The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Kenneth Ferraro, PhD, of Purdue University as the 2011 recipient of the Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award.
This honor is given to individuals who have not only fostered excellence in the field, but have made a major impact by virtue of their mentoring, and whose inspiration is sought by students and colleagues. To be eligible, the mentor must have had influence on graduate, undergraduate, and professional students as evidenced by the number and accomplishments of these mentees. The winner's influence on the next generation of gerontologists also may be evident through training programs, written materials associated with pedagogy, research supervision, or clinical training. Membership in GSA's Behavioral and Social Sciences Section also is required.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 64th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 18 to 22 in Boston, MA. 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/annualmeeting for further details.
At Purdue University, Ferraro is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and founding director of the Center on Aging and the Life Course. His recent research focuses on health inequality over the life course; current projects examine minority health, obesity and health, and the long term consequences of childhood misfortune on health. Ferraro is the author of over 85 peer-reviewed journal articles.
With interests in how stratification processes unfold over the life course, he has developed a theory for the study of human development, aging, and health known as the cumulative inequality theory. He is now engaged in further developing the theory and directing empirical research projects to test elements of it.
Ferraro has twice founded gerontology programs, at Northern Illinois University and Purdue University. He regularly teaches courses on minority health, longitudinal data analysis, and social gerontology. As the director of the Center on Aging and the Life Course, Ferraro worked to establish a unique dual-title PhD program in gerontology that enables students to obtain in-depth training in their specific discipline and broad-based training across the various disciplines in gerontology. As a former editor for the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, he actively encouraged the involvement of junior scholars.
He is a GSA fellow — the Society's highest class of membership — and a fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. His former students hold positions at academic and research institutions including Case Western Reserve University, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.
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 5,400+ 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.