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Student Paper Award

General Criteria

  • SGS Annual Student Awards are open to any SGS Student Member who is submitting scholarly work for presentation at the SGS Annual Meeting.
  • Students who are nominated for Student Awards must have submitted abstracts along with the general Call for Abstracts. If a student’s Abstract is not accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, the student’s nomination for a Student Award will be forfeited.
  • Nominations for Student Awards must include the Nomination Form as well as any required information as described on each SGS Student Award Nomination Form.
  • Students are expected to register for the Annual Meeting and to present their work at the Annual Meeting. Students who cannot register and attend the Annual Meeting will not be considered.
  • A student may be nominated for both the Student Poster Award and one of the Paper Awards. However, a student may be awarded either the Student Poster Award or one of the Student Paper Awards.

Eligibility

  • Any SGS Student Member who is submitting scholarly work for presentation at the SGS Annual Meeting.
  • All authors must be students currently enrolled in an academic program with an emphasis in gerontology.
  • Research ideas must be substantially those of the student's.
  • A letter of support must be provided by the faculty advisor.
  • Co-authored papers - Lead author must be a student.
  • Co-authored papers - Winning paper: If a student co-authors with a faculty member, the lead author (student) only will be considered for the award and the faculty member must state that the majority of the work is that of the student's.
  • Co-authored papers - Winning paper: If a student co-authors with another student(s), only the lead author will be considered for the financial award, but all co-authors will be provided a certificate.
  • Awards are made available to all disciplines within the student membership of SGS.
  • All authors must indicate academic level.
  • Candidates for this award will be required to submit a full paper in advance of the Annual Meeting.
  • Candidates for this award will be required to submit a full paper in advance of the Annual Meeting. The recipient(s) of this award will present the paper at the Annual Meeting. The Student Paper Award manuscript will be reviewed for possible publication in either the Southern Gerontologist newsletter or the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Specific Criteria

This award will provide preference to graduate or undergraduate students who demonstrate excellent writing skills as well as:

  • Importance of the research problem, question, or issue.
  • Adequacy of the literature review.
  • Adequacy of the methodological approach and/or logic of the argument.
  • Adequacy of the evidence.
  • Clarity and style of writing.
  • Contribution to the field of applied gerontology, including clearly stated implications for practice and/or application. This is particularly important in view of the Society's intent to reach a national audience composed of academicians, service providers, and diverse others.

Scoring Rubric

View or Download the PDF

If the above criteria has been met and you have all necessary information and supporting documentation you can submit your nomination for this award by completing the form below.

When submissions for the Student Paper Award are open, the submission form will appear here!

Previous Award Winners

  • 2026 – 1st Place – Miriam Watts, Texas A&M University – Paper Title: “From Exclusion to Empowerment: Assessing Digital Health Literacy and Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Older Adults, A Qualitative Narrative Study” |  2nd Place – Rejina Akter, Miami University – Paper Title: “Aging With Diabetes: Factors Associated with Self-Perceptions of Aging in Later Life”
  • 2025 – 1st Place – Lauren Catlett, University of Virginia – Paper Title: “Multilevel Factors Affecting Health Equity for Transgender and Gender Diverse Older Adults” | 2nd Place – Sarah Cho, University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Paper Title: “That’s Anthropology: Confronting Ageism and Student Discomfort in Service Learning”
  • 2024 – 1st Place – Sarah Tesar, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Paper Title: “An Intervention for Peer-Led Sexually Transmitted Infection Education Among Older Adults” | 2nd Place – Yun-Zih Chen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County – Paper Title: “Long-Term Care System: Comparison of Taiwan and USA Approaches”
  • 2022 – 1st Place – Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya, University of South Florida, Paper Title: “Creating Age-Friendly Nursing Homes: The Time is Now” | 2nd Place – Donnette Narine, MA, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Paper Title: “Volunteering, Educational Attainment, and Literacy Skills among Middle-Aged and Older Adults by Racial/Ethnic Groups in the U.S.” | 3rd Place – Annah Steadman, University of North Alabama, Paper Title: “Volunteering, Educational Attainment, and Literacy Skills among Middle-Aged and Older Adults by Racial/Ethnic Groups in the U.S.”
  • 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
  • 2020 – Ngozi Chima
  • 2019 – 1st Place – Sara Stemen | 2nd Place – Jing Liu | 3rd Place – Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya
  • 2018 – Amanda Thomas Dawson | “Intergenerational Programming on a Multi-Generational Play Park and its Impact on Older Adults”
  • 2017 – Amanda G. Thomas, UNC Charlotte | “Impact of a Senior Center on Participants and its Implications for Future Research and Policy”
  • 2016 – Christina Barmon
  • 2014 – 1st Place – David Watkins, Georgia State University | 2nd Place – Celeste Greene, Georgia State University | 3rd Place – Joyce Morgan, Walden University
  • 2013 – Karen Olivia Moss
  • 2012 – Andrea Shamaskin, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • 2011 – Nicole Collins
  • 2010 – 1st Place – Summer McWilliams |  2nd Place – Andrea M. Shamaskin | 3rd Place – Karel Joyce D. Kalaw
  • 2009 – 1st Place Tied – Elizabeth Corsentino | 1st Place Tied – Sang Gon Nam | 3rd Place – Chih-ling Liou
  • 2008 – 1st Place – Desiree M. Seponski | 2nd Place – Won Lee Cho | 3rd Place – Seokwon Yoon
  • 2007 – 1st Place – Giyeon Kim | 2nd Place – Melissa Snarski | 3rd Place – Martie Gillen
  • 2006 – 1st Place – LaVona Traywick | 2nd Place – Mary Katherine Flythe | 3rd Place – Joshua Byrd
  • 2005 – 1st Place – W. Keith Dooley | 2nd Place – Maggie Tang | 3rd Place Tied – Dunja Trunk | 3rd Place Tied – Sara Margolin
  • 2004 – 1st Place – Denise Lewis | 2nd Place Tied – Meldrena Chapin | 2nd Place Tied – Stacy Grant | 3rd Place – Michelle Lague
  • 2003 – 1st Place – Colleen A. Head | 2nd Place – Michelle Lague
  • 2002 – 1st Place – Derrick Chan | 2nd Place – Rehan D. Overton | 3rd Place – Christine A. Fruhauf
  • 2001 – Carole J. Olson
  • 2000 – Miriam Williams Boeri
  • 1999 – Benjamas Kutintara and Sharon V. King