SGS GRITS Hall of Fame

GRITS Hall of Fame Member

2024 Inductee

Dr. Wagner is a pioneer in eldercare research and a leader in connecting pithy theoretical frameworks to the “where the rubber hits the road” of making a difference in the lives of older persons, their families, and their communities. Dr. Wagner is an accomplished teacher and scholar who trained at Portland State University and brought her wisdom to the East Coast to work at the University of Bridgeport (CT).

Building community has always been a priority for her, and while at UB, she led faculty in striking for a more equitable partnership during a university’s fiscally troubling times. Her leadership on this issue remains relevant to higher education today. Donna spent over four years at the National Council on Aging as the VP for Research & Development. This role and the body of work she produced brought us new insights into how policies and programs affected older adults and their communities. Notably, her geographic reach was influential in the South. She then spent almost 14 years at Towson University in Maryland (a long SGS supporter) as a professor and founder/director of their Gerontology Programs. Her work left an indelible footprint for cross college and disciplinary collaboration and set the mark for program work that supported students to make a difference in their communities.

Maryland’s loss was New Mexico’s gain when Donna left in 2011 for New Mexico State University and eventually retired as Dean of the College of Health and Human Services just a short while ago. When installed as Dean, she said, “I will continue our efforts to be a leader in health and social service education, preparing our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to take care of our communities,” she said. “I want each of our dedicated students to realize that the outstanding scholarship and passion they bring to our programs is just the beginning of their successes.”