Recognized for Scientific Study of Older Adults
02/18/2015
By Karen Angelo
The School of Nursing has been selected as a member of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, a designation that recognizes the school’s strong commitment to gerontological nursing.
“We are very excited and honored to be recognized,” says School of Nursing Interim Dean Karen Devereaux Melillo. “This designation connects the School of Nursing faculty to leaders in other top schools, providing access to leading innovations in education and research for the health of older adults.”
As the population ages, it’s critical to build a strong nursing workforce that’s knowledgeable about the unique healthcare needs of older adults.
UMass Lowell’s strength in gerontology began in 1975, when former Chair and Professor Emerita May Futrell established the first Master’s Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program. Since then, faculty has researched and published hundreds of papers on elder issues including wandering, health promotion, physical activity and exercise, cognitive health, depression, delirium, raising grandchildren and more.