The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Kathleen Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the University of Iowa as the 2010 recipient of the Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award.
This distinguished honor, presented by GSA's Health Sciences Section in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation's Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is given to a member of the Society in recognition of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 19 to 23, 2010, in New Orleans, LA. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit www.geron.org/2010 for further details.
At the University of Iowa, Buckwalter is the director of the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, associate director of the Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center, and co-director of the Center on Aging. She also holds joint appointments in the College of Medicine's Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine.
As a prolific researcher of issues affecting the elderly, Buckwalter's work has focused on improving mental health services and providing community-based care for chronically ill older persons.
She is the Senior Editor of the Journal of Gerontological Nursing and Research in Gerontological Nursing. Buckwalter has published 251 journal articles, 8 books, 87 book chapters, 8 health policy and commissioned papers, 51monographs/videos/media, and 90 editorials/reviews/commentaries on topics related to nursing, science development, and care of the older adult. Since 1996, she has presented over 235 papers in local, regional, national, and international venues. She also serves on the editorial board or referee panel for 17 journals.
Buckwalter additionally has provided mentorship for over 85 student theses and almost 50 doctoral dissertations in nursing and related disciplines at The University of Iowa and for other institutions around the country. She has also mentored 26 postdoctoral fellows.
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,200+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.