Alumni Stories

Apr 03

MASM Graduate Is Part of a Transformation in Senior Living

By USC Leonard Davis Communications Alumni, Featured

With undergraduate and graduate degrees from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Lourdes Bustamante is on track to become a senior living leader.

Jan 14

Margarita Khachatryan, James Kordenbrock and Lindsey Klebenow

Alumni Providing Care and Pursuing Change

By Beth Newcomb Alumni, Careers in Aging, Caregiving, COVID-19, School Culture

Three USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology master’s graduates use their expertise and leadership not only to care for older adults but also to advocate for better aging policies.

Jan 04

Developing Tech to Track Health Changes

By USC Leonard Davis Communications Alumni, Featured

Bachman completed her PhD in May 2022 and started working at VivoSense as a research scientist shortly after. VivoSense develops digital measures from wearable sensor data for use in clinical trials.

Dec 09

MASM Graduate Leads One of California’s Top Nursing Homes

By USC Leonard Davis Communications Alumni, Caregiving, Featured

Ararat Nursing Facility in Mission Hills was named Newsweek’s best nursing home in California in 2023. What does it take to earn such a distinction? For Margarita Khachatryan, who serves as executive director, it’s all about creating a thriving environment.

Dec 03

MSG Graduate Is Changing Care for Older Adults in Montana

By USC Leonard Davis Communications Alumni, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregiving, Courses, Featured, Research

Lindsey Klebenow has worked in home care and assisted living in Bozeman, Montana from the time she was in college. She’s a certified nurse assistant (CNA), an emergency medical technician (EMT) and operates her own home health agency.

Nov 13

MAG Graduate Helps Older Adults Age in Place

By USC Leonard Davis Communications Alumni, Caregiving, Featured

James Kordenbrock earned his Master of Arts in Gerontology in 2023. He’s using what he learned to grow his caregiving agency and help older adults age in place.

Oct 15

GEMSTEM Scholar, Master’s Graduate Awarded Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Research in Colombia

By Beth Newcomb Alumni, Featured, Q&A

Liliana Ruvalcaba, 2024 Master of Arts in Medical Gerontology graduate, says her experiences in the GEMSTEM program gave her the support needed to become a Fulbright Scholar. She plans to develop, implement, and evaluate a telecare intervention to promote healthy aging among older adults in Bogotá, Colombia.

Oct 10