About – SGS provides the bridge between research and practice, translating and applying knowledge in the field of aging.

About SGS

Our Mission

SGS is 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.

Our Vision

“Bridging gerontological education, research and practice to serve our aging society”.

What is the Southern Gerontological Society?

In 1979, a diverse group of professionals established a forum for exchanging ideas on aging. From the outset, the Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) has been committed to bridging the gap between researchers and practitioners, ensuring that knowledge flows seamlessly from academic study to real-world application.

Since its founding, SGS has been proactive in addressing the challenges and opportunities in aging through strategic, applied initiatives. The Society fosters collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, students, older adults, and practitioners, to create solutions that meet the needs of an ever-evolving field. In 2019, SGS expanded its regional presence to include Texas, marking the 14th state in its growing network. Today, SGS’s regional representation spans Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

Over 40 years later, SGS is a dynamic and influential regional membership organization, continuing to champion the connection between research and practice in aging. As the only regional membership society focused on aging, SGS addresses issues, challenges, and strengths unique to the Southern U.S and fosters collaboration among key stakeholders to identify solutions and best practices. While its primary focus is on regional aging issues, SGS has a global impact, disseminating knowledge through the peer-reviewed journals, Journal of Applied Gerontology (JAG) and Sage Open Aging (GGM) as well as the Southern Gerontologist newsletter. The Society also hosts an annual conference and webinars, offering program content designed to support and enhance professional networks and collaborative efforts across the aging field.

The Expertise of SGS

Aging is one of the most dynamic fields of study. New developments are shared among educators, advocates, practitioners, and policy makers in search of innovative techniques and applications to improve the experience of growing older. SGS is a valued partner in this progress.

The continued vision of SGS is guided by the Southern Gerontological Society’s original Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Florida in 1979, and are as follows:

to provide a membership organization for people who are interested in education, research, service delivery, and other areas in the field of gerontology.
to promote communications among all individuals concerned with enhancing the status of older people.
to assume leadership in the southern region for bringing about better understanding of developments in the field of gerontology.
to advocate for the development of sound strategies to move toward the implementation of meaningful public policy in aging within the southern region and in the nation.
to encourage, and in some cases initiate, educational and training programs that serve older people and those who with and in behalf of older people.
to help identify areas of study and, where possible, to assume leadership in the development of research strategies and research designs.
to take an active role in the clarification and implementation of the results of demonstration projects, experimental programs, and research.
to develop plans for an annual regional meeting; other meetings as appropriate; to systemically address current issues in the field, research developments, political developments; and other matters deserving of systematic attention.

What our Past Presidents say

“Even though the meetings have the feel of an extended family reunion, SGS provides state of the art training to its members. SGS defines what it means to network between academicians and practitioners.”

Lorin BaumhoverSGS Founder & SGS President 1981 - 1982

“Professional growth is the reward for any academician, practitioner or provider willing to become involved in SGS.”

William MasseySGS President 1996 – 1997

“For me, the most exciting thing about being an SGS member is the increasing involvement of members from the private sector. We are energized by our opportunities to work together on behalf of older Americans in our region.”

Joan WoodSGS President 1992 - 1993

SGS Membership Benefits

A subscription to Journal of Applied Gerontology (JAG) is included with your Southern Gerontological Society membership. JAG is devoted to the publication of articles that focus on research applications intended to improve the quality of life of older persons or to enhance our understanding of age-related issues that will eventually lead to such outcomes.

Members of SGS are also eligible to receive significant discounts on the publication fees, if accepted for publication by the interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal – Sage Open Aging (GGM) For more information on this journal, please use the button below to visit their website.

Additional SGS membership benefits include discounts to the annual conference and exclusive access to the SGS online membership directory.

Perhaps most importantly, membership in the Southern Gerontological Society provides professionals with a forum, via the annual conference, for discussing important practical issues relating to older adults in our region. The annual conference is intended to facilitate intense programming content from many professional perspectives, all of which directly relates to the lives of older adults residing in the Southern region.

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.

Thank you 2026 Sponsors!

Visit our Sponsorship page to learn more about each SGS sponsor.

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