UGA Institute of Gerontology

05/11/2026

Huge congratulations to our newest Gerontology graduates! 🎓 We are so proud of the passion and empathy you bring to this field. The future of aging looks brighter with you leading the way!

04/29/2026

The UGA HR Benefits Fair took place today, and the Institute of Gerontology's CARE Center faculty were delighted to attend, talk all things brain health, provide resources for UGA's caregivers, and even conduct a cognitive screening or two.

As much as we love to hit the road and serve our state, sometimes, there's no place like home.

04/29/2026

Graduation time is always bittersweet. We are so unequivocally, proud of the extraordinary students who entrust us with mentorship, but we sure miss them when they are gone!

Congratulations to this year‘s crop of truly incredible graduate students who completed capstone experiences with us this year, including Kelsey Amon, one of our exceptional graduate research assistants, and Katelyn Hale, one of our extraordinary teaching assistants.

Special congratulations to IoG and University of Georgia CARE Center faculty member Andrew Kiselica, honored as Preceptor of the Year for our MPH Applied Professional Experience program.

And if you know Andrew, then you know why!

Congratulations to our graduates, and their mentors.

04/20/2026

The CURO undergraduate research poster day is one of our favorite days of the year! Our incredibly hard-working students presented posters on important research projects. Congratulations to each of the students, and to their dedicated mentors!

04/16/2026

Join us in congratulating our own Katelyn Hale, who was recognized with the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for 2026 by the UGA Center for Teaching and Learning. We so appreciate all of her hard work, and her incredibly positive attitude!

04/11/2026

Our College of Public Health's third annual Research Day was tremendous day for our students (current and IoG-adjacent!)!
Special congratulations to our IoG award winners:

1. Madison McDonald, winner of the Dean Marsha Davis Graduate Fellowship, thanks to a generous gift from Marsha Davis

2. Cameron Wysocky (mentored by Jack Harth), winner of the Leonard and Marie P**n graduate research award, thanks to a generous gift from Leonard P**n and Marie P**n.

3. Chloe Mnich, winner of the Barbara Bankston and Mel Garber CARE Center award, supported by University of Georgia CARE Center "founding father," Mel Garber, in honor of his wife, Barbara Bankston.

These students are as special as the awards they received, and we are so proud of them. Tremendous thanks to our spectacular donors, who made these awards possible

04/02/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Emerson for this wonderful recognition by the UGA Graduate School! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating and recognizing Kerstin Emerson, who has received the Dean's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education from the UGA Graduate School and the College's Teaching Excellence Award.
Dr. Emerson is known by her colleagues and students as a passionate and dedicated educator.
She has been teaching for more than a decade, currently serving as a clinical professor at the Institute of Gerontology and in the Department of Health Policy & Management. Her undergraduate and graduate courses cover a wide range of topics focused on gerontology, from comparing aging across the world to examining the experiences of death, dying, grief and loss.
She is also committed to mentoring students and creating meaningful learning experiences that broaden perspectives and prepare students for careers working with aging populations.
We are grateful for her innovative approaches to class material, outstanding student engagement and expertise in course design and pedagogy.
Congratulations, Kerstin! We are so proud of the work you do and the impact you make on our students.

04/01/2026

Congratulations to all these incredible faculty, but especially to our own Dr. Jenay Beer - who is now full professor! 🎉 🥳

03/30/2026

What a great way to start off honors week- the College of Public Health honored our own Dr. Correia!

It is time for Honors Week! This is a special time for UGA and the College of Public Health as we celebrate those who have contributed greatly to our mission over the past year.

Let's kick off the week with our college Excellence in Service Award.

This year’s recipient is Stephen Correia. Public health is grounded in service, and his work reflects that commitment at its highest level. Through his community engagement, leadership, and partnership, he helps create the conditions in which communities can thrive.

Since joining our faculty in 2022, Dr. Correia has made an incredible impact. In addition to his role as Director of the Institute of Gerontology, he has remained deeply committed to experiential learning and student training. He pioneered our neuropsychology training program and has cultivated a dynamic, supportive environment by engaging undergraduate students in service-learning through the CARE Center and involving advanced students as mentors.

Dr. Correia is also a widely respected leader in clinical psychology, neuroscience, and gerontology. He represents CPH in the Precision One Health Initiative and is a driving force in supporting ongoing advancements in the field of Alzheimer's research. His groundbreaking work, ranging from cognitive training interventions to studying how everyday environments affect patient safety, continues to set new standards in neuropsychology and elevates UGA’s national reputation.

Congratulations, Dr. Correia! Your dedication is making a profound difference in the lives of Georgians and shaping the future of public health research. Thank you for your work!

03/06/2026

Eating your veggies is a great strategy for brain health...
..just ask Hairy Dawg!

Hairy and other UGA celebrity guest stars were on hand with UGA Cooperative Extension and the University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology CARE Center to promote brain health over the weekend, in beautiful Cartersville, GA.

Among those guest stars, CARE welcomed back our former postdoctoral fellow, now a Kennesaw State University Owl, Anita Reina, PhD, who leads CARE's work in West GA.