A unique pair of siblings have taken the phrase “Trojan Family” literally, embarking on their USC educational journey together and enriching their business partnership in the process.
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Congratulations Class of 2014! The largest class in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology’s history graduated today. Bringing together faculty, staff and students, the graduation program also included the largest number of award presentations by the University to students from the Davis School.
“I am amazed by these students,” said Dean Pinchas Cohen who delivered the welcoming address and closing remarks. “They are reinventing aging as we know it and I am positive that they will have an important role to play in all of our futures as they advance in their careers.”
The USC Leonard Davis School has always been a tight-knit group which provides both faculty and student the opportunity to really enjoy the experience more personally as their academic careers flourish. Among the 70 graduates were 5 new PhD students as well as 4 new recognized Doctoral Affiliates. It was during the PhD hooding ceremony that Drs. Susan Enguídanos, Tara Gruenewald, Eileen Crimmins, Valter Longo, Bob Knight, and Mara Mather were able to convey the connection that faculty have with their students.
“I’m sorry; I will be talking for over a minute even though we’re not supposed too. I just have so many good things to say and one minute just isn’t enough time. I feel a bit selfish saying I’m sad to see Joohong leave us, but we’re very proud of her and we’ll miss her,” said Dr. Gruenewald as she delivered her heartfelt send off.
After honoring the accomplishments of our graduating class, Dean Cohen closed out our commencement with some reassuring words and a reminder that we are all part of an ever growing Trojan family. “I encourage you to remain closely in touch with the school as you pursue your goals and further your careers; after all, we are united by a shared dream–the dream of a better and more vibrant aging experience for all. Congratulations and Fight On!”
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Heinz Osterburg Prize – Morgan Levine
Order of Troy – Jacqueline Dion
Renaissance Scholar – Jacqueline Dion
Discovery Scholar Prize Finalists – Brandon Glousman, Kyrstin Harris, Joshua Man, Elaine Roh, Kezia Rusli
Discovery Scholar Prize Recipient – Brandon Glousman
McNair Scholar – Nicole Marcione
Gerontology Minors – Elizabeth Breiter, Sarah Fell, Sara Lanier, Aaron Mejia, Kimberly Morton, Rachel Piperno, Lauren Salas Mationg, Maurice Turner, Sidney Zahabizadeh
Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Aging – Asmaa Albaroudi, Tiffany Chu, Marie Danielian, Jessica Davis, Jacqueline Dion, Brandon Glousman, Jessica Gonzalez, Megan Greaney, Raphi Hambartzhumian, Kyrstin Harris, Natalie Innocenzi, April Jordan, Christine Karapetian, Susan Kazandjian, Joshua Man, Nicole Martin, Myra Mendoza, Nicholas Persinger, Elaine Roh, Kezia Rusli, Mary Stepanyan, Jae Yoon Yi
Bachelor of Science in Lifespan Health – Nicole Marcione
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology – Crystal Baham, Robin Drubin, Aubrie Hills, Cheryl Lampkin, Jennifer Martin, Lana Perry, Maria Yefimova
Master of Long Term Care Administration – Heather Diaz
Master of Arts in Gerontology – Susan Adams, Donna Anderson, Nathan Bowman-Johnston, Selim Ciftci, Jordan DeVera, Susan Fair Clark, Ileana Gavina, Hannah Godwin, Heather Gulas, James Hill, Ann Hollander, Jacqueline Hurt, Cynthia Hutchins, Janine Katsikas, Kelley Le, Karen Love, Michelle Matter, Christie Miller, Christina Muzzy, Jenna Patterson, Larry Perkins, Sandra Rachon, Lisa Saldana, Nishad Sathe, Loreen Trevino, Jelisa Turner, Brenda Vazquez, Melissa Weaver, Anna Whitlock, Logan Wimer, Robert Worthen, Walter Zuhosky
Master of Aging Services Management – Michelle Akahoshi, Mateen Ansari, Rochelle Balaban, Jennifer Brewer, Catherine Dilley, Joyce Dirkes Chavez, Elizabeth Donnell, Travis Freed, Kimberly Henderson, Lisa Herring, Melissa Itzkowitz, Yolanda Lawler, Ruth Le, Catherine Lee, Scott McAulay, Meagan McClellan, Carlena McKnight, Lu Meng, Sam Moghaddamfar, Nell Moton Kapple, Calli Peacock, Donna Phillips, Jon Schwartz, Jessica Taylor, Paul Wanson, Darin Weidauer
Master of Science in Gerontology – Crystal Bettenhausen-Bubulka, Sahar Edalati, Kristina Field, Virginia Hazarian, Craig Hung, Ani Kolangian, Angelica Kutnerian, Cera Meintzer, Pamela Maree, Ramirez, Catherine Salvino, DeVonet Taylor, Jeannette Torres, Tavin Vasuntarapiwat, Kim Vu, Eve Wettstein, Carin May Wong, Anna Woo
Doctor of Philosophy in Gerontology – Alexis Coulourides Kogan, Jeffery Laguna, Joohong Min, Nicholas Pisca, Felicia Wheaton
Recognition of Affiliated Doctorate – Chia-Wei Cheng, Philip Sayegh, Matthew Sutherland, Alexandra Ycaza
With the pen name, “Hope Concordia,” this USC Davis School graduate student shares her story of domestic abuse to help others in her new book, Still Standing: A Survivor's Story.
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Once again, the USC Leonard Davis School graduated its largest class. This year’s graduates shared a special honor: earning a heartfelt send-off from Pinchas Cohen in his first commencement as dean.
“As you well know, the USC Leonard Davis School is continuing to innovate and explore what it means to be on the cutting edge of aging research,” Cohen said in his address. “This is a never-ending mission that I know each of you will pursue in your own way. 2013 graduates of the USC Leonard Davis School, I salute you and wish you the best of luck in pursuing your goals.”
Bringing together faculty, staff and students, the graduation program also included award presentations from Tuck Finch and Sean Curran. Finch’s recognition of doctoral graduate Sebastian Brandhorst with the Heinz Osterburg prize moved many to tears when Brandhorst made a surprising announcement.
“I have asked that the financial aspect of the Osterburg prize be donated to Liza Cherney, a USC Leonard Davis alumna who was injured in the Boston Marathon bombing,” Brandhorst said, earning the day’s most heartfelt cheers.
Another highlight came when outgoing Student Gerontology Association president Cameron Chalfant delivered his speech.
“I am so honored to address all of you amazing graduates and I am proud to say that we’re leaving school ready for the next chapter,” Chalfant said. “I want to thank the faculty, staff and administration of the USC Leonard Davis School. They dedicate their lives to us students and they each deserve a round of applause and a handshake.”
After honoring the accomplishments of the faculty, including giving Susan Enguídanos the Dean’s Outstanding Faculty Award, Cohen turned the ceremony over to vice dean Kelvin J. A. Davies, who recognized the graduates, whose emotions—a bittersweet but triumphant celebration—mirrored those of their friends, family and supporters, who loudly cheered them on.
Before closing the commencement for a luncheon celebration, Cohen reminded graduates that they were Trojans, now and forever.
“As champions of seniors and science, I urge each of you to remain closely in touch with the School,” Cohen said. “After all, we are united by a shared dream—the dream of a better and more vibrant aging experience for all. Congratulations and Fight On!”
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Heinz Osterburg Prize – Sebastian Brandhorst
engAGING Awards – Ashley Phillips, Bill Zhou, Yu-Ching Huang, Cameron Chalfant, Emily Loynachan, Erik Doan, Sahar Edalati, Barbara Howard
Order of Troy – Cameron Chalfant, Sahar Edalati, Sonia Hua, Ani Kolangian, Tom Maxim, Carin Wong, Bill Zhou
Renaissance Scholar – Craig Hung, Tom Maxim
Discovery Scholar Prize Finalists – Sahar Edalati, Craig Hung, Tom Maxim, Bill Zhou
Gerontology Minors – Brent Duddie, Craig Hung, Rachel Piperno, Hannah Schiweck
Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Aging – Cameron Chalfant, Jennifer Chang, Sahar Edalati, Kristina Field, Virginia Hazarian, Sonia Hua, Ani Kolangian, Tom Maxim, Ashley Phillips, Kim Vu, Carin Wong, Bill Zhou
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology – Susan Fair Clark, Gianna Henke, Brett Riley, Catherine Trifilo
Master of Long Term Care Administration – Clifford Tomb
Master of Arts in Gerontology – Tahmina Aziz, Shawna Conlan, Justin Eastwood, Liora Fink, Brian Gauthier, Barbara Howard, Yu-Ching Huang, Johanna Hurlock, Aarti Kumari, Katherine Landsman, Sheryl Lapidus, Theresa Mac Gregor, Suzanne Maisner, Carrie Mullin, Margaret Rosenau, Patricia Sacchetti, Veronica Sanchez Perez, Angela Whitlock, Kristen Wilhelm, Logan Wimer, Julia Wysong
Master of Aging Services Management – Nadia Akaweih, Monica Anderson, Vanessa Bruns, Erik Doan, Jascenna Haislet, Dong Liang, Fleur Martino, Kathleen Olsovsky, Richard Rosenberg, Wu Yang
Master of Science in Gerontology – Pavitra Anand, Amy Bassoff, Alyssa Bobman, Ernestine Campbell, Christine Chow, Sara Damiano, Winnie Dang, Maria De La Rosa, Lyndsay De Matteo, Stephen Gaucin, Elena Gonzalez, Lauren Iwata, En-Shu Kuo, Judith Lee, Emily Loynachan, Kaitlin Masatsugu, Minda Miyamoto, Cara Murayama, Michelle Pastrano, Kevin Proff, Jody Santos, Rachel Violette, Allyson Young
Doctor of Philosophy in Gerontology – Shieva Davarian, Carrie Donoho
Recognition of Affiliated Doctorate – Sebastian Brandhorst, Jennifer Geren
Dual degree USC Davis School of Gerontology alum Liza Cherney (’06, BSG; ’07 MSG) sustained major injuries at the 2013 Boston Marathon. After undergoing a number of surgeries, Liza is now recovering at home but needs our help and support. Liza has always proven herself a devoted, philanthropic Trojan—please join…
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With some studies showing that as many as 1 in 10 older adults—with 1 in 2 with dementia—becoming victims of elder abuse, the issue has never been more important to tackle.
Identifying and combating elder abuse was the topic of the Jan. 8, 2012 episode of Dr. Phil, and featured a very special guest expert: USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology PhD grad Kerry Parker Burnight.
Burnight, who is a faculty member at the University of California at Irvine is a high-profile elder justice advocate who is a member of the Ageless Alliance, a collective of experts dedicated to fighting elder abuse by building awareness, providing support and increasing community involvement.
“We are so proud of Kerry’s amazing career and that she continues to bring attention to such an important and necessary subject that affects us all,” said Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School. “She represents the very best ideals of gerontology and I hope viewers will take her excellent advice to heart.”
Maribeth Bersani earned her master of science in gerontology in 1978 from the USC Leonard Davis School. Today, she’s the Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) in Alexandria, Virginia.
USC Leonard Davis: Hi Maribeth. Could you describe the work of ALFA?
MARIBETH BERSANI: The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) was founded in 1990 to serve as the voice for providers of senior living communities and the seniors and families those communities serve. Advocacy is an essential component of ALFA’s public policy program.
How would you describe your work?
As the Senior Vice President for Public Policy, I help ALFA and our members champion consumer-driven public policy to promote choice, independence, dignity and quality of life for America’s seniors. We serve as a resource to elected officials and policy makers at the federal and state level, and help educate and inform them about senior living.
What made you choose the USC Leonard Davis School?
When I was a senior in high school my grandmother with diabetes had to have her leg amputated. She went to a nursing home for rehabilitation services. I had never been in a nursing home before but after that first exposure I decided I wanted to help the seniors living in nursing homes. I volunteered my senior year and then worked at the nursing home in the activities department during my summer vacations. My undergraduate degree was in psychology but my college had recently started offering courses on aging. Paul Kershner from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology came to speak to our class. I knew I wanted to study gerontology and quite frankly at the time (1976) there were only a few schools that offered the degree. USC had the master-level degree and that is what I wanted.
How did you learn about your current position?
I have been working in the field of aging for over 30 years. About 17 years ago I switched from being a public sector employee working for the New York State Office for the Aging to the private sector working for Sunrise Senior Living. That opportunity helped me learn the business of senior living. Sunrise Senior Living was the founder of ALFA and I had always worked closely with the organization. When I had to opportunity to join ALFA six years ago, it was an opportunity to broaden my scope and work on behalf of all providers, not just one company.
How did your USC Leonard Davis School experience help prepare you for your career?
The USC Leonard Davis curriculum was multi-disciplinary. It provided a well-rounded education on all issues related to aging. At the time we did an internship that enabled students to pursue particular interests in direct service, public policy or other areas related to aging and long-term care. I can still remember sitting in class seeing the demographic charts showing the growth of the elderly population that was expected in 2010 and thinking that was a lifetime away.
What advice would you offer current or prospective USC Leonard Davis students?
My advice to anyone thinking about studying at the USC Leonard Davis School is to do it! There are so many career opportunities in the field of aging. There are today and will continue to be many doors open for people with a degree in gerontology. Opportunities exist in public policy, direct care, legislative, regulatory and legal fields to name a few. In 2031, the first of the baby boomers will be 85 years old. Take it from someone who thought 2010 was a lifetime away: it will be here before you know it.
Finding a job, especially in this economy, can be daunting for many new grads, but thanks to his creativity, training and support from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, recent alum Peter Lancellotti is living his dream.
After graduating with his graduate certificate this past summer, Lancellotti started a new career in business development with Blue Marble Game Company, becoming the company’s resident gerontologist.
“We are creating an innovative, comprehensive and cost-savings digital health game ecosystem,” he said. “Our strategy is to combine the strengths of empirical evidence with entertainment to provide a low cost method of therapy for health and wellness.”
Part of what attracted Lancellotti to Blue Marble was their focus on creating fun video games that could serve as valuable cognitive and physical therapy tools, especially the development of a suite of games aimed directly at helping with fall prevention.
“Helping older adults age in place is paramount in my personal and career goals. Another aspect of my gerontological goal is a strong desire to help older adults obtain and maintain health/wellness, while improving their quality of life,” he said. “My education at the USC Leonard Davis School has also afforded me the opportunity to educate a software development company to ensure that the design matches the needs of older adults.”
Crediting his mentors at the USC Leonard Davis School for their assistance, particularly Elizabeth Zelinski, PhD, Lancellotti advised students and job-seekers to focus on networking proactively and creatively as a key element to making the sometimes-rocky post-academic transition.
“Talk to everybody about what you want and what you do,” he said. “For example, if it weren’t for Dr. Zelinski, I would have never met the CEO of Blue Marble Game Company.”
With more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing for the telecom and technology industries before he decided to return to school, Lancellotti was initially drawn to gerontology so that he could better understand the needs of his older partner as well as his mother. Born out of this interest came his increasing desire to help improve the health and wellbeing of all older adults despite the numerous limitations, obstacles and difficulties they may face.
“Blue Marble is working to provide solutions to all of these concerns by offering a method to provide low-cost healthcare through the use of video games that are highly motivating and thereby improving adherence, allowing remote access and easy communication with therapists after discharge,” he said. “Not to mention, the games are motivating and fun!”
With the opening of this new chapter, Lancellotti is proud to get one step closer to fulfilling his personal dream of reaching his full professional potential, and points to his alma mater as a crucial step in helping him achieve it.
“The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has the best program in the U.S. and quite probably the world,” he said. “Having internationally renowned professors at the top of their field, I received the highest level of expertise and an educational experience unmatched by any university in an environment that fosters and cultivates creativity.”
Peter Lancellotti
