Contact: Dinah Winnick Communications Manager Social Sciences and Erickson School University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) (410) 455-8117 dwinnick@umbc.edu twitter.com/UMBCSocSci Today’s widespread interest in aging reflects millions of people’s deeply personal experiences with postponing retirement, supporting aging parents, caring for adult children with disabilities and utilizing technologies that promote healthy aging. UMBC’s innovative Erickson School is cultivating a new generation of professionals to respond to society’s growing need for supportive aging services. Through the Erickson School, as well as a strong, interdisciplinary gerontology program and Center for Aging Studies, UMBC offers faculty who can provide insight into aging issues from research-, practice- and policy-based perspectives. Judah Ronch, professor and dean of the Erickson School, is a nationally-renowned expert on improving the treatment and mental wellbeing of elders. His writing has focused on the debilitating effects of dementia and he has pioneered major reforms in the long-term care industry to improve the mental health of older adults and the working conditions of their caregivers. His books include “Culture Change in Long-Term Care,” “Mental Wellness and Aging” and “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Practical Guide for Those who Help Others.” Joe Gribbin, Erickson School professor, previously served as associate commissioner at the Social Security Administration (1987-2005), where he oversaw quality assurance and international programs for the agency. Gribbin has lectured extensively on global aging, retirement planning and services for older adults, including the nation’s social insurance programs and their impacts across generations. Bill Thomas, Erickson School professor, is an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare, heavily involved in the movement to promote elderhood as an honorable and valuable position in US society. He is the founder of the Eden Alternative program and Green House initiative, which have promoted the de-institutionalization of nursing homes, replacing them with small, home-like environments that support a full and interactive life. Thomas has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, NPR and Baltimore Sun. He blogs at changingaging.org. J. Kevin Eckert, professor and chair of sociology/anthropology, and Leslie A. Morgan, sociology professor, are co-authors of “Inside Assisted Living: The Search for Home.” Eckert has written extensively on aging services, senior housing and care with a focus on the social adjustments and wellbeing of older adults in assisted living settings. He is the PI or co-PI on several National Institute on Aging (NIA) studies. Morgan has received generous funding from the NIA for her work on the long-term care industry, care providers and the quality of supportive housing environments. She has also studied the costs to caregivers with relatives suffering from dementia. Nancy A. Miller, public policy professor, has conducted interdisciplinary health policy research, focusing on disability and aging issues, for the past 18 years. She served as chair of the Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association and is known for her expertise on Medicare and Medicaid. Robert L. Rubinstein, anthropology professor, has pursued research in the US and South Pacific on later life suffering among nursing homes residents. He also examines how adults cope with a parent’s death, the experiences of childless elders and food in long-term care facilities.