2021

2021 Sponsors

Double Platinum Sponsor

UMBC Erickson School of Aging Studies

Gold Sponsor

UVA - School of Nursing

Silver Plus Virtual EventSponsor

Georgia State University - Gerentology Institute

Silver Sponsor & Living With Dementia Supporter

Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health

Bronze Sponsors

Western Carolina University
National Association for Professional Gerontologists
Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology

2021 Award Recipients

Gordon Streib Distinguished Academic Gerontologist Award

Elisabeth Burgess

The Gordon F. Streib Distinguished Academic Gerontologist Award is named after a true pioneer of social gerontology who, over a six decade career in sociology and gerontology at Cornell University and the University of Florida, has made major and lasting contributions to both fields. In public recognition of his achievements, at the 2004 SGS Annual Meeting, Dr. Streib was presented with a special Board proclamation designating him a Distinguished Charter Member and the person for whom the Gordon F. Streib Distinguished Academic Gerontologist Award is named.

This award is given to SGS members in the academic milieu who have shown excellence in leadership within and contribution to professional organizations and organizations which serve older people, a strong record of scholarly publications, and significant teaching influence with students and/or training of service providers or educators.

Applied Gerontologist Award

Fayron Epps

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

Rita Chow

The Rhoda L. Jennings Older Advocate Award is presented to an individual who is 65 years of age or older who has demonstrated effective advocacy and leadership among older adults in the Southern region.

Media Award

Living with Dementia Video Series
Georgia Gerontology Society

SGS offers the Media Award to recognize an outstanding media contribution to further understanding of aging in the region and to the mission of SGS. Media of all kinds are considered for this award. Think of the importance of the Media Award...how did you get the information about this conference? Somehow, media was involved through a newsletter, website, Facebook Post, or flyer. Information is all around us. Shifting through to the good information, the award winning information, is what this award is all about.

Best Practices Award

Peninsula Agency on Aging
Newport News/Williamsburg, VA
“Safety Check-In Calls Program”

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 Older Adult Travel Scholarship

Ed Rosenberg, Stephen Marson, Priscilla Pitman, Paula Seffens, Lisa Wiese & Graham Rowles

This award was established in 2019 to recognize SGS members who have retired, yet desire to remain engaged with SGS and attend the annual conference. To qualify for the recognition, the applicant must be a current SGS member, in the “Encore” membership category and have maintained at least five (5) years of SGS membership.

SGS Student Scholarship Awards

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.

Two students were granted scholarships to help to defray travel costs associated with attending and presenting at the Annual Meeting.

Note: Given the circumstances that this meeting was held virtually, the award committee determined that the scholarship funds would be used to offset the conference registration costs for any student presenting as the first author on their presentation at the 2021 SGS Virtual Conference. There were 38 awards given to students who met this criteria.

Student Paper Award

The student paper award is awarded to an SGS student member who is the lead author of apaper which was submitted in advance of the conference to be reviewed by the awardscommittee. The research ideas must be substantially those of the student with an emphasisin gerontology. The student’s faculty advisor must write a letter of support. This year there were three papers that rose to the top. As each paper had its merit, it was very difficult process for the reviewers to select a winner.

2021 Undergraduate Students

• 1st Place – Kelly O’Sullivan, Barton College Gerontology Program; Selected Factors impacting the progression of dementia across ethnic and minority groups
• 2nd Place – Dextiny McCain, NCAT, Associations between Neighborhood SES and Sleep Quality and Depression among African American Adults Living in Low-Income Housing

2021 Master’s/Medical Students

• 1st Place – Andrea Hill, Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University; Meaningful Engagement and Quality of Life among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia
• 2nd Place – David O’Neil, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Salem VA Medical Center; Feasibility and pilot outcomes of transdiagnostic group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in older Veterans
• 3rd Place Tied – Siri Tummala, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine; The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia
• 3rd Place Tied – Cheryl Sherrard, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, The Reduction of Dementia-related Stigma through an Educational Presentation for Christian Faith Communities

2021 Doctoral Students / Post-docs

• 1st Place Tied – Cheng Yin, Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services at the University of North Texas; Nursing Homes Characteristics and Their Residents Covid-19 Infections in Texas – A Fixed Effect Model at County Level
• 1st Place Tied – Lana Kim, University of Maryland School of Nursing; Standardized Assessment of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms for Hospitalized Patients with Dementia
• 2nd Place – Allison Smith, University of Kentucky; Sex, Drugs, and Long-Term Care
• 3rd Place – Gretchen Tucker, Erickson School of Aging Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; The other caregivers: Non-spousal male informal caregivers for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

SGS Marshall Fellows Inductees

Designation by the Southern Gerontological Society as a Victor W. Marshall Fellow in Applied Gerontology is an acknowledgement of outstanding and continuing achievement that bridges the domains of original and applied research, service to government, practice with older adults, gerontology education and advocacy within gerontology.

This designation, equivalent to the attainment of Fellow status in many prestigious societies and organizations, is named in honor of Victor W. Marshall who has made significant and long-lasting contributions to SGS and gerontology through original independent scholarship, working with diverse collaborative teams, support to veterans, nurturing of advocacy and public service to older adults, and mentorship of applied gerontologists from diverse disciplinary and practice backgrounds.

2021 Inductees:

Ishan Canty Williams, Ph.D.

Patricia Slattum, Ph.D.

Chivon Mingo, Ph.D.

Cynthia Hancock, Ph.D.

GRITS Hall of Fame

The award seeks to maintain and stimulate interest in the history of SGS, and perpetuate the legacy of past and present members, including recognition of their achievements in the field of gerontology, their contributions to enhancing the lives of elders in the SGS region, and their service as role models for future generations interested in the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of aging.

2021 Inductee:

Christine Jensen, Ph.D.