The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Barry Edelstein, PhD, of West Virginia University as the 2015 recipient of the Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award.
This honor is given to individuals who have not only fostered excellence in the field, but have made a major impact by virtue of their mentoring, and whose inspiration is sought by students and colleagues. To be eligible, the mentor must have had influence on graduate, undergraduate, and professional students as evidenced by the number and accomplishments of these mentees. The winner's influence on the next generation of gerontologists also may be evident through training programs, written materials associated with pedagogy, research supervision, or clinical training. Membership in GSA's Behavioral and Social Sciences Section also is required.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 68th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 18 to 22 in Orlando, Florida. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2015 for further details.
At West Virginia University, Edelstein is the Eberly Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology. He also serves as a clinical psychologist at Hopemont Hospital, a state geropsychiatric long-term care facility. His current research and other scholarly activity focuses on older adult anxiety, older adult emotion regulation, the development of older adult assessment instruments, and older adult decision-making capacity (competence).
He has served on the faculty of the Department of Psychology for the whole of his 41-year academic career. In that position, he has directly influenced the lives and careers of dozens of students, many of whom have themselves gone on to positions in which they teach, train, and mentor others.
Edelstein is a co-founder of the Society of Clinical Geropsychology within the American Psychological Association (APA); in 2002, the APA recognized him with its Distinguished Clinical Mentorship Award. His work was further recognized by the Psychologists in Long-Term Care with the Profession Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education, Science, and Practice in Long-Term Care.
His scholarly contributions to in the field of geropsychology include books, chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, workshops, and presentations.
Edelstein is a GSA fellow, which represents the Society's highest class of membership.
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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society -- and its 5,500+ members -- is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.