Age Friendly Communities as Platforms for Equity, Health & Wellness

September 22-23, 2022

Mission | Symposium Recap | Speakers | Student Competition | Outcomes | About Us | Contact

Mission

The Age-Friendly Communities Symposium brought together individuals from the Intermountain West to identify innovations and opportunities that will transform how neighborhoods, campuses, and health environments foster the independence, productivity, and wellbeing of older adults.

Symposium Recap

Thank you for joining us for the Age-Friendly Communities Symposium. Below are the recordings, and graphic recordings (done by Alece Birnbach), of each day and their segments. 

Day 1 Opening Remarks
_______
These key ideas were presented by Dr. Michael Good, CEO University of Utah Health, in Opening Remarks on Thursday, 22 September.

Age Friendly Ecosystems
________
These key ideas were presented by Dr. Terry Fulmer, President of the John A. Hartford Foundation, in the Keynote on Thursday, 22 September.

Reflections
________
Discussion question “What Age-Friendly Issues Face your Community?” on Thursday, 22 September.

Day 2 Opening Remarks
________
These key ideas were presented by Dr. Keith Diaz Moore, Dean, College of Architecure & Planning at the University of Utah, in Opening Remarks on Friday, 23 September.

Age Friendly Neighborhoods
________
These key ideas were presented by Mike Watson, Director of AARP Livable Communities, in panel presentations on Friday, 23 September. Regional experts on the panel include Rob Ence, Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Aging, and D . Keith Diaz Moore, Dean, College of Architecture & Planning at the University of Utah.

Age Friendly Campuses
________
These key ideas were presented by Dr. Joann Montepare, Professor at Lasell University, in  panel presentations on Friday, 23 September. Regional experts on the panel include Dr. Beth Fauth, Professor at Utah State University, and Dr. Katarina Felsted, Professor at the University of Utah.

Age Friendly Health
________
These key ideas were presented by Patricia D’Antonio, Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs at the Gerontological Society of America, in Opening Remarks on Friday, 23 September. Regional experts on the panel include Dr. Tim Farrell, University of Utah, and Nels Holmgren, Division Director of Utah Adult & Aging Services.

World Café
________
These key ideas were presented by symposium participants at the World Cafe, hosted by Dr. Sarah Canham, Associate Professor in the College of Social Work and the College of Architecture & Planning, on Friday, 23 September.

Student "Koi Pond" Competition

Speakers

• Keynote address – The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Terry Fulmer, a nationally and international recognized leading expert in the field of aging. Dr. Fulmer is President of The John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults.

in New York City, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. S h e serves as the chief strategist for the Foundati on and her vision for better care of older adults is cat alyzing the Age-Friendly Health Systems social movement. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and recently served on the independent Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. She previously served as Dean of Health Sciences at Northeastern University and Founding Dean of the New York University College of Nursing. Dr. Fulmer is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading expert in geriatrics and is also known for conceptualization and development of the national NICHE program and research on the topic of elder abuse and neglect. She is the first nurse to have served on the board of the American Geriatrics Society. She is also the first nurse to have served as President of the Gerontological Society of America, which awarded her the 2019 Donald P. Kent Award for exemplifying the highest standards for professional leadership in the field of aging.  

• Panel discussions – National renown experts will define core issues and opportunities facing age-friendly neighborhoods, campuses, and health environments with an emphasis on factors that are unique to promoting age inclusivity in the Intermountain West. Panel discussions will emphasize how concepts and initiatives have been applied in communities, and lessons learned from these experiences.



Patricia M. D’Antonio BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP Gerontological Society of America



Read Patricia M. D'Antonio's Bio Here
Read Patricia M. D'Antonio's Bio Here
Patricia M. D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP is the Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a board-certified geriatric pharmacist. Trish is responsible for developing relationships with other organizations in the aging arena. She directs GSA’s policy initiatives through the National Academy on an Aging Society, GSA’s non-partisan public policy institute.  Additionally, she serves as the Program Director for the Reframing Aging Initiative, a long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. Before joining GSA, Trish served as Executive Director for the District of Columbia Board of Pharmacy and Program Manager for the Pharmaceutical Control Division, where she was responsible for the regulatory and policy development for the practice of pharmacy. She served as liaison to the FDA, DEA, and other federal, state, and city organizations that promote safe handling of medications. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Duquesne University and her Master of Science in Health Finance and Master in Business Administration with a concentration in health care from Temple University. She completed a residency in administration and finance at The Philadelphia Geriatric Center.



Mike Watson MPP, Director Livable Communities, AARP



Read Mike Watson's Bio Here
Read Mike Watson's Bio Here
Mike Watson is the Director of Livable Communities for AARP where he is AARP's Enterprise lead for Livable Communities efforts and works closely with AARP’s 53 state offices, volunteers and key stakeholders to encourage towns, counties and cities to be more livable for people of all ages. He leads AARP’s team responsible for supporting the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Communities, delivering direct technical assistance to communities, providing free award winning publications and resources and delivering livability grants to communities nationwide through the AARP Community Challenge grant program. Prior to being named Director, Mike helped advance AARP’s livable communities work by leading the AARP Community Challenge grant program and AARP’s national mayoral engagement effort.  Mike also served as an advisor to AARP's chief advocacy and engagement officer, providing strategic advice and expertise on retirement policy, family caregiving and livable communities. Before joining AARP, Mike served as a lobbyist Capitol Hill advocating on issues affecting older adults. He holds a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in legal studies from Wingate University a master's in public policy (focused on social policy) from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and a professional certificate in municipal finance from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.



Joann M. Montepare PhD RoseMary B. Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies at Lasell University



Read Joann M. Montepare's Bio Here
Read Joann M. Montepare's Bio Here
Joann M. Montepare is Professor of Psychology and Director of the RoseMary B. Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies at Lasell University. She earned her PhD in lifespan social-developmental psychology from Brandeis University and conducts research exploring social and personal perceptions of age. An advocate of intergenerational teaching and learning, she developed the innovative Talk of Ages program which brings older and younger learners together across the curriculum in educational exchange. A champion of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative, she has been involved in various efforts to advance age inclusivity in higher education and the AFU global network. She is Editor of the Newsletter Advancing Age Inclusivity in Higher Education, (Vice) Chair of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), and President of Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging) of the American Psychological Association (APA). An active member of the Boston aging network, she is past president of the Massachusetts Gerontology Association and serves on boards and councils of several aging-focused community organizations. Her most recent collaboration is the RRF-funded study with UMass Boston colleagues, Taking the Pulse of Age-Friendliness in Higher Education in the US Today. She is an AGHE, GSA, APA, and SESP Fellow.

Outcomes

The symposium will produce new knowledge to understanding how age friendly neighborhoods, campuses and health environments serve as critical platforms for equity, health and wellness—particularly in response to the complex set of challenges facing the Intermountain West.  A primary goal is to translate interdisciplinary research and knowledge into actionable, accessible resources for academic researchers, aging and health providers, community planners, policy makers, educators, and students. The symposium will produce the following resources:

• Chapter book – A collection of thought leadership and new insights into age friendly communities will be organized around themes of neighborhoods, campuses and health environments in a publication that serves as a resource for education, policy making, and social impact. Chapters written by speakers and panelists of the symposium focus on initiatives and research at a national and regional level that contribute significantly to transforming the design, impact, and reach of age friendly environments.

• Collaboration spark book – Interdisciplinary dialogue facilitated in the World Café provides a forum for participants to engage in conversations with content experts and learn from each other. The purpose of sharing ideas and reflections is to deepen an understanding of issues related to age friendly communities, to connect people, and to open up new avenues for collaborative engagement. Visual notes from the World Cafes will be compiled with a directory of participants, and serve as a resource for expanding awareness and action that translates between education, policy, planning, research, and social impact in the Intermountain West.

• Video gallery – A virtual gallery that features concepts generated by interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students in the ideas competition will serve as an open source asset for community service providers, planners, advocates, educators, and stakeholders. Video presentations and graphics created by students will be organized around the themes of neighborhoods, campuses and health environments. This builds visibility for emerging voices and a platform that furthers interdisciplinary exchange of ideas in the field of aging.

About Us

Meet our Symposium Co-Leads:

Valerie Greer

Valerie Greer

Valerie Greer is an architect whose experience in practice has focused on the design of complex building types, including internationally award-winning airports, laboratories and hospitals.  Greer was a senior designer on the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the first co-ed research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that was honored the Chicago Athenaeum Award, the AIA COTE Top Ten Green Award and Research & Design Magazine’s Laboratory of the Year Award. 

As a licensed practitioner, Greer is committed to being actively involved from early phases of design through the close of construction on projects, working with cross disciplinary teams to translate ideas, concepts and needs into built environments.  

Drawing from her background in practice, Greer focuses on health environments, resilient places and aging in her research and teaching.  She served as Principal Investigator on a three-year, IRB-approved research project that studied the design of patient rooms on an academic medical campus.  Her manuscript, “Variables and Outcomes in Patient Room Design: A Study of Design Hypotheses” investigates lived spaces in an oncology unit, and was published by the industry premier journal HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal.  The work of this study, evaluating the performance of acute care rooms through the lens of patient, clinical staff and family interactions, involved intense, interdisciplinary collaboration, and will inform future design decisions that shapes the experience of healthcare.

Greer’s experience bridging between academics and practice has uniquely positioned her to build innovative disciplinary collaborations.  She has created workshops and on-site learning opportunities for students who are interested in health environments and design, with topics ranging from mental health to aging.  Greer has been awarded with special funding to document creative work and research on these topics.  Additionally, she has served as an advocate for women in design, having been invited to serve as the faculty advisor by the Women in Architecture and Design (WIAD), where she hosted a speaking event with the internationally acclaimed designer Maya Lin.  

Greer is an affiliate member of the University of Utah Center on Aging, and a peer reviewer for journals including Health Environments Research & Design Journal and the Gerontologist.  She teaches design studios and seminars at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Linda Edelman

Linda Edelman

Linda Edelman RN, PhD has experience in both basic science and clinical/nursing research. She received a Masters of Philosophy in Experimental Pathology at the University of Utah in 1993 where she specialized in molecular immunology. She then earned a BSN from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 1995. For the next 17 years she utilized her basic science and nursing backgrounds as the Research Coordinator for the University of Utah Burn Center. During that time she was involved with the design, conduct, and analysis of multidisciplinary clinical research studies pertaining to burn injuries. 

Dr. Edelman is a 2010 John A. Hartford and Atlantic Philanthropies Claire M. Fagin Fellow. Her research focuses on injuries occurring to older adults living in rural areas and the triage of injured rural and urban older adults to trauma care. She is Program Director of two HRSA workforce development grants: the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program which integrates geriatrics and primary care training in Long-Term Care settings and the Nursing Education, Practice, Qualitymetric and Retention Program which seeks to improve the capacity and competencies of primary care nurses working in rural and underserved Utah.

Meet our Advisory Board Members:    

Cynthia Beynon

Cynthia Beynon

Cynthia Beynon, PhD, RN, CNE, is an Assistant Professor in the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing at Weber State College. Dr. Beynon first graduated from Weber State College in 1985 and worked for over 25 years in a variety of clinical settings before returning to school to pursue her dream of teaching. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (WSU, 2012), a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education (WSU, 2015), and a PhD in Philosophy (Nursing; U of U, 2020). She also received a Gerontology Interdisciplinary Certificate (U of U) and is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE; National League of Nursing). Cynthia teaches across nursing programs.

Cynthia has experience teaching in lab, simulation, clinical, and didactic settings. She especially enjoys her pharmacology students and working with graduate students on professional writing and project development. Her research experience has focused on gerontology, collaborative care, and quality care in sub- and non-acute care settings. Cynthia is involved in the Nu Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society of Nursing.

Teneille Ruth Brown

Teneille Ruth Brown

Teneille Ruth Brown is a Professor of Law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law and an adjunct in the Department of Internal Medicine/Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities (CHeEtAH). She graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, and completed three post-doctoral fellowships at Stanford, one in the Center for Law and the Biosciences, one on the MacArthur Project for Law and Neuroscience, and one at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Her research is highly interdisciplinary, and spans a wide range of issues at the intersection of law, genetics, neuroscience, medicine, and ethics. Her work has been highlighted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on national NPR outlets. Professor Brown teaches Torts, Bioethics & the Law, Evidence, Current Issues in Law & Biosciences, and a recent seminar on the Opioid Crisis. She is on the Executive Committee for the AALS Evidence section and the Utah's Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Evidence.

Jorie Butler

Jorie Butler

Jorie Butler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah. As a Health Psychologist with a minor in Human Development, Jorie has long focused on the intersection between development across the life span and managing illness or promoting health. As Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the Division of Geriatrics, the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Center (GRECC), Informatics Decision Enhancement and Surveillance (IDEAS) Center, and Department of Psychology her research is focused communication and relational factors associated with shared decision making and patient centered care, particularly in aging populations, clinical reasoning, and medical education. Her research objective is to understand the goals and personal experiences of geriatric patients and how clinicians obtain and use that information to encourage active patient involvement in shared decision making and to deliver patient centered care for their geriatric patients.

Ashley Cadiz

Ashley Cadiz

Ashley Cadiz is a masters student in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research interest includes health care quality improvement for older adults, and age-friendly health systems, communities, and universities.Ashley currently works for the University of Utah College of Nursing as an Academic Program Manager. She born and raised in Nephi, Utah and attended the University of Utah for her undergraduate degree in Health Promotion and Education.

Sarah Canham

Sarah Canham

Sarah Canham, PhD is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the College of Social Work and the College of Architecture and Planning in the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. She is also the Associate Director of the University’s Health Interprofessional Education program.

Kara Dassel

Kara Dassel

Kara Dassel, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and Assistant Dean of the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research in advance care planning (ACP) focuses on our team developed LEAD Guide (Life-Planning in Early Alzheimer’s and Dementia), which is being used in an ACP intervention study. As Co-I of the Utah Geriatrics Education Consortium (UGEC), Kara has led the development and evaluation of: ADRD online training modules for LTSS, multiple dementia caregiver conferences, and educational “Fireside Chats” with focused on the 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health Care (visit https://utahgwep.org for more info).

Jackie Eaton

Jackie Eaton

Jackie Eaton, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and the former Assistant Dean of the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research uses transdisciplinary approaches to enhance the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers through arts-based interventions. Jackie uses participatory mixed-method research to create ethnodrama as a form of high-fidelity simulation. Most recently she is working with certified nursing assistants to incorporate creative caregiving techniques in long-term care.

Rob Ence

Rob Ence

Rob Ence is the Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Aging which connects research, public policy, and community resources on behalf of older adults. He also manages the Bateman Horne Center, a non-profit clinic and research practice  specializing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other post-viral syndromes.  Previously Ence was the West Regional Vice President for AARP after serving nearly a decade AARP Utah State Director. His other career work includes Planned Parenthood of Utah and the Midtown Community Health Center, Sage Creek Apparel, work in the financial services industry and Marriott Corporation. Ence has an MBA and BA Psychology from the University of Utah. He has lectured frequently on advance care planning, financial security, and older adult issues and has served on several boards of directors including Comagine Health Utah, Envision Utah, Alzheimer’s Association Utah, Community Counseling Center, and Repertory Dance Theater. Ence resides with Liz, his spouse and best friend of 46 years, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have four children and sixteen grandchildren. Exercising outdoors and travel complement their love of theater, opera, symphony, and dance (with an occasional football and basketball game thrown in). They co-lead a 70-voice choir. Ence also sings with the Oratorio Society of Utah.

Timothy Farrell

Timothy Farrell

Dr. Timothy W. Farrell is Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics Division Associate Chief for Age-Friendly Care at the University of Utah School of Medicine.  He is also a Physician Investigator at the VA Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) and Director of the University of Utah Health Interprofessional Education Program.  Dr. Farrell received his A.B. in philosophy from Dartmouth College and his M.D. from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, followed by family medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship training at Brown University.  He is a prior recipient of a HRSA Geriatric Academic Career Award and is a co-investigator on the HRSA-funded University of Utah Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.  He was a 2016-17 Leadership Scholar in the Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging Program and is Chair of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Ethics Committee.  Dr. Farrell served as the lead author on the 2020 AGS position statement, “Resource Allocation Strategies and Age-Related Considerations in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond,” and represented the AGS in providing COVID vaccine allocation guidance to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and to CDC.  He also serves as Co-Chair of the AGS Intersection of Structural Racism and Ageism Writing Group.  His research interests include transitions of care, interprofessional education and practice, unbefriended older adults, and medical ethics.

Beth Fauth

Beth Fauth

Beth (Elizabeth) Fauth received her BS degree in Psychology at Syracuse University and her MS and PhD in Human Development at Penn State University. She is currently a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Beth teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in gerontology, research methods, and is the coordinator of the graduate program in HDFS.

She conducts research on the integration between well-being and social support and the transition into needing assistance in late life. She also conducts research on stress and well-being in family caregivers of persons with dementia, evaluates psychoeducational interventions for dementia caregivers, and the impact of staff interactions on emotion and engagement in dementia care settings. She also works on mental health prevention in other at-risk adult populations. Beth has received awards for excellence in teaching, research, and service, and is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.

Beth integrates human connection not only in work, but also in her hobbies: socializing, cooking, dinner parties, book clubs, and a love for human interest stories are just a few of her favorite pursuits. In her spare time she enjoys camping, hiking and experiencing the outdoors with her family.

Katarina Friberg Felsted

Katarina Friberg Felsted

Dr. Katarina Friberg Felsted is an Associate Professor in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah, and holds a PhD in Nursing Research as well as an MS in Gerontology. Dr. Felsted is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Health-Kinesiology-Recreation in the College of Health. In 2020, Dr. Felsted, in collaboration with Dr. Jackie Eaton, received one of four seed grants from GSA-AGHE, funded by AARP, to promote Age Friendly University principles on campus and in the community. 

In 2019, Dr. Felsted was awarded the Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award from the Gerontological Society of America's Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education. She was also named one of the Nursing Alumni Scholar '19 List of People Shaping the Nursing Profession by the College of Nursing Alumni Association and Jonas/Veteran Healthcare Scholars. 

In 2018, Katarina was appointed the Faculty Fellow of the Utah Geriatric Education Network (UGEC), of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). Katarina has a strong commitment to excellence in teaching in higher education, and has earned her Higher Education Teaching Specialist designation through the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at the University of Utah.

As a gerontological researcher, Dr. Felsted's scholarly emphases include age friendly university networks, the use of complementary and integrative therapies to treat chronic conditions in older adults, and the impact of gerontology in higher education. Her research focus is mindfulness-based stress reduction as a treatment for urinary urge incontinence in older adult women, as well as a complement to physical rehabilitation of older adults in skilled nursing facilities.

Dr. Felsted’s book, co-authored with Dr. Scott Wright, Toward Post Ageing: Technology in an Ageing Society, was published by Springer. Katarina has published over 20 articles in various scholarly and academic journals. She has presented over 50 times at national and international conferences as well as invited lectures and speeches. 

Dr. Felsted is president of Sigma Phi Omega, the Academic Honor and Professional Society in Gerontology. At the University of Utah, Dr. Felsted serves as the Wellness and Integrative Health Ambassador on the Health Sciences campus for the College of Nursing. Katarina also co-founded the Wellness Committee in the College, which contributed to the incorporation of Fostering Wellbeing as one of the five values of the College of Nursing.

Nels Holmgren

Nels Holmgren

Nels Holmgren is the Director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services at the State of Utah, which oversees programs mandated by the Older Americans Act to promote healthy and secure lifestyles for Utah’s growing senior population. Working with local partners, the Area Agencies on Aging, and other interested parties in the Aging network, the Division provides critical services to empower Utah’s seniors to remain independent in their own homes. Additionally, the Division oversees Utah’s Adult Protective Services which investigates cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation among Utah’s seniors and vulnerable adults, and works to resolve protective needs.

Andy Hong

Andy Hong

Andy Hong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. He is an honorary research fellow at the University of Oxford and the George Institute for Global Health. Andy is also Co-founder of the Healthy City Futures, a global nexus of innovators dedicated to sharing cutting-edge information on urban health. 

Andy’s research lies at the nexus of urban planning, transportation, and public health. He has been working on two research streams to push the boundary of interdisciplinary urban health research. One stream is related to applying the concept of “cities as data” to understand cities as invisible grids and overlapping networks made up of vast quantities of data from sensors to crowdsourcing platforms. Another stream uses “cities as a living lab” to assess the impact and effectiveness of place-based approaches to addressing the wider determinants of health inequalities. His goal is to bridge the gap between urban planning and public health to develop evidence-based policy solutions to emerging health challenges linked to urban and transportation planning. 

Andy previously held positions at the University of Oxford, the University of British Columbia, the Korea Transport Institute, and Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California and his graduate and undergraduate studies at the University of Washington.

Paul Leggett

Paul Leggett

Paul Leggett became the Division Director of Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services in January 2017. In this role Paul oversees the services provided to older adults in Salt Lake County. Prior to this position Paul was the Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Utah where he worked hand in hand with Utah's Community Action network to provide solutions to poverty and effect change. Paul also previously chaired the statewide Earn it. Keep it. Save it. coalition and directed CAP Utah's statewide Asset Development initiative. Paul currently serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Utah Chapter Board, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging Board, the Lt. Governor's Commission on Service & Volunteerism and is the chair of the Utah Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Paul, originally from Northampton, England, earned a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences from the University of Northampton and a master's degree in management from the University of Leicester.

Keith Diaz Moore

Keith Diaz Moore

Keith Diaz Moore, PhD, is the Dean of the College of Architecture & Planning, and a Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Utah. His research explores the intersection of culture and architecture, particularly the criticality of the environment for older adults and particularly those experiencing cognitive impairment. This work resides within the field of environmental gerontology and utilizes the Ecological Framework of Place. Keith’s work utilizes multiple methods and case studies and has been published in numerous venues.

Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby comes to AARP Utah with a strong background in leadership and advocacy for Utah's older adults and people with disabilities. His training is in law, with a focus on health care law, long-term care, home and community-based services, HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid. Immediately prior to joining AARP in 2011, Alan served as the Director of the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD,) leading Utah’s efforts to provide the best possible services for people with disabilities. Before serving as the DSPD Director, Alan was the Director of Aging and Adult Services at the State of Utah, and in this role was responsible for statewide home- and community-based services for Utahns 60 and over. In addition, he worked with the local Area Agencies on Aging, and was instrumental in drafting legislation to initiate Utah's Commission on Aging. Alan has served as a member on the Board of Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, Senator Orrin Hatch's Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, and several long-term care policy groups. He also supervised Adult Protective Services, which investigates claims of abuse, neglect and exploitation involving persons who are disabled or elderly. Alan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and law degree from Quinnipiac University.

Heather Podolan

Heather Podolan

Heather is the Center on Aging Academic Program Manager at the University of Utah

Angela Romero

Angela Romero

Angela Romero was first elected to the Utah State Legislature in 2012 and was re-elected in 2018. Representing House District 26, Angela has been an advocate for issues that matter to working families in the district.

Contact

For more information, please contact the symposium chairs Linda Edelman ( linda.edelman@nurs.utah.edu ) or Valerie Greer ( valerie.greer@utah.edu ).