The award presentation will take place at GSA's 56th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 21st-25th, 2003 in San Diego, California. The meeting is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among gerontological health care clinical, administrative, and research professionals.
Professor Levy's research explores psychosocial influences on aging. She is one of the first researchers to study whether or not older people's views of aging influence their cognitive and physical health. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard University. Much of Levy's research has been published in GSA's own peer reviewed periodical, the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.
In September 2002, she was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate's Special Committee on Aging as part of the committee's hearings on ageism in the media. Levy's previous awards include the Springer Early Career Award in Research on Adult Development in Aging from the American Psychological Association and the International Mensa Foundation's New Investigator Award for Excellence in Research.
The Baltes award is given to a person from any discipline in the social sciences. Only individuals who have received their doctorate within the last ten years are eligible. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The award is given by GSA in conjunction with the Baltes Foundation.
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), founded in 1945, is the oldest and largest national multidisciplinary scientific organization devoted to the advancement of gerontological research. Its membership includes some 5,000+ researchers, educators, practitioners, and other professionals in the field of aging. The Society's principal missions are to promote research and education in aging and to encourage the dissemination of research results to other scientists, decision makers, and practitioners.
Information about the Gerontological Society of America, its awards, and its 56th Annual Scientific Meeting can be found online at http://www.geron.org.