The Gerontological Society of America has chosen Margaret Gatz of the University of Southern California as the 2006 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award. This distinguished honor is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 59th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16th-20th, 2006 in Dallas, TX. The actual conferral will occur on Saturday the 18th at 8:30 a.m. at the Adam's Mark Dallas Hotel. The meeting is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among clinical, administrative, and research professionals in the field of gerontology.
Gatz has long contributed to a number of international collaborations. She has become an ambassador for the American field of gerontology in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.
She has also been active in shaping the way the U.S. thinks about mental health policy and aging. A book that she edited, Emerging Issues in Mental Health and Aging, has been the key resource on this topic for the past decade.
The Kent award was created in 1973 in memory of Donald P. Kent for his outstanding leadership in translating research findings into practical use. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The Kent Lecture is expected to be one of the conference's highlights.
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.