Marilyn Gugliucci completes two-year presidency for AGHE and participates in their 36th Annual Meeting
Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D. recently completed a successful 2 year presidency for the Association for Gerontology/Geriatrics in Higher Education (AGHE). She transitioned from AGHE President to Immediate Past President (that requires one more year on the executive board) at the close of the 36th Annual AGHE Meeting (Theme: Mining Silver: Optimizing Aging and Its Workforce through Education) on March 7th, 2010 in Reno, Nevada.
During the Annual Meeting Dr. Gugliucci participated in 3 Symposia and 2 Workshops. The four-hour, preconference workshop was entitled: "Tough Times" Keeping your Gerontology Program Thriving." Dr. Gugliucci also presented a workshop on "Learning By Living," the project whereby medical students are 'admitted' into nursing homes for two weeks to live the life of an elder resident.
The 3 symposia were: (1) The AGHE President's Symposium, entitled: "What's the Point of Aging: Word of God or Crowd Control with C. Paolini (UNECOM), (2) The AGHE Past Presidents Symposium, entitled: "The Role of Higher Education in Health Care Reform;" and (3) the final symposium, entitled: "Establishment of Geriatrics Curricula Guidelines for Health Professions Education: Preparing a Health Care Workforce for an Aging America."
When not in sessions Dr. Gugliucci introduced AGHE award winners at their sessions, conducted the annual business meeting, and chaired various committees. As part of the president's responsibilities, Dr. Gugliucci had to secure the opening and closing keynote speakers. John (Jack) W. Rowe, MD, a geriatrician, who founded the division on aging at Harvard Medical School, was first chair for the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Geriatrics Dept, served as chief executive officer of Aetna Inc, and currently is a professor of health policy at Columbia University was the opening speaker. Dr. Rowe chaired the Institute of Medicine Study Group that produced the report "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce" (2009). He is currently chairing the Mac Arthur Foundation Committee for the ANA on Nursing Workforce Development in Aging. Workforce development was Dr. Gugliucci's focus during her presidency. The closing speaker was Eleanor Roosevelt, who spoke on her later years after Franklin's death. A reception was held in Dr. Gugliucci's honor sponsored by UNECOM in which 75 invited guests attended, a good time was had by all!