The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, of New York University (NYU) as the recipient of the 2009 Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award.
This distinguished honor, presented by GSA's Health Sciences Section in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation's Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is given to a member of the Society in recognition of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 18 to 22, 2009, in Atlanta, GA. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit www.geron.org/am for further details.
Mezey is a professor emerita and director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing within the College of Nursing at NYU. Mezey was one of the first researchers to address the lack of gerontological education in baccalaureate and advanced practice nursing programs. As a result, she was instrumental in developing defined geriatric competencies for nursing programs, specific geriatric curriculum, enhancing faculty knowledge in geriatrics, and creating evidence-based educational tools.
Mezey was also responsible for spearheading a collaboration with the American Organization of Nurse Executives and 55 specialty nursing organizations to enhance the geriatric competence of their members through the Resourcefully Enhancing Aging in Specialty Associations (REASN) program.
Over her career, Mezey has authored 11 books, several of which have been honored with the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award. She is also a GSA fellow, which represents the Society's highest class of membership.
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 5,200+ 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 of Gerontology in Higher Education.