Before enrolling at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ilian Grigorov built Bulgaria’s largest health care system: City Clinic. The company included four hospitals and five outpatient centers.

A Turkish health care conglomerate purchased the company in 2016, leaving Grigorov open to new ventures. He found his next investment opportunity in rehabilitation and senior care facilities in Bulgaria and Greece. Then COVID-19 hit.

It was a challenging time, but Grigorov wasn’t deterred. His drive for success led him to the Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality (MASLH) program at USC Leonard Davis School. What he didn’t expect to find at USC was another direction for his work — longevity clinics.

From investment banking to senior living

Grigorov started his career in investment banking in the late 1990s, eventually becoming a partner at Soros Investment Capital Management. His shift to health care was fueled by a desire to do something more meaningful. 

“People who work in the finance industry often talk about impact,” Grigorov explains. “Climate change is a popular interest for mission-driven investments. But I can’t think of an industry that has a more direct influence on people than health care.”

Whether it’s hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation facilities or senior living communities, Grigorov is leaving his mark at a national level. 

Pursuing quality and excellence in care

From the start, Grigorov aimed to deliver world-class care. He worked with prominent U.S. health care organizations to set up cardiac and cancer centers at City Clinic. He also pursued accreditation through The Joint Commission — a premier health care accrediting organization. 

“Accreditation required us to analyze patient data to find any shortfalls in care. We also developed policies and procedures to meet rigorous quality and safety standards,” Grigorov says. “We were proud to be the first in southeast Europe to receive Joint Commission accreditation.”

Grigorov also prioritized excellence when developing rehabilitation and senior care facilities. Being new to the field, he wanted to learn as much as possible.

“It was a great academic and practical experience”

When Grigorov compared his options for master’s degrees in senior living, USC Leonard Davis School rose quickly to the top. The main reason was the level of expertise among the faculty. USC professors are at the forefront of the industry in California, the U.S. and across the world. 

Grigorov started the MASLH program in the fall of 2020. He attended classes online, often asynchronously due to the difference in time zones. “It was fantastic to dive into senior living academically while also developing these services in Bulgaria and Greece,” he says. 

Among Grigorov’s professors, Jim Biggs, MPA, was particularly impressive. “Jim is a senior living legend,” Grigorov says. “He provided real, practical advice from the points of view of the industry, staff and residents.”

Classes Grigorov found most useful were those in finance, marketing and strategic planning. He also enjoyed looking at senior living from the lens of hospitality. MASLH students can earn a Master Certificate in Hospitality Management through Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration. These classes provided a different perspective on cost and efficiency and the importance of amenities, such as catering and social activities. 

Entering the field of longevity care

Like all master’s degree programs at the USC Leonard Davis School, the MASLH program includes basic classes in gerontology. “To run a senior living facility well, you need to understand the many aspects of aging,” Grigorov says. “But I also started thinking about how this knowledge might apply to the emerging wave of longevity and wellness.” 

Turning that idea into action, Grigorov founded Blue Longevity Clinic in 2024. The company combines advances in medicine and technology with Mediterranean traditions in diet and lifestyle. 

Grigorov plans to open longevity clinics in Bulgaria, Greece and eventually Turkey. These clinics benefit from being in or near Greece, which is a blue zone — an area of the world where people live longest. 

Helping people live longer and healthier

Blue Longevity Clinics provide rigorous health assessments for clients. Clinicians then use large-scale predictive health models to create personalized recommendations for:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Sleep and recovery
• Social connections and purpose

Making lifestyle changes is challenging. In general, only about 15% of people who set out to make changes stick with their plan. To improve compliance, Grigorov’s clinicians use a hybrid coaching model that includes behavioral interventions and wearable devices. This approach has been shown to increase compliance to more than 60%. 

Grigorov is excited about this new direction. “I often come across USC Leonard Davis School alumni who are also working in the area of longevity,” Grigorov says. “USC has not only given me a prestigious degree. I also feel I’m part of a community of professionals dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health as they age.”

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, call us at (213) 740-5156. 

My research provides some evidence that instead of modifying their home environments proactively, people tend to use home modifications in a reactive way to accommodate their declining functions. This finding has implications for practice, service delivery, and product development. It suggests the need to better promote home modification products and services to individuals with greater health care needs, while also increasing public awareness so that people can prepare more proactively for future needs.

I hope to continue building evidence on how home modifications can be delivered more effectively to support aging in place. I am interested in understanding how service delivery models can better connect older adults and families with the right home modification products, services, and professional support at the right time. I am also interested in exploring how AI can strengthen aging and health services delivery by helping identify people’s needs more precisely, match them with targeted resources, and ensure that individuals who need support can access the most appropriate services in a timely and efficient way.

What are some other meaningful experiences that you’ve had during your time here?

I feel deeply honored that I was named as a mentored teaching fellow through the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching, and I had the opportunity to serve as the instructor for two graduate-level courses: GERO 554, “Evaluation: Incorporating Evidence-Based Practices” in Spring 2025; and GERO 568, “Adaptive Age-Friendly Environments and Injury Prevention” in Fall 2025. I greatly enjoyed working with students and feel especially grateful to have developed meaningful mentoring relationships and friendships with them. I have also been recognized for teaching excellence through the Student Gerontology Association Teaching Assistant of the Year Award in 2025, nominated by my students, and the 2025 Teaching Assistant Award, nominated by faculty in the School of Gerontology.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I have been offered a postdoctoral research associate position in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In this role, I expect to expand my research by examining how to use technologies to create smarter home environments, support disability participations, optimize user experience of smart home technologies, and improve activity performance among older adults and persons with disabilities.

The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology celebrated more than 200 graduates of its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs during USC’s 143rd Commencement on May 15, 2026 in Founders Park.

In his welcoming remarks, Dean Pinchas Cohen said the members of the class of 2026 “give us hope for a brighter future for the field in the decades to come.”

“Working across multiple interconnected fields, you will be the leaders who see to it that the foods we eat, the homes and communities we live in, the care we receive, the services we provide, the technology we develop, and the polices we promote all come together to build a new way to age,” Cohen said.

The ceremony’s keynote speaker was alumna Ranyan Lu. She received her PhD in Gerontology in 1998, specializing in biodemography and population health under the mentorship of University Professor Eileen Crimmins. Before her retirement in 2025, Lu achieved a distinguished career in aging and health care services, serving most recently as Vice President of Clinical Performance Measurement and Predictive Analytics at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Lu shared how her life’s journey took her on a path she didn’t predict. While practicing medicine in Beijing, taking part in a World Health Organization surveillance study of cardiovascular disease sparked her curiosity regarding population health, which led to a master’s degree in epidemiology. Her studies fueled a deeper interest in how chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, disproportionately affect older populations, leading to her PhD program at USC. Following graduation, her subsequent research on preventive health care services and clinical operations of health plans prepared her for a career in health care leadership, she explained.

“You are well prepared to engage thoughtfully with the challenges of an aging society. Now is the time to build something uniquely your own upon that foundation,” Lu told graduates. “Let life surprise you. Let it redirect you, even if that something looks different than what you imagined today. Sometimes the best paths and destinations are the ones we never planned to reach.”

This year’s student speaker was Tiffany Wang, senior in human development and aging and president of the Student Gerontology Association. A first-generation college student and a daughter of immigrants, Wang spoke to graduates about how their USC education not only prepared them for fulfilling careers but also the freedom to build their life they way they want.

“USC didn’t just give me answers; it gave me possibility,” she said. “The finish line is not the job offer, not the grad school acceptance, not the white coat. The real finish line is freedom.”

What led you to the USC Leonard Davis School and to your research focus?

Maxim Averbukh PhD in Biology of Aging ’26: I became deeply interested in aging research during my early undergraduate years. When I was applying to PhD programs, USC Leonard Davis clearly stood out as one of the most focused and interdisciplinary institutions in the field, and it was a place where I could truly see myself growing as a scientist. While searching for a rotation lab, I came across the Sanabria Lab and was immediately intrigued by its focus on the actin cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is so central to nearly every aspect of cellular function, yet it remains relatively understudied in the context of aging. That gap in knowledge made the project especially exciting to me and ultimately shaped the direction of my dissertation research.

During the course of your PhD research, have you reported findings that are striking or unexpected in some way?

One of the most exciting findings from my PhD research has been showing that while actin structure and function become disrupted with age, we can actually modulate the cytoskeleton in ways that either accelerate or decelerate aging-related processes. This suggests that the actin cytoskeleton is not simply deteriorating as a passive consequence of aging, but may actively contribute to the regulation of aging itself. Moving forward, I am particularly interested in identifying the molecular mechanisms that drive age-related actin disruption, as well as exploring tissue-specific differences and interactions between the cytoskeleton and organelles such as mitochondria. I believe these directions could provide important insights into how cellular architecture influences longevity and age-associated decline.

What are some other meaningful experiences that you’ve had during your time here?

One of the most meaningful parts of my experience at USC Leonard Davis has been being part of such a close-knit and collaborative community at GERO. I have especially appreciated how interdisciplinary the program is. It is not unusual to hear a social science talk immediately followed by a deeply mechanistic biology presentation, and I think that creates a uniquely holistic way of thinking about aging. Being exposed to so many different perspectives has broadened the way I approach scientific questions and has made my training experience especially rewarding.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I am defending my dissertation this summer! After my defense, I hope to join either an academic or industry research lab where I can continue developing as a scientist in the aging field.

During the course of your PhD research, have you reported findings that are striking or unexpected in some way?

There has been almost no research on the relationship between home- and community-based services – like home health care or meals services – and elder abuse, despite (or because of) the conventional wisdom that older adults who use these services are at lower risk. However, in my dissertation, I found that there is no difference in the likelihood of experiencing abuse between older adults who use these services and those who do not. Without doing this research, we may have continued to make assumptions and missed out on ways to improve the care of older adults.

What are some other meaningful experiences that you’ve had during your time here?

One of the highlights of my time as a PhD student has been the USC Judith D. Tamkin International Symposium on Elder Abuse. I attended this event in my second year and earlier this year, and both times it has helped me build my network and think more deeply about my research. In fact, I solidified my interest in considering differences in elder abuse between those who do and do not use home- and community-based services at the 2024 Symposium and presented my findings there this past February!

What are your plans for after graduation?

I will be joining the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Health Systems Research within the VA Los Angeles HSR Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, & Policy. I’m very excited to continue to build my research skills for improving the care of older adults and begin work with a new population.

Tiffany Wang, member of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Class of 2026, came to USC as a nervous first-generation student searching for belonging. This spring, she finishes her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Aging as an award-winning researcher and a confident leader helping fellow students find their own place in the school community.

“Coming into USC, I saw gerontology as a stepping-stone toward becoming a doctor. I’m leaving with something much bigger,” says Wang, whose initial interest in aging was shaped by a close relationship with her grandmother. “Gero isn’t just a major; it’s a community, a family.”

Finding Care and Connection

Wang, also a COMPASS Fellow and QuestBridge Scholar, says her understanding of gerontology and her place within it has changed over time. Like many students, she had to work through uncertainty early on, but the deep level of support she found within the USC Leonard Davis School made a big difference.

“I came in with a lot of imposter syndrome, but it was the small, consistent moments – every check-in, every ‘I’ve been there,’ every reassurance – that slowly pulled me out of that mindset,” she says. “Those interactions didn’t just help me adjust; they reshaped how I see myself.”

A key turning point came via one of the school’s many community events.

“One experience that stands out is my first time attending the Gero First Fridays social,” Wang recalls. “As a spring admit, I didn’t know my cohort and felt completely lost… But what I found was a space where undergraduates, master’s students, and PhD students all connected as equals.”

Conversation Sparks a Research Career

Those connections led to opportunities she hadn’t originally imagined, especially in research, which had previously felt out of reach, Wang recalls.

“It was at one of those gatherings that I met a mentor who would go on to change the trajectory of my life. That single moment – choosing to start a conversation – opened doors I never even knew existed,” Wang says, recalling how she met Assistant Professor of Gerontology Ryo Sanabria. “I had no idea what a principal investigator was. In my mind, professors and scientists felt distant, almost untouchable – like roles I would never belong in. But through those conversations, I began to see that science wasn’t just about lab coats and goggles. It was about curiosity, collaboration, and persistence.”

Wang joined the Sanabria lab and began conducting research on actin, a crucial protein making up much of the cytoskeleton, the molecular “scaffold” that gives a cell structure and shape and allows it to move and divide. She has presented research on how actin responds to stressors, including actin-destabilizing chemotherapy drugs, and how the cytoskeleton may be a potential therapeutic target for cancer and other age-related diseases.

Wang is now a coauthor on published research from the Sanabria lab. She also won awards for her research poster presentations at the 2024 American Society for Microbiology’s Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) and the 2025 American Aging Association Conference.

“I became the first person in my family to step into a research lab. The journey wasn’t easy. There were weeks when my experiments failed over and over again… but those moments became the most important part of my growth,” she says. “I learned how to step back, think critically, adjust my approach, and ask for help. I learned how to persist. More than learning protocols, I learned how to think like a scientist… Those challenges gave me something far more valuable than technical skills: confidence.”

From Nervous Newcomer to Student Leader

In addition to being a more confident scientist, Wang has wholeheartedly embraced numerous other leadership opportunities. As president of the Student Gerontology Association, she has led initiatives that promote healthy aging, encourage intergenerational understanding, and combat ageism. She also delivered her first-ever speech to a live audience during the school’s 2025 Scholars and Benefactors Luncheon, sharing her story and her gratitude with a group of USC Leonard Davis School supporters and fellow scholarship recipients.

After graduation, Wang wants to balance her interests in patient care and research by pursuing an MD/PhD focused on geriatrics. As she prepares for the next step, she reflects on her perspective as the daughter of immigrants and on what her time at USC has meant.

“My parents worked tirelessly, washing dishes, making deliveries, and taking on any job they could to keep food on the table. That wasn’t a choice for them, it was survival. But coming to USC was my choice, and with that choice came opportunities I never imagined I would have,” Wang says. “Being the first in my family to attend college, to work in a research lab, and to even have the privilege of making these choices – this is what USC has meant to me. It gave me the space to try, to struggle, and ultimately to grow into someone who believes she belongs.”

How did you find your way to USC and the Master of Science in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity program?

Faith Huss, MSNHL ’26: As an Army veteran, I found myself in a bit of a transition after serving 10 years in the military followed by 5 years in the self-care industry. I knew I wanted to continue doing something that involved helping others, and I had always been interested in health and wellness, which led me to pursue nutrition and dietetics as a way to support others in a holistic, meaningful way.

I found my way to USC and the MSNHL program through my friend, Dr. Ryo Sanabria, who has a research lab at the school and spoke highly of the program and faculty. After doing my own research, I realized the program offered everything I was looking for in a nutrition and dietetics pathway.

Once accepted, I immediately felt welcomed and supported. The professors met me where I was and provided guidance whenever needed. I was also fortunate to secure a position in the Benayoun Lab as a mouse technician, where I helped care for the mice and gained valuable research experience while learning from multiple researchers and professors, even outside of the program.

What have been some of the most meaningful experiences for you as a student?

Throughout my time at USC, there have been many meaningful experiences, including the excellent teaching, networking opportunities, and invitations to educational events such as symposiums and colloquiums that enriched my learning and professional growth. I also made so many meaningful connections and met wonderful friends and truly valued the sense of community with the program and throughout my rotations.

My time with Food Access LA and the VA had the biggest impacts on me. Those two organizations will always have a place in my heart. I am especially grateful that the MSNHL program helped secure my requested internship placement at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Long Beach, as it allowed me to give back to the veteran community.

You also run a baking business, Faith’s Eats and Treats. How have you balanced your studies with being a small business owner?

My small baking business started as a simple hobby and quickly grew into something more. In 2020, I made it official by obtaining the proper licensing to sell my baked goods to the public. What began as a creative outlet has become a meaningful way for me to connect with others through food. I’ve always considered myself a giver, and one of the ways I express that is through cooking and baking—whether it’s a home-cooked meal or a thoughtful treat, I genuinely enjoy creating something that brings others comfort and happiness. Being in the kitchen is also one of my biggest stress relievers, and you will almost always find me baking or cooking during high-stress times, especially around finals.

Balancing graduate school, work, and running a small business has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned how to manage my time intentionally, especially when taking on large orders for events, by planning ahead and setting aside dedicated time for both baking and studying. Staying organized and disciplined has allowed me to meet deadlines, maintain quality, and still prioritize my academic responsibilities. Baking has remained a constant throughout my journey, providing both structure and a creative outlet. Some of you may have even seen—or tried—my cookies at the colloquium or during the holidays!

Follow Faith’s Eats and Treats on Instagram.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I am currently pursuing Functional Nutrition certificates, and following graduation, I have secured a position at the Long Beach VA as an Inpatient Registered Dietitian and will begin working in the near future. My goal is to continue my functional medicine coursework and integrate functional nutrition principles within the VA — I will hopefully be able to work closely with the VA’s Whole Health department, supporting whole-body care. Ultimately, I plan to specialize in Whole Health and Mental Health as a Registered Dietitian. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities USC has given me.

During the 2026 USC Age Tech Symposium, presenters discussed how advances in technology, including new artificial intelligence models and biomedical innovation, can transform aging research, care delivery, and health systems – but must be deployed responsibly, effectively, and at scale.

Hosted at the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center on April 17, the daylong program brought together faculty from throughout USC, including the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the Viterbi School of Engineering, and other researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders. The event, now in its third year, was sponsored by Sabra Health Care REIT and the Arnold M. Whitman Aging and Technology Initiative Fund.

In opening remarks, USC Leonard Davis School Dean Pinchas Cohen framed the discussion around a growing demographic imbalance: a rapidly aging population alongside a shrinking caregiver workforce. AI and robotics will be essential to maintaining independence, improving longevity and health outcomes, and promoting social and cognitive wellness, and there are countless opportunities for innovation, he said.

“Using AI can help us move from reacting to emergencies to preventing them,” Cohen said. “It is a fantastic time to be in this field.”

USC Senior Vice President for Health Affairs Steven Shapiro noted that using AI wisely and taking advantage of USC’s strengths can help reshape the health care market and make progress in research more quickly than ever. In particular, “aging is an area where we have a unique advantage and the right to win,” he said.

Gaurav Sukhatme, executive vice dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering and director of the USC School for Advanced Computing, emphasized a longstanding technology principle that is especially pertinent to age tech: the most impactful technologies are those that become “indistinguishable from everyday life.” The idea of AI embedded seamlessly into health care, senior living, and other aspects of daily life served as a throughline across sessions.

Reinventing health care with AI assistance

Keynote speaker and USC Associate Senior Vice President of Health Innovation Aman Mahajan delivered a blunt assessment of the health care system, describing it as increasingly unsustainable due to rising costs, workforce shortages and inefficiencies. AI, he said, represents the most viable path forward, but not in the form of larger or more complex models alone.

Instead, Mahajan pointed to practical applications already gaining traction: earlier disease detection, improved coordination across providers, and reduced administrative burden. He noted that AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, with a majority of physicians now using some form of AI in practice, and investment in health care AI comprising a significant share of industry funding.

“It’s not that everything is done with AI, but that decision-making is done closer to the point of care,” Mahajan said. “What would not change is clinical accountability. … Patients don’t trust AI; they trust clinicians using AI.”

A second keynote by Prenuvo CEO Andrew Lacy reinforced the importance of early detection. He highlighted whole-body MRI combined with AI analysis as a way to identify disease years earlier than traditional methods, an approach that could significantly reduce costs tied to late-stage diagnoses and shift health care toward prevention.

“Early detection will force radical changes to health care, and that’s how medicine moves forward,” Lacy said.

Albert “Skip” Rizzo, director for Medical Virtual Reality at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies and a joint appointee of the USC Leonard Davis School and USC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, described how virtual human systems developed at ICT are being used to expand access to care, particularly for populations that do not engage with traditional mental health services, while maintaining clinician oversight. “This is not sci-fi anymore; we can build credible, safe and ethically deliverable applications” for delivering outreach and coaching via interactive virtual humans, he said.

In a discussion of robotics and assistive systems, Distinguished Professor Maja Mataric of USC Viterbi highlighted the growing role of socially assistive robotics in aging, emphasizing that AI systems must be designed to support human needs rather than replace human care. She noted that while robots are improving in capability, their effectiveness depends on understanding real human behavior and using social interaction, rather than technology alone, to drive meaningful changes in health behavior.

AI-accelerated research and biotech

Afternoon sessions shifted toward research and applications, with multiple USC Leonard Davis School faculty presenting on aging biology and disease detection. USC Leonard Davis faculty members Associate Professor Andrei Irimia, Professor Dan Nation and Professor Mara Mather discussed how AI and deep learning are being used to identify early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease and model brain aging trajectories. These efforts aim to detect neurodegenerative conditions years before clinical symptoms appear, whether via noninvasive MRI imaging or via wearables to track biomarkers of dementia risk, and hopefully enable earlier intervention.

Other faculty members shared how tech is powering investigation into potential molecular and genetic drivers of aging and related treatments. Remo Rohs, professor and chair of the Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, described how using generative AI to predict protein structures has dramatically sped up the drug discovery and drug design processes.

USC Leonard Davis Associate Professor Berenice Benayoun discussed her lab’s work developing a biological “clock” to measure ovarian aging at the cellular level, which could pave the way to predicting age at menopause. The long-term goal is to develop treatments that improve and lengthen ovarian function and delay the significant increase in risk for age-related disease that accompanies menopause, she said.

USC Viterbi Professor of Biomedical Engineering Peter Yingxiao Wang discussed emerging technology to precisely control gene and cell therapies targeting aging processes. His work highlighted how cutting-edge CAR T-cell therapy activated by targeted ultrasound could enable noninvasive, highly tailored interventions, pointing toward new possibilities for slowing or modifying the biological mechanisms of aging.

Real-world applications

Sessions on startups and care delivery highlighted how research advances are being translated into practice. Company leaders from cardiac rehabilitation platform Movn Health, Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) provider Seen Health, and health care navigation service EZ Health described AI-enabled models that extend care into the home, reduce barriers to access, and personalize treatment through continuous monitoring and coaching.

The theme of system integration continued in an afternoon panel on improving care delivery through AI and gerontology. Notably, all panelists were alumni of the USC Leonard Davis School: Master of Science in Gerontology alumna Larissa Stepanians, chief operating officer at Los Angeles Jewish Health; Bachelor of Science in Gerontology alumna Lucy Janoyan, chief operating and strategy officer at Biography Health; and Dorice Redman, who graduated in 2024 as the first-ever recipient of the school’s Master of Science in Applied Technology and Aging degree.

Redman, principal for operations and age tech at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care, shared best practices for selecting and implementing tech solutions in senior living. Given the growing imbalance between an aging population and a smaller number of caregivers, “technology is really the only viable solution for meeting needs in a human-centered and quality way,” she said.

Making a difference is not a cliché for 2024 Master of Arts in Gerontology graduate, Beverly Gianna. She lives it every day as a long-term care ombudsman for the State of Louisiana. 

Gianna’s role is to advocate for residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities. As part of a federal grant, she also recruits and trains new ombudsmen, writes a monthly newsletter and coordinates statewide ombudsman meetings. 

“Living in a nursing home can make a person lose their sense of purpose,” says Gianna. “The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has given me the tools and confidence to help people feel seen, heard and respected.”

Finding a new career path in “retirement”

Gianna retired in 2005 after a 30-year career with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she held several communications leadership roles, including vice president of communications. In that role, she oversaw press operations supporting major citywide events and initiatives.

After “retiring,” Gianna learned about the long-term care ombudsmen program from a poster. Louisiana was looking for volunteers, so she applied and was accepted. That volunteer position turned into a part-time paid job as an ombudsman serving residents across multiple nursing homes. She also had the opportunity to take on the additional part-time role as a volunteer recruiter and trainer.

With a new position and responsibilities, Gianna wanted to know more about aging and long-term care. She explored gerontology master’s programs across the U.S. and selected USC Leonard Davis School because it’s the oldest and best. 

“I was accepted in 2015 but decided not to go — I was intimidated by online learning,” says Gianna. “A few years later, I got up my nerve and reapplied.”

Putting aging concepts into practice

One of Gianna’s most meaningful classes was Gero 508: The Mind and Body Connection Through the Lifespan. Taught by Paul Nash, PhD and Marc Vermulst, PhD, the class helped Gianna understand the link between the brain, body and healing. 

And that knowledge has helped her:

• Advocate for specific interventions: Gianna met a resident with diabetes who was depressed and frequently in and out of the hospital. With permission, Gianna asked the administrator to help identify ways to alleviate the resident’s depression so he could heal better. “I never would have intervened like that before I started studying at USC Leonard Davis School,” she says.
• Create a more calming environment: On a visit to a nursing home, Gianna noticed the overhead paging system was so loud she couldn’t talk to a resident. She raised the issue to the administrator, who replaced the paging system with personal pagers. Now, the overhead speakers play a mix of music, including Mozart, The Beatles and Willie Nelson. 
• Empower residents to be active: Gianna encouraged a resident to start a newsletter for her nursing home. The motivation helped the resident become so independent she lost her eligibility to be there. “We thought that would be devastating, but she now lives happily in a senior apartment with a balcony and a small container garden,” says Gianna. 

Learning gerontology through a layered approach

As an older adult entering the master’s program, Gianna was deeply impressed by how each class built on the one before it. The result has been a rich understanding of the biological, sociological, psychological and environmental aspects of aging.

“The information from each class, much like making a roux, blends and deepens over time,” says Gianna. “A roux develops flavor as it simmers and thickens. Similarly, the lessons from USC Leonard Davis School gained more depth with each new layer of learning.”

From that stewpot has come other insights. Gianna turned a class paper from Gero 568: Adaptive Age-Friendly Environments and Injury Prevention into a project for her neighborhood. “I’ve crafted proposals for my neighborhood association to make our area more age-friendly. I also included a plan for developing a neighbor support program,” she says. 

Spreading the word 

Gianna is a natural educator and local champion for older adults. In her community, she speaks to friends and neighbors about what to look for in a nursing home and alternative options to consider. 

As an ombudsman, she’s a routine speaker at local medical and law schools. “I get to help future attorneys and physicians appreciate the many ways aging applies to their fields,” she says.

Having completed her MAG degree, Gianna is also starting to educate other professionals. She’s on the faculty of a program to train elder care lawyers. Her part of the training focuses on the rights of long-term care facility residents. 

Understanding the full power of gratitude

Across Gianna’s classes, gratitude was an important concept that has enriched her personally and professionally. The professors demonstrated how being thankful impacts the mind and body. It boosts the immune system, improves mood and even increases blood flow.

“I’m grateful for the work I do and the sense of responsibility it gives me,” she says. “Thanks to the USC Leonard Davis School, I feel like I’m able to make a real difference in my community.”

 

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Gerontology program at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, call us at (213) 740-5156. 

It might seem natural to link the fields of financial planning and gerontology. After all, financial advisors work with people to plan for aging and retirement. Gerontology looks at the many aspects of aging across the lifespan. But professionals trained in both disciplines are few and far between.

Financial gerontologist Daniel Hutcherson MAG ’18 is one of those virtuosos. “Attending the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology profoundly changed the arc of my career,” Hutcherson says. “It informs everything I do today — not just as a financial advisor, but also in my continuing academic studies and volunteer work.”

Bringing health and well-being to the forefront of financial planning

Hutcherson has worked in the financial services industry since 1996. In 2014, he co-founded his own investment advisory firm, Sortino Advisory Partners, which joined with Savant Wealth Management in 2024.

The day-to-day work of a financial advisor is to help clients set goals and track their progress toward those goals. “It’s a sacred space to be in with families,” Hutcherson says. “They share what’s important to them and what keeps them up at night.”

Savant integrates health and well-being considerations into its broader planning philosophy. Hutcherson is now helping lead this effort, which includes initiatives aimed at supporting clients in planning for aging-related needs.

Entering grad school as a 40-year-old financial advisor

Hutcherson’s nontraditional path to the USC Leonard Davis School was driven by a deep fiduciary duty to help protect his clients.

“I saw the financial challenges of aging,” Hutcherson says. “Growing up with three grandparents who lived with dementia, I also recognized how cognitive decline can open the door for exploitation. It made me want to understand what more I could do.”

USC Leonard Davis School graduate Cynthia Hutchins MAG ’13 also influenced Hutcherson’s decision to pursue a master’s in gerontology. “Cyndi was one of the first practitioner thought leaders in financial gerontology,” Hutcherson says. “She leveraged her USC education to introduce concepts of aging and the life course approach to Wall Street. Her influence inspired me to attend USC and speak out about the challenges of financial vulnerability and abuse in later life.”

Finding the interface between financial planning and gerontology

Hutcherson began as an online student at USC Leonard Davis School in 2016. His favorite course was a hybrid on-campus and study abroad program on emotions, cognition and aging, taught by Professor Mara Mather.

“We learned about brain biology and how emotions and preferences change as people age,” Hutcherson says. “I linked these concepts to problems I’d seen with financial decision-making and vulnerability. It was my first light-bulb moment in the program.”

Students spent several weeks on campus at USC and at Reichman University in Israel. The coursework was intense, but there was also time for fun. “When I came to USC, I never expected to take a self-defense class with the Israeli Defense Forces,” Hutcherson says. “As a former U.S. Marine, that was an amazing experience.”

Other instructors served as role models for Hutcherson, in addition to being excellent teachers. Kevin Xu Chair in Gerontology George Shannon was an accomplished actor and Alison Balbag PhD ’16 holds doctorates in both music and gerontology. They showed him it’s possible to excel in seemingly disparate fields.

Embracing academic pursuits

Since earning his MAG, Hutcherson has continued his academic growth. USC Leonard Davis School professors supported him with letters of recommendation.

In 2023, Hutcherson completed a Master of Science in Translational Health Sciences from the University of Oxford. He’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University.

“My current research focuses on the financial indicators of gender-based violence. It also ties to my work as a financial advisor,” Hutcherson says. “Through our health and well-being initiative, we’re exploring ways to help identify potential financial abuse and support women through major life transitions, such as divorce.”

Giving back and moving forward

Hutcherson’s collective experiences have given him a unique perspective on aging. He proudly wears his gerontology hat in other roles:

• As a member of the American Society on Aging, he serves on the Economic Security Advisory Council with USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Senior Associate Dean Maria Henke and USC Family Caregiver Support Center Director and Research Associate Professor Donna Benton.
• As a Board of Governors member for Chicago Scots, he helps support and evaluate strategic planning and care delivery at Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care.
• As a member of the Gerontological Society of America, he recently collaborated on a policy commentary for the National Institutes of Health Artificial Intelligence Strategy. When writing, Hutcherson relied on lessons from a policy class taught by Professor Emeritus Jon Pynoos at USC Leonard Davis. “The course opened my eyes to how crucial practitioner voices are to informing policy decisions,” Hutcherson says.

Hutcherson is not ready to retire from financial advising anytime soon. But eventually, he would like to find himself back on campus — this time as an instructor.

“I’m grateful to USC Leonard Davis School Instructional Associate Professor Caroline Cicero, who is a tireless champion for age inclusivity in higher education,” he says. “Her advocacy work built a foundation for my own sense of possibility later in life.”

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Gerontology degree at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, call us at (213) 740-5156.