2017

Asheville, North Carolina

38th Annual Meeting

The 2017 Southern Gerontological Society Annual Meeting was held April 6 through April 9, at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Asheville-Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina.

Theme: New Horizons In Aging: Advances In Research & Practice

Download, view, or print the 2017 Conference Program.
PDF Document - 79 pages - 8.02 MB

2017 Award Recipients

Applied Gerontologist Award

Christopher Kelly, PhD. University of Nebraska at Omaha

Wayne Moore, PhD. North Carolina A & T State University.

This award is given to SGS members in the fields of applied gerontology in the South. Award winners have a sustained record of leadership in the field of aging, are recognized in their fields, and generally, have positively impacted the quality of life of older persons through developing innovative programs such as applications of findings/approaches to research, education, management or services delivery (with emphasis on application).

Rhoda Jennings Distinguished Older Advocate Award

Mary Bethel

The SGS Senior Advocate Award is given to recognize an older person whose retirement years have been devoted to community or legislative advocacy.

Media Award

Health Beat Newsletter – Becky Watson, Music for Wellness

The Media Award is given to recognize outstanding media-based contributions to furthering the understanding of aging in the region.

Best Practices Award

Alzheimer's Arkansas – Elise Siegler & Priscilla Pittman

The Best Practices Award is given to recognize organizations or individuals who have demonstrated evidence of significant contribution to the field of aging and the development of gerontology in the Southern United States.

SGS Student Scholarship Awards

Eugenie Stephenson - Georgia State University
Ethlyn McQueen-Gibson - Ursuline College, Breen School of Nursing
Polina Ermoshkina - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Southern Gerontological Society Student Support Scholarship Award was established in 2014 to support student members of SGS who have been accepted to present at the SGS annual meeting.

About Our 2017 Scholarship Winners

Eugenie Stephenson earned her BS in Public Policy at Georgia State University concurrently earning her undergraduate certificate in gerontology. Continuing her education at GSU Eugenie received her master's degree at the Gerontology Institute. During her time at GSU, Eugenie had the opportunity to engage as a teaching assistant and research assistant, working on projects addressing gerontology higher education, older women's sexual health, and care team redesign. In August 2016 Eugenie successfully defended her master's thesis, which focuses on the role of location and predisposing characteristics as predictors on accessing health care services in rural communities. Eugenie is currently a doctoral student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, working as a research assistant, in assessing neighborhood environment and risk of cardiovascular disease in Baltimore City. Eugenie aims to contribute to future gerontology literature with a primary goal of increasing access to health care services through research supporting the development of policies to address barriers.

Ethlyn McQueen-Gibson, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC is a full-time student is pursuing her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree at Ursuline College's Breen School of Nursing in Cleveland, OH. Her focus of study is health care disparities and its impact in communities of color, especially with African American custodial grandparents raising grandchildren under the age of 18 years old. Ethlyn spent her elementary school years living with her paternal and maternal grandparents in Louisville, Mississippi while her parents pursued employment in Ohio. Both sets of grandparents inspired her to pursue education and they knew her ultimate goal was to become a nurse. She dedicates her pursuit of this terminal degree to both of them, and her ongoing pursuit to improve health in communities of color. She is a veteran of the US Army having served on 10 years reserve and 13 years active duty in the Nurse Corps. She is also the founder of the Nurse Camp program based Tacoma, WA at MultiCare Health System. This program celebrates 15 years of allowing high school students to spend one week during the summer learning about careers in nursing and allied health.

Polina Ermoshkina is a second year PhD student in Human Development & Family Studies at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include intergenerational support, older immigrants from Eastern Europe, and qualitative methodology. Polina was born and raised in Ufa (Russia) – a city that is a geographical border that separates Eastern Europe and Asia.

Student Poster Awards

This award is given to student members of SGS who have met the submission obligations and have made a significant first-authored contribution to the conference.

Undergraduate Student Poster Awards:

Haley Williford and Luar Mercado Lopez - Barton College: "The Bridge: A guide with first step resources for patients, families and caregivers dealing with Alzheimer's disease."

Wei Chang - The College of William and Mary
Elizabeth Yost, PhD. - Washington College: "Cross National Study on Building Aging Communities in Japan and the U.S."

Graduate Student Poster Awards:

Mihee Chung and Ishan Canty Williams - University of Virginia, College of Nursing: "Stigma among Korean-American Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: Impact and Coping Strategies"

Weizhou Tang, Kate Olscamp, Seul Ki Choi and Daniela B. Friedman - University of South Carolina: "Alzheimer's Disease Messages on YouTube"

Student Paper Award

This award is given to student members of SGS who have met the submission obligations and have made a significant first-authored contribution to the conference.

Amanda G. Thomas - UNC Charlotte: "Impact of a Senior Center on Participants and its Implications for Future Research and Policy"