People
Jon Pynoos, PhD
Principal Investigator
UPS Foundation Professor of Gerontology, Policy and Planning
Jon Pynoos, PhD, is the UPS Foundation Professor of Gerontology, Policy and Planning at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He is also Director of the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification, and Co-Director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence which is funded primarily by the Archstone Foundation.
Pynoos has spent his career researching, writing, and advising the government and non-profit sectors concerning how to improve housing and long-term care for the elderly. He has conducted a large number of applied research projects based on surveys and case studies of housing, aging in place and long-term care. He teaches courses on Social Policy and Aging.
Email: mhenke@usc.edu
Maria Henke, MA
Senior Associate Dean
Maria Henke is the Senior Associate Dean of the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world. Maria has been responsible for developing numerous gerontology education and training programs at the USC Leonard Davis School, including creating several online home modification training programs that have been administered over the past two decades. Since joining the USC Leonard Davis School in 1987, Maria has authored or co-authored several scholarly articles on gerontology education, focusing on distance learning gerontology program research and development and tailoring programs for the educational needs of working professionals. She has been invited to present at several conferences on the topics of innovation in gerontology education and falls prevention and home modification programs. Maria is dedicated to meeting the educational needs of professionals working to maximize independence for older adults. Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in communications, both from the University of Southern California.
Email: cicero@usc.edu
Caroline Cicero, PhD, MSW, MPL
Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology
Director, USC Age Friendly University Initiative
Caroline Cicero, PhD, MSW, MPL, is a policy advocate, educator, practitioner, and researcher, focusing on the intersection of: individual and population aging; urban planning for lifelong communities; and social and health service delivery. Making local communities better places to grow old is one of her primary interests, in addition to educating her students, policy makers, and the public about older people and the aging process. One of her favorite teaching and research methods is visual gerontology—an analysis of aging’s portrayal in popular media, fine art, and the public square. For the last 25 years, Cicero has lived in the Los Angeles area, where her professional work includes senior care management, affordable housing development, fall prevention, environmental design, and policy planning in public, private, and nonprofit settings.
Email: emily.nabors@usc.edu
Emily Nabors, MSG
Program Manager
Emily Nabors is an expert in educating service providers and professionals on fall prevention with a focus on home modification and aging in place strategies. Emily’s extensive experience in fall prevention and home modification coalition development resonates in her instruction of a course on building local home modification coalitions and increasing community awareness. She also created, and pilot tested a home assessment and information tool for use by the local fire department, developed a home safety toolkit with resources for older adults and professionals, and presents at national, state, and local professional conferences. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Stopfalls California – the statewide fall prevention network, a founding member of the National Home Safety and Home Modification Work Group and conducts research on home modification with NCOA’s National Falls Prevention Resource Center. She has a Master of Science degree in Gerontology from the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
Email: overton@usc.edu
Julie Overton, MSG, MHA
Julie Overton, MSG, MHA, Senior Learning and Development Specialist at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, is a supportive housing and long term care specialist whose primary expertise is in the area of home modification. Her research and training activities over the past three decades have focused on the analysis and compilation of national, state and local home modification efforts and ascertaining the impact of the physical home environment on well-being. Julie coordinates and instructs the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program and the Executive Certified Home Modification Provider Program, manages the Home Modification Education for States (HOMES) Program, has published over 20 reports and articles, and presented over 50 workshops on home modification and housing options for older adults. She has organized and led several home modification coalitions and is a founding member of the National Home Safety and Home Modification Work Group. She also conducts research on home modification with NCOA’s National Falls Prevention Resource Center. Julie holds a Masters of Gerontology and Master of Health Administration, both from the University of Southern California.
Email: leon.watts@usc.edu
Leon Watts III, MAG
Leon Watts, a Learning and Development Specialist with the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, is a home modification specialist and instructor with the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program and engages in outreach efforts for the School. Having owned and operated Guardian Home Services for 35 years, he provided home modification services for small and large homes in Southern California. As his clients aged, Leon decided to pursue a Masters in Gerontology at USC after receiving his Undergraduate Degree from USC in Alongside his work at USC, Leon continues to manage clients that are over 80, to help them remain as independent as possible in their homes.