Every year ASA recognizes a number of individuals and organizations for their contributions to ASA, to the field of aging, and to older adults. We are proud to announce the 2012 ASA Award recipients, who will be recognized during the Aging in America Conference in Washington D.C., March 28-April 1.

• Hall of Fame Award: Harry R. Moody, PhD
• ASA Award: Erlene Rosowsky, PsyD
• Gloria Cavanaugh Award for Excellence in Training and Education: Easter Seals
• Graduate Student Research Award: Michiyo Tomioka
• Mental Health and Aging Award: Anita L. Rosen, PhD, MSW
• Award for Excellence in Multicultural Aging: Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing’s Comprehensive Housing Care Project

Hall of Fame Award

Harry R. Moody, PhD
Director of Academic Affairs, AARP

Dr. Moody is the author of over 100 scholarly articles and book chapters, as well as a number of books including: Abundance of Life: Human Development Policies for an Aging Society (Columbia University Press, 1988); Ethics in an Aging Society (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992); and Aging: Concepts and Controversies, a gerontology textbook now in its 3rd edition. His most recent book, The Five Stages of the Soul, was published by Doubleday Anchor Books (1997) and has been translated into seven languages worldwide.

A graduate of Yale and a PhD in philosophy from Columbia University, Dr. Moody taught philosophy at Columbia, Hunter College, New York University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. From 1999 to 2001 he served as national program director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Faith in Action and, from 1992 to 1999, was executive director of the Brookdale Center at Hunter College. Before coming to Hunter, he served as administrator of continuing education programs for the Citicorp Foundation and later as co-director of the National Aging Policy Center of the National Council on Aging in Washington, DC.

Harry Moody is known nationally for his work in older adult education and recently stepped down as chairman of the Board of Elderhostel. He has also been active in the field of biomedical ethics and holds appointment as an Adjunct Associate of the Hastings Center.

ASA Award

Erlene Rosowsky, PsyD
Psychologist

Erlene Rosowsky, PsyD is a psychologist who divides her time between clinical practice, education and research. She is assistant clinical professor in psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. She is also a core faculty member of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and director of their Center for Mental Health and Aging. She is a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of America.

Dr. Rosowsky is on the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs, where she serves as representative of graduate programs in geropsychology. She also chairs the Generations editorial board and serves on the ASA’s Mental Health and Aging Network Council and the ASA Board of Directors.

Dr. Rosowsky has achieved international recognition as an expert on late-life personality disorders. Her pioneering interest in this under-addressed subject began when she was a NIMH fellow at Harvard Medical School. She is well published in professional literature and has authored three books and
numerous chapters, articles and columns.

Dr. Rosowsky has worked long and hard to overcome professional ageism and to demonstrate that even challenging older adults can be helped to a better life.

Gloria Cavanaugh Award for Excellence in Training and Education

Easter Seals

Since 1919, Easter Seals has been providing exceptional services, education, outreach and advocacy so that people living with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. While best known for programs supporting
children with disabilities and special needs, today Easter Seals is a leading provider of services and supports for older adults and their families. Through adult day services, employment programs, in-home care, transportation, health promotion and wellness and resources for caregivers, Easter Seals helps tens of thousands of older adults and their families each year.

Easter Seals has built on its expertise in providing services for older adults, developing innovative and informative educational materials for professionals, family caregivers and older adults. Using a variety of training resources, Easter Seals has created and shared award-winning curricula; trained media spokespersons who can inform and address issues and spoken at hundreds of local, state, national and international forums; hosted in-person training sessions; and made a suite of educational and resource materials available online.

Collaboration is at the heart of Easter Seals’ training initiatives in the field of aging. It builds bridges among communities of care and service providers. Easter Seals has increased connections between transportation providers and the aging network, between hospices and adult day service centers, between the caregiving community and veterans services organizations, and among agencies supporting children with autism and those promoting older adult volunteer engagement.

Finally, Easter Seals has a history of inclusion and a commitment to providing culturally mindful training options that are available to persons of all abilities. For additional information, visit www.easterseals.com/seniors.

Graduate Student Research Award

Michiyo Tomioka

Michiyo Tomioka is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Social Welfare at University of Hawai`i at M¯anoa to gain knowledge about social policy affecting the elderly and to gain research skills needed to develop and evaluate cultural specific programs to improve the well-being of older adults. As a part of her dissertation research, she focused on translational research such as how to successfully replicate evidence-based approaches to improve the older adults’ physical health and social wellbeing using HHAP as an example. She developed four-step protocol for eldercare practitioners who are now being required to replicate evidence-based programs and make them work in their communities to promote health among elders.

Mental Health and Aging Award

Anita L. Rosen, PhD, MSW

Anita Rosen began her career at the nation’s first Settlement House, Hull House, and is now a retired professional volunteer and consultant. She serves the American Society on Aging as representative to the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, and the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (currently vice chair). She is a member of ASA’s Policy Response Team, Public Policy Committee, and Mental Health and Aging Network Council. She is an editorial reviewer of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work and Families in Society and is Adjunct Faculty in Social Work for George Mason University.

Her 48-year career included her work as director of special projects at the Council on Social Work  Education where she coordinated the John A. Hartford Foundation initiative to strengthen social work gerontology competence. She was largely responsible for development of the first national social work and  gerontology competency project and a teaching resource compendium. She taught over 500 social work faculty through aging infusion curriculum workshops.

Dr. Rosen was senior staff associate in aging policy and practice for the National Association of Social Workers where she represented NASW to a variety of government agencies and accrediting organizations and served on national consensus panels. She was a reviewer for AHQR Clinical Practice Guideline for Alzheimer’s and dementia, expert panelist for TIPS 26 on alcohol and substance abuse among older adults, and delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.

She is the author of over 40 publications, numerous professional presentations, and recipient of  leadership awards from AGESW and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Directors.

Award for Excellence in Multicultural Aging

Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing’s Comprehensive Housing Care Project

The mission of Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) is to improve the life experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors by developing affordable housing, providing comprehensive care and ensuring, through advocacy and education, a brighter future for the LGBT elder community.

GLEH’s vision is to be the leader in affordable housing developments for low-income seniors with a focus on providing services to special needs populations including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults. GLEH intends to serve as a model for national organizations to implement best
practices and provide an integrated support services model. We will address the bio-psycho-social and housing needs of emerging elder LGBT populations through continuous improvement to housing developments, driven by integrity and innovation of service delivery.

The Comprehensive Housing Care Project is the lynchpin of GLEH’s comprehensive integrative and supportive housing system. It is an innovative service delivery model that addresses and eliminates systemic barriers to healthy aging and independent living confronted by LGBT seniors, including affordable housing, limited income and poverty, access to health and supportive services, and LGBT and HIV/AIDS discrimination issues.