The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Tara McMullen, PhD, MPH, of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as the 2018 recipient of the Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award.
This distinguished honor is given annually by GSA's Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section (SRPP) to one of its members in acknowledgment of outstanding early career contributions in social research, policy, and practice. It was established in 2009 and honors Carroll L. Estes, PhD, a distinguished gerontological researcher, a tireless advocate for older persons, a former SRPP section chair, and a former GSA president.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 14 to 18 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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/2018 for further details.
McMullen is a technical advisor for the Division of Chronic & Post Acute Care in the Center for Clinical Standards & Quality at CMS, where she also serves as assistant to the CMS Post-Acute Care Medical Officer for the Measures Application Partnership, convened by the National Quality Forum.
She is actively engaged in research, policy development, and practice change, and is the technical lead for work focused on standardizing post-acute care assessment data and quality measures. She is the subject matter expert for the development, evaluation, and implementation of quality measures used in CMS' post-acute care quality reporting programs. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a PhD in gerontology in 2014.
McMullen is a co-chair of Public Policy Committee of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (GSA's educational organization), and is also member of GSA's Public Policy Committee.
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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 Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.