted the church’s role in engaging the greater community in vital educational and intergenerational programming.
"I found the information presented quite interesting and inspiring. After having attended various classes and presentations at Concordia for several years now. I found your session the most welcoming and comfortable of all of them. Thank you!"
- Judy, Oak Park
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Sparking Conversations and Connection Across Generations Through Film
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In today’s busy and often distracted society, it is both difficult and important to make space for connections across generations. Film offers a powerful way to find common ground and spark meaningful conversations—giving us a platform to reflect on life experiences. By sharing and listening to different perspectives and experiences, we have an opportunity to deepen our understanding of one another.
Jim Vanden Bosch, Film Maker, Founder and Executive Director of Terra Nova Films, facilitated a fun, interactive session at Concordia University Chicago on May 11th. Participants learned how to use film as a platform to inspire conversation and connection across generations in their own homes. They discussed how to choose mainstream, independent, or documentary films—even short segments—to kickstart discussions highlighting the differences and the shared values between young and old.
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Congratulations! Beth Truett Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Beth Truett, Project Leader for the Center for Gerontology received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the May 15th luncheon for Celebrating Seniors. Beth's career spans 50 years of executive leadership in corporate and non-profit organizations. She began her encore career with the Center after earning a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from Concordia in 2020. When asked about her perspective on aging, Beth replied,
"Growing older is not a threshold we cross at a chronological age, but a journey from birth to death with many fascinating stops along the way. Embracing all of life's joyful and sorrowful moments fosters resilience and equips us to age with grace, whatever our circumstances."
| | | | Speaking Up for You at American Society on Aging | | |
Dr. Chiquita Emel, Dr. Chad Federwitz and Kell Owens meet each other for the first time during the Collaborative for Religion and Spirituality in Aging networking discussion.
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The Center for Gerontology is committed to generating, organizing, and disseminating aging-related knowledge and information through participation in a variety of national and international organizations. Lisa Peters-Beumer, Operations Director and Beth Truett, Project Leader, recenlty participated in the annual meeting of the American Society on Aging (ASA), in Orlando, FL.
Allison Barkoff, former Assistant Secretary of Aging (2021-2024), now Professor of Health Law and Policy at George Washington University, opened by citing the concerns about budget cuts and breakup of departments overseeing older adult programs, yet reminding attendees of the power of collective action.
Since 2021, aging advocates have made legislative progress in the areas of caregiving, adult protective services, and Medicaid expansion. States, including Illinois, are developing Multi-Sector Plans for Aging – a reminder that advocacy is needed on the local, state, and national levels. The conference invigorated our spirits and allowed us to collaborate on several ageism and culture programs.
We co-led a roundtable on Reframing Aging for Faith Communities and networked with practitioners in Religion and Spirituality in Aging including Concordia University grads Dr. Chad Federwitz, Director of Pitkin County (CO) Senior Services; Dr. Chiquita Emel, Adjunct Prof., Santa Monica College; and Kell Owens, a current PhD candidate. Building community among both graduates and professional colleagues enables us to fortify our voice in the field of gerontology.
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Stay Tuned...
In celebration of 2025 Ageism Awareness Day, The Center for Gerontology will host Author and Professor, Dr. Tracey Gendron on Tuesday, September 25, 2025 for a virtual speaker event. Please visit our website for more information as the event draws near!
| | | | CUC Center for Gerontology Team | | |
The Center for Gerontology is generously supported by the
Russell & Josephine Kott Memorial Charitable Trust
| | To learn more about what you can do to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in your community and reframe the conversation to eliminate ageism, visit the American Society on Aging website. | | | | |
