Marilyn Gugliucci presents at Gerontological Society of America’s meeting

Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., UNECOM Department of Geriatric Medicine, completed her term as the Chair of the 1,700 member Health Sciences Section for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) at the close of the Annual Scientific Meeting last week. Now, as immediate past chair, she will be assisting the Health Sciences section chair, chairing the Health Sciences Section Awards and Nomination Committees. She will continue to serve on the GSA Council for one more year.

While at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting, Gugliucci chaired the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (a unit of GSA) Presidential Symposium titled: “The Gerontological Imperative: Preparing a Workforce through Education and Training.”  Gugliucci’s presentation, “Accreditation for Gerontology Programs: Will it Aid in Addressing Workforce Issues?” was the symposium closing presentation. Graham Rowles, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, presented on Gerontological Illiteracy and Janet Frank, PhD, UCLA, presented on Gerontological Competency Based Education.

Frank, Rowles and Gugliucci are leading the national efforts to create an accreditation body for gerontology programs in higher education. Currently there is no accreditation body for these programs and the GSA Council and Executive Committee voted in favor (at their meetings in November) to have an accreditation body created.