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Spring 2015

From the Desk of Paul

Falkowski

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From the Desk of Brooke Clements

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A Message from Paul Hogan 3

Sigma Phi Upsilon NU 4

Practicum Information 4

Meet Dr. Lesa Huber 5

Begin With the End in Mind

Series

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Dr. Chuck Powel Lecture Series

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Important Dates 6

Q & A with Students 7

Gratitude List by Dr. Masters 8

Inside this issue:

2014 Fall Certificate Recipients

UNL Graduates – Summer 2014

Mariah Clark (UG)

Kylie Horst (UG)

Natalie Lindner (UG)

UNL Graduates – Fall 2014

Joseph Finegan (UG)

Lisa Prosterman (GR)

UNO Graduates – Summer

2014

Paw Har (UG)

Alexa Meyer (UG)

J. Sarboe (GR)

Floretia Washington (UG)

UNO Graduates – Fall 2014

Fatimah AlBahrani (GR)

Chelsea Colton (UG)

Ashley Consbruck (UG)

Elizabeth Dewey (UG)

Nan Dong (UG)

Nikki Hendrickson (GR)

Amy Krejcarek (GR)

Jennifer Lagemann (GR)

Qiuyun Lin (UG)

Alycia Mordaunt (UG)*

Victoria Novak (UG)

Samantha Schonder (UG)

Amy Xie (GR)*

* Denotes membership in Sigma Phi Omega, the national academic honor and processional society in Gerontology.

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New Bachelor of Science Degree Taking Off

The Bachelor of Science in Gerontology was officially approved for the Spring 2015 semes-ter. Since January, we have had a large interest in the program which has exceeded our expecta-tions. To date, we have approximately 30 students in the Bachelor of Science program.

Our students in this program are proving to be ambitious and we are already very proud of them. Many are double majoring in other programs across campus. A large number are also plan-ning a career in nursing, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy or physician assistant. In addition to their major, all students also earn a minor or concentration. Students can choose from

any approved UNO minor or one of three concentrations: Pre-Health, Long Term Care Administration or Healthy Aging. Gerontology is a multidisciplinary program, and we are proud that it shows with our students’ career objec-tives and academic plans.

The most exciting news is that three students will participate in the May 2015 graduation ceremony! Our program is in its first semester and we will already have alumni! These students will officially graduate in August, but can par-ticipate in the May ceremony because there is not an official summer ceremony. We know our first group of alumni will make us proud and we look forward to many more graduates in the future.

We are very pleased about the strong interest in the Bachelor of Science in Gerontology and the excitement that these students are bringing to our department. Starting with our first graduates in August 2015, we expect to see great things from our students and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in Gerontology, please contact us at

unogero@unomaha.edu or (402) 554-2272

From the Desk of Paul Falkowski

Online Coordinator

From the Desk of Brooke Clements

Academic Advisor

Offering access to quality gerontological education to people who may not have access to our campus is an exciting reality. Currently, we have 32 pure online students. They represent both in-country and out-of-country locations.

Enrollment in our online classes continues to skyrocket! Online course enrollment jumped dramatical-ly from 2013 to 2014. Looking at the enrollment numbers for 2015 year to date the pace of our growth appears that it will likely continue for some time. This is indicative of the growth online education is experiencing. And why not? It makes our gerontology programs accessible to anyone in the world. Online education opens doors for people who might not otherwise have access to gerontological training. The flexibility of taking online courses makes it attractive to people who are working full-time but need to further their education.

Our growth includes new courses and new faculty as well. For our students this means a wider range of topics from which they can choose taught by experts from various career fields in aging. From management to direct care, from the psychology of aging to creating environments designed specifically for older adults, our students are prepared to take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

For us, online gerontological education means that we are developing and inspiring future leaders through education and practice to ensure that every older adult has both quantity and quality of life, not just in Nebraska but everywhere where our online courses can be accessed.

Contact me for more information about our online programs: pfalkowski@unomaha.edu or (402)554-3780.

Inspiration through Online Education!

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The value of an education in gerontology….it’s just good business.

Within the next few years, a major demographic shift will occur -- for the first time in the world’s

history, there will be more people over the age of 65 than under the age of five. While many

view the challenge of aging as a burden, I believe we need to view it through a different lens.

We must view aging as an opportunity.

An education in gerontology is important to the development of future business leaders.

Many businesses, including Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, The Hartford, and United

Healthcare, to name a few, are hiring graduates who understand the opportunities of an aging

population. These companies, and many more, are hiring people who understand that creat-

ing an age-friendly business is good for business for a number of reasons.

First, mature workers bring wisdom and experience to the workplace. Mature workers

also increase opportunities for intergenerational collaboration in the workplace and mentoring

of younger workers by older workers and vice-versa.

The baby boomer generation possesses great spending

power. Businesses that embrace the emerging over-60 demo-

graphic will create products and services that will meet the grow-

ing needs of boomers, and ultimately, have a positive impact on

the growth of the business.

Creating an age friendly business is also the socially re-

sponsible thing to do.

Society’s failure to adapt to aging can create challenges,

but forward-thinking companies that embrace an older popula-

tion and hire people who understand gerontology will set the

standard for business in the future.

A Message from Paul Hogan

Co-Founder and Chairman, Home Instead Senior Care.

Chairman, Board of Advisors, UNO Department of Gerontology.

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Sigma Phi Omega Upsilon NU

National Academic Honor

And

Professional Society in Gerontology

Practicum Information

Gerontology Practicums – sites needed for students

Many of our programs require that students complete a practicum during their course of study. Students are required to complete 156 clock hours at a site of their choice. This pro-vides practical, hands on experience for students but also helps employers/agencies as well.

As our program grows, we are in need of more diverse sites for our students. If you’re inter-ested in learning more about how you can become a practicum partner, please contact Brooke Clements at bmclements@unomaha.edu or (402) 554-2114.

Sigma Phi Omega is the national

academic honor and professional

society in gerontology. It's goals

are to recognize excellence of

those who study gerontology and

aging and the outstanding ser-

vice of professionals who work

with or on behalf of older persons.

The Claussen-Leahy Run &Walk is

an activity that Sigma Phi helped

design from the beginning (the part

that includes elders and grandpar-

ents) and still supports through

volunteers.

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Meet Dr. Lesa Huber

Begin With the End in Mind Series

Dr. Lesa Huber was the 2015 Department of Gerontology Alumni Award Recipient and guest

speaker at the 2015 Spring Colloquium, a lecture which was co-sponsored by the Depart-

ment of Gerontology and the College of Information, Science and Technology.

We were thrilled to award Dr. Huber with this outstanding award for excellence in Public Ser-

vice. She is currently a clinical associate professor at the Indiana University Bloomington

School of Public Health and serves as the school’s advisory for its gerontology program. Her

service work includes chair and elected positions at local, state, and national levels.

While here accepting her award she presented a lecture on April 1, 2015 about The Family

Technologist: a New Kind of Caregiver. The subject was fascinating and enlightening. With so

many programs moving into the digital and technological age it is a challenge for our aging population to keep up. Of-

ten times that task falls to a family member who finds they are needed by their aging parents or grandparents to navi-

gate through Medicare/Medicaid information enrollments, health care, and basic technology which is used in health

care and day-to-day living.

Dr. Huber’s primary interest is in the biological, psychological, and social determinants of aging well. Working with stu-dents, she is exploring the potential of new technologies to support independent living in later life.

This spring we arranged a community service event which is becoming a much sought and valued service.

We began last year with three (3) lectures focusing with the end in mind and thinking about those end of life

decisions. We featured: Write your own obituary, Plan your funeral/memorial service and Talk about your wish-

es—It’s all about the conversation.

This year we continued with two (2) lectures:

Writing your ethical will, presented by Shane Kotok, MS on March 20, 2015 and

Discussing the legal aspects at end of life, presented by Margaret Schaefer, JD on April 17, 2015

Both speakers gave their time and talents to better inform people in making those decisions with confidence.

This FREE service offered has seen many past attendees and several new faces. Many have asked if we will

be offering this wonderful education next year.

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Dr. Chuck Powell Lecture Series

September 14, 2015

Important Dates

Recognition Ceremony—Gerontology Certificate Recipients & SPO members

May 6, 2015, 1 p.m. CPACS Commons (132D)

Spring Commencement

May 8, 2015 - Conferral of Degrees (Sapp Fieldhouse)

May 9, 2015 - 6 p.m. College of Public Affairs and Community Service (Sapp Fieldhouse)

Summer Semester Begins

May 18, 2015

Fall Semester Begins

August 24, 2015

Dr. Chuck Powell Lecture Series

September 14, 2015

Aging with Passion and Purpose Conference: Generations Working Together

October 19, 2015

Leadership was a subject familiar to Dr. Powell, who, as a 30-year U.S. Navy commander, participated in the Berlin airlift. Powell found gerontology in the second half of his life, earning his doctorate from the University of Nebraska in 1987 and joining the UNO faculty. The Powell Lecture is held each fall in the College of Public Af-fairs and Community Service Commons and is open to university gerontology students and faculty. It is spon-sored by the UNO Department of Gerontology and through the generosity of Dr. Amy Haddad and Mr. Steve Martin.

Jane Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Gallup will be our guest speaker at the 2015 fall lecture. Jane Miller is a thought leader in performance management, leadership, and organizational identity. She is passionate about maximizing the potential of employees, and celebrating and developing talent for the future. Over her career, Jane has helped revolutionize the work-place through a unique and ground-breaking philosophy that emphasizes strengths as the lens by which organizations can select, manage, motivate, develop, and ultimately engage employees.

Jane is particularly committed to the mentoring and advancement of women in business. She is the first female in 116 years to be named Chair of the Board of Directors for the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben and is also trustee of the Peter Kiewit Foundation. Jane serves on the boards of

Creighton University and the Omaha Zoological Society. She is a recipient of the Omaha Chamber of Com-merce Women in Leadership Award, and has been named honorary chair for ICAN, Girls Inc, and TeamMates.

Dr. Chuck Powell

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Name: Margaret Gaskins Majors: B.S. in Gerontology and B.S. in Education with a major in Recreation Admin-istration Hometown: Seward, NE What interested you in Gerontology? I became interested in gerontology after spending time with my two grandmas. I have always loved helping people whenever we can. I am very involved with helping my grandmas with whatever they need, like fixing things around the house, or taking the decorations down after Christmas. I enjoyed that so much that I just thought that every elderly person should get a great last part of life, and I want to do anything I can to help make that happen. How did you hear about Gerontology? When I came on a campus tour they had department booths, and I had just stop to see what gerontology was about. What are your career goals? I want to get my gerontology degree so I can work in an assisted living or nursing home facility as an activity director. I love doing crafts and playing games, and I have always wanted my job to be fun or to create fun for other people. What Gerontology courses have you liked the most and why? I really liked death and dying. It has shown me how important the dying process is in one’s life. I thought learning about what one goes through is a key element in helping the elderly in their last part of life.

Name: Sara Kochera Major(s): General Studies Hometown: Bellevue, Nebraska High School: Bellevue East High School Tell us about yourself. I am a full time student as well as a full time mom. I am a military spouse who gets to move every couple of years. Currently, I am located in Plainfield, Illinois and love coming back to Bellevue to visit my family. I enjoy painting, reading, and spending time with my kids. Why did you choose to study Gerontology? My decision to study gerontology came from my love of seniors, and my dedication to serving people. I have to also give credit to my grandmother who helped me find my career field. So many older adults just need a friendly listening ear, and someone who cares about them. I love interacting and learning from older adults so gerontology was a natu-ral choice to study during my time with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. What has been your favorite Gerontology course you’ve taken so far? Why? My favorite Gerontology course I have taken so far is a tie between introduction to Gerontology and the Death and Dying course. Introduction to Gerontology was a great foundation course that really taught all of the basic aspects of older adults and their lives. Death and dying was extremely informative regarding what older adults experience when they lose a loved one. It was also fascinating to study all of the options available when someone dies. What do you plan to do after graduation? After graduation I hope to be able to continue working as the activities coordinator at the Senior Services Center of Will County. I very much enjoy my time with the older adults and using my love for art, meaningful conversations, and organization to serve those who visit the facility.

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Dear Friends –

What a year we’ve had – and it’s only April. With the start of the spring semester we are well on

our way to becoming the best Department of Gerontology around. Our former advisory board

chair, Terry Haney, is fond of reminding us of to aim high. Perhaps the next time you see this col-

umn we can stake claim to being the best Department of Gerontology in the World!

Until then, I want to take some time to share with each of you our spring 2015 gratitude list:

As always, our students allow us to do something we love – teach about aging. We really have the

best job in the world thanks to our students and colleagues.

For our donors, Dr. Leo Missinne and Dr. Betty Foster, who have generously created professor-

ships to support our faculty in their teaching, research and service. And, to Terry Haney and Vetter

Health Services for providing on-going funding to support our online activities.

Our adjunct instructors make it possible for us to offer courses that enhance the education and ex-

perience of our students in Omaha, Lincoln, and on-line. We are forever grateful to them for shar-

ing their passion about aging and teaching with our many students.

For the many people in the community who participate in our research projects, community pro-

gramming and encourage us in our work. We are most appreciative of Shane Kotok and Margaret

Schaefer for agreeing to present their knowledge at our spring Begin with the End in Mind series.

For Joe Schulte and his willingness to volunteer his time with us on a research project for one of

our community partners.

Kent the Gero Gent. He’s been on several journeys around Nebraska and the U.S. We look for-

ward to him traveling abroad. If you haven’t had a chance to follow him – now you can at

#gerogent. Thanks to Brooke and Sara for coming up with this idea.

Our advisors and instructors: Brooke, Paul and Bede. Each is doing a terrific job in spreading the

word about our courses and academic programs. Their tireless efforts are making a difference in

our enrollments and graduation efforts. Please thank them the next time you see them out and

about.

For the newest member of our department, Maria Sorick. In the short time she has been here she’s

worked to learn all she can about our department, CPACS, UNO, and our contacts at UNL. Her en-

thusiasm and good energy is a great gift to us all.

Gratitude List

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Dr. Julie Boron, our newest faculty member. Her research in the area of the Psychology of Ag-ing is a tremendous addition to our department and to the graduate students seeking a mentor. For Dr. Lyn Holley. Having achieved the rank of full professor, Dr. Holley continues to work to bring the generations together. She was named a Service Learning fellow for the spring semes-ter. Well done. Dr. Chris Kelly’s work as graduate chair. He oversees the efforts of our new and existing mas-ter’s students and guides the work of our doctoral students. His understanding of Graduate Studies and the University guidelines is of great benefit to our students as they work to become graduates of our program. Dr. Kyle Kercher continues to wow students in psychology and other disciplines with his skills in Structural Equation Modeling. Our emeritus and retired faculty, Drs. Missinne, Horacek, Thorson, and Kosloski for their ongoing support and interest in our work. Our advisory board, under the leadership of Paul Hogan, provide us with the encouragement and vision to find a way to become better than ourselves. We are forever grateful to our colleagues in Biology and Biomechanics for working with us on various projects, faculty searches and grant opportunities. For our Dean, John Bartle and his team in the Dean’s office for motivating us to do our very best every day. His vision for the future of our College is a gift to UNO and to the Omaha community. The Aging with Passion and Purpose planning committee. The group is actively working to final-ize speakers for this event. Be sure to save the date – October 19, 2015 at the new Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the UNO Campus! Finally, in the past several months we have learned that life is indeed a gift. Thanks to each of you for your willingness to care about the needs of our elders. This is one of those times when – what goes around truly does come around. Wishing our students and faculty all the best as we near the end of the spring 2015 semester. “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." Dietrich Bonhoeffer*

*Quote source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/40-inspiring-motivational-quotes-about-gratitude.html

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Call the main office to get your Kent—call 402-554-2272.

Then follow Kent on Twitter and on Facebook—Kent is experiencing so many things!

UNO Gerontoloy @GeroOnline

For more information & registration:

Gerontology.unomaha.edu/conference