Words Matter
How to Avoid Ageism in Your Presentations and Publications
Developed by VCU Gerontology, SGS has shared the following guidelines with the presenters at our 2023 Annual Meeting & Conference. SGS is committed to implementing these guidelines in our future publications and events. We would like to share them with you in the hopes that they will help you talk about age with inclusivity and respect.
Get the Guidelines here. (PDF).
SGS Stands With Ukraine

Currently, some two million older Ukrainians are reportedly losing access to food, medicine, pensions, transportation, and other necessities, putting them at risk for social isolation and violence. While our membership is drawn from the Southern United States, we embrace a global perspective in our efforts to enhance the lives of all older adults and to inform aging policies and practices worldwide. We are an inclusive membership association of diverse individuals and organizations with interests in gerontology. Members seek to improve the quality of life for older adults through education, research, and practice. In support of this mission, we stand united in concern about and condemnation of the Russian leadership’s unconscionable invasion of Ukraine, its indiscriminate slaughter of Ukrainian citizens, and the chaos inflicted upon Ukrainian refugees. We applaud the governments and citizens of other nations who have provided support for and hope to these refugees. We stand united as well in our support of all Ukrainian people throughout the world.
HelpAge International is the secretariat to a global network of organizations promoting the right of all older people to lead dignified, healthy, and secure lives. You can learn more about how this crisis is affecting older adults in Ukraine and how this organization is addressing these challenges here.
We encourage you to investigate opportunities to assist older adults in this crisis through HelpAge International or other organizations.
SGS Executive Committee
SGS Council of Presidents
SGS Public Policy & Advocacy Committee
SGS Supports Research
SGS is happy to support our members and friends who are conducting human subjects’ research. Would it help you to promote your study and recruit participants via the SGS newsletter, social media outlets, and website? If so, here is your opportunity.
For SGS members, there will not be a fee. Newsletter and website placement fee for not-for-profit organizations that are not SGS members is $50.00; undergraduate and graduate students’ listings are free, but must have faculty advisor that is a SGS member.
Your research description is featured in 2 successive issues of our newsletter, the Southern Gerontologist; researcher should identify length of time to promote the research opportunity; listings/postings are limited to approx. 250 words, excluding title and link(s).
Your research description remains on our website for 6 months; provide IRB approved document/flyer.
SGS can invoice you for the fee. Please contact SGS Executive Director, Lee Ann Ferguson at 866-920-4660 or via email at admin@southerngerontologicalsociety.com for instructions on submitting your posting.
Endorsement of studies by the Southern Gerontological Society is neither expressed nor implied.
Survey Results
Executive Summary of SGS Research & Service Priorities
Recommendations from the 2018 inaugural Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) priorities survey report led to substantive outputs including the development of conference tracks, a peer-reviewed publication and subsequent presentations, a webinar series, and two new standing committees (Gerontological Education and Advocacy). The survey subcommittee also recommended that SGS conduct a survey of priorities with respect to aging in the South at least every three years. To honor that recommendation, the second SGS priorities survey (Survey 2.0) was sent to members and stakeholders in April and May of 2021. The SGS Priorities Survey 2.0 Executive Summary explains the methodology and content of the survey, describes respondent demographics, presents the findings, includes a discussion of evolving SGS priorities, and offers recommendations resulting from the project. Additional information can be found in the SGS Priorities Survey 2.0 Full Report.
Join SGS Now
We'd like to offer you the opportunity to become a member of one of the most respected groups of gerontology professionals in the Southern region – The Southern Gerontological Society.
SGS members make a difference by continually providing professionals in the aging network with access to the latest research and a forum for discussing important practical issues relating to older adults in our area.
As part of your membership benefits, you will receive two excellent publications, the Journal of Applied Gerontology, and the Southern Gerontologist.