Seminar Series

The Office of the Provost at UMass Dartmouth has generously awarded funding to Gerontology Center Core Faculty (2008-present) to host a Gerontological Research Seminar Series. The series has been very well received.

The objectives of this interdisciplinary seminar series are to enhance scholarship in Gerontology on the UMass Dartmouth campus and provide a forum for faculty and students with interests in Gerontology to meet and learn about research as applied to health, diversity and diseases of aging. All are welcome. For questions, please contact: Andrew Revell (arevell@umassd.edu; 508-999-8385).

Selection of recent events

Tuesday, April 26
6-8pm Dion 203

Alzheimer's Film and Discussion by Clinical Dementia Specialist, Patricia Midurski, RN

Wednesday, April 27
1-1:50pm in SENG 114

Massachusetts Office of Disability; Wheelchair Experience Day 4/29

Thursday, May 5
3-4pm, Woodland Commons

Cross-cultural Neuropsychological Assessment

"Sleep on it! The enhancing effects of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory across the Lifespan”

Speaker: Kelly Bennion, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Boston College

Saturday, May 2, 2015
11:00 - 11:55am in Woodland Commons

The Ora DeJesus Gerontology Center in collaboration with The Southeastern Massachusetts Alzheimer's Partnership presented: 

Gen Silent

A film screening & panel discussion moderated by Lisa Krinsky, Director of The LGBT Aging Project

Wednesday, November 12th
Time: 2:00 - 4:00
Location: Main Auditorium

Selected recent seminars

"Meditation, the Brain, and Cognition"

Sara W. Lazar, PhD., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2014
Time: 9:00-10:00am
Location: Woodland Commons
10th Annual Regional Conference of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology, Co-sponsored with
Psi Chi and the UMass Dartmouth Psychology Club

“Reciprocal Ethical Caring: A Human Value"

Georgia P. Ameia Yen-Patton PhD, RN, GNP-BC 
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Time: 2:00-2:45pm
Location: Liberal Arts Building Room 213

"Emerging Adulthood: The Rise of A New Developmental Period and Effects on the Lifecourse"

Brian J. Ayotte, PhD., Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA
Date: Friday, December 6, 2013
Time: 11:00-11:50am
Location: Liberal Arts Building Room 214

"Legal Issues in Elder Care: Competency, Health Care & End of Life Decisions"

Justine A. Dunlap, J.D., Professor of Law, University of Massachusetts School of Law, Dartmouth, MA
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Time: 2:00-2:50pm
Location: Liberal Arts Building Room 214

Saturday, April 27, 2013
"Substance Abuse over the Lifespan: Trends and Empirically Supported Interventions"

Jacqueline Alfonso Barry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Emmanuel College, Boston, MA
9th Annual Regional Conference of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology, Co-sponsored with
Psi Chi and the UMass Dartmouth Psychology Club

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
"Double Jeopardy: Aging with a Developmental Disability"

Wednesday, December 5, 2012
"Legal Issues in Elder Care: Medical Decision Making"

Justine A. Dunlap, J.D., Professor of Law
School of Law, UMass Dartmouth

Saturday, May 5, 2012
"Cortical Plasticity in the Adult Human Visual System"

Daniel D. Dilks, Ph.D., Research Fellow, McGovern Institute for Brain Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Wednesday, May 2, 2012
"The Health Care Management System: Providing Care for Older Adults"

Laura Forker, Ph.D., Professor of Operations Management
Charlton College of Business

Friday, March 16, 2012
"Legal Issues in Elder Care: Competency, Health Care Decisions, and Protective Services"

Justine A. Dunlap, J.D., Professor of Law
School of Law, UMass Dartmouth

Friday, December 2, 2011
"Caregiving by Grandparents - Antecedents and Consequences of Grandparent-Grandchild Coresidence"

Jan Mutchler, Ph.D., Professor, Gerontology, UMass Boston and Co-PI, The Rosalie Wolf Interdisciplinary Geriatric
Healthcare Research Center, UMass Medical School

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Gerontology Center and the Psychology Department collaborated to present the Healthy Aging
Seminar: "Research and Education Opportunities in Cognitive Aging and Health" to members of the University program
The Second Half: Lifelong Learning at 50+.

Tuesday, August, 23, 2011
Masters Thesis Defense: "The Influence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged and Older Adults"

Ashley M. Couto, BA, Graduate Student, General MA Program in Psychology, UMass Dartmouth 2011

Saturday, May 7, 2011
7th Annual Regional Conference of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology, Co-sponsored with Psi Chi and the UMass Dartmouth Psychology Club

Clare M. Mehta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Emmanuel College,
Children's Hospital in Boston, and Harvard Medical School

2011 Seventh Annual Regional Psychology Conference
Clare M. Mehta, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology
Emmanuel College,
Children's Hospital Boston &
Harvard Medical School

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"Accessible Design in Medical Equipment: Current State and Future Prospects in Engineering"

Katja Holtta-Otto, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Monday, March 28, 2011
"Legal Issues in Psychology and Gerontology"

Justine A. Dunlap, J.D., Professor of Law, School of Law, UMass Dartmouth

Speakers in the Gerontological Research Seminar Series have included

• Daniel D. Dilks, Ph.D. , Research Fellow, McGovern Institute for Brain Research
  Massachussetts Institute of Technology
• Laura Forker, Ph.D., Professor of Operations Management, Charlton College of Business
• Clare M. Mehta,  Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Emmanuel College, Children's Hospital, and
  Harvard Medical School
• Jan Mutchler, PhD., Professor of Gerontology, UMass Boston, Co-PI Rosalie Wolf Interdisciplinary Geriatric Healthcare Research Center, UMass Medical School
• Katja Holtta-Otto, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Dartmouth
• Justine A. Dunlap, J.D., Professor of Law, School of Law, UMass Dartmouth
• Dawn DePasquale, MA LMHC, Founder, DePasquale Mental Health Associates, Swansea, MA
• Anja Soldan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, UMass Dartmouth
• Peter Engel, M.D., Staff Physician, VA Boston Healthcare System, Lecturer in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
• Matthew Sylvain, Assistant Librarian, UMass Dartmouth Library
• Jeffrey Burr, Ph.D., Professor of Gerontology, UMass Boston
• Gerald Flaherty, V.P. for Medical and Scientific Programs & Susan Rowlett, LICSW, Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapter
• Peter W. Ham, M.A., L.M.H.C., Alzheimer's Consultant, Professional Counseling Center, New Bedford, MA
• Lester W. Cory, D.Sc., Director of UMass Dartmouth’s SHARE Program
• Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, UMass Amherst
• Catherine Neto, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UMass Dartmouth
• Robin Robinson, Ph.D., PsyD., Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology, UMass Dartmouth
  
  

2010 Presentations

Geriatric Depression: Diagnosis, Treatment and Advice for Caregivers
Dawn DePasquale, MA LMHC, Founder, DePasquale Mental Health Associates, Swansea, MA
Co-Sponsored with SouthCoast Compeer Program, UMass Dartmouth

Effects of Healthy Aging and Cognitive Reserve on Priming
Anja Soldan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, UMass Dartmouth
Presented in collaboration with UMass Dartmouth’s Psychology Brown Bag Seminar Series

Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and other Brain Maladies of Late Life: What Our Patients Teach us
Peter Engel, M.D., Staff Physician, VA Boston Healthcare System, Lecturer in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

ICPSR Workshop: An Introduction to Resources and Finding Research Datasets
Matthew Sylvain, Assistant Librarian, UMass Dartmouth

2009 Presentations

Residential Crowding and Home Ownership in Later Life: Comparing Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the US
Jeffrey Burr, Ph.D., Professor of Gerontology, UMass Boston

Implicit Memory in Young and Older Adults: Behavioral and Neural Findings
Anja Soldan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, UMass Dartmouth

Aging & Memory Loss: Implications for Clinical Careers & Research Outlook
Gerald Flaherty, V. P. for Medical and Scientific Programs & Susan Rowlett, LICSW, Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapter

We are all getting older...so, what are we going to do about it?
 Peter W. Ham, M.A., L.M.H.C., Alzheimer's Consultant and Director of Operations, Professional Counseling Center, New Bedford, MA

Independent Living for Individuals with Disabilities: Adapting Environments with Modern Technology
Lester W. Cory, D.Sc., Director of UMass Dartmouth’s SHARE Program

2008 Presentations

Pathways Through Midlife: Results of a 40-Year Study on Adult Development
Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, UMass Amherst

Dietary Phytochemicals and Diseases of Aging
Catherine Neto, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UMass Dartmouth

Health, Disease, and Behavior in the Life Sciences Initiative: Genesis, Synthesis, and Implications for Research
 Robin Robinson, Ph.D., PsyD., Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology, UMass Dartmouth

Panel Discussion: The Implications for Research in Aging at UMass Dartmouth
Panelists:
Gail Russell, Ed.D., RN, NEA-BC, Associate Professor of Community Health, UMass Dartmouth
Andrew Revell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Senior Research Fellow in Gerontology, UMass Dartmouth