The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Frank J. Infurna, PhD, of Arizona State University as the 2018 recipient of the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology.
This distinguished honor, given annually, recognizes outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology. Individuals who have received their doctorate within the last ten years are eligible. The award is given by GSA in conjunction with the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 14 to 18 in Boston, Massachusetts. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2018 for further details.
Infurna is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. He earned his PhD at Penn State University in 2012 and completed postdoctoral research at Humboldt University of Berlin's Institute of Psychology. His scholarly interests include applying a life-span developmental approach to studying adult development and aging; resilience to major life stressors; psychosocial factors that promote healthy aging, examining antecedents, correlates, and outcomes of perceived control; and longitudinal research and event occurrence methodology. His research findings have extended knowledge about personal control and suggest possible applications for helping people make successful adaptations to major life transitions.
As co-project leader for The Pathways to Character Project funded by The John Templeton Foundation, Infurna is currently examining the extent to which growth and resilience in character strength and virtues is possible following adversity, challenge, or failure. He also is co-principal investigator for a National Institutes of Health-funded study examining social intelligence training for custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren.
Infurma has been the recipient of several honors and awards, including the GSA Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Interdisciplinary Paper Award in 2009, the GSA Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Pre-Dissertation Award in 2009, and the GSA Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award (article category) in 2018. He also earned the National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Matilda White Riley Early Stage Investigator Paper Award in 2017, and the American Psychological Association Division 20 Springer Early Career Achievement Award in Research on Adult Development and Aging in 2017. Infurna is on the editorial board for several journals, including The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.
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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 5,500+ 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 Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.