Shenk wins AGHE's Friedsam Award

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) — the educational branch of The Gerontological Society of America — has chosen Dena Shenk, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as the newest recipient of the Hiram J. Friedsam Mentorship Award.

This distinguished honor, named for a former AGHE president and an outstanding mentor in gerontology, is given to an individual who has contributed to gerontological education through excellence in mentorship to students, faculty, and administrators.

The award presentation will take place at AGHE's 37th Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference, which will be held from March 17 to 20, 2011, in Cincinnati, OH. This meeting is the premier national forum for discussing ideas and issues in gerontological and geriatric education. Educators, clinicians, administrators, researchers, and students share their experiences, expertise, and innovations regarding teaching and learning about aging and older persons. Visit www.aghe.org for further details.

Shenk, a cultural anthropologist who focuses on aging cross-culturally, is director of UNC Charlotte's Gerontology Program. She has conducted research and program development and evaluation in Denmark, Costa Rica, Peru, and the U.S. Her research includes women and aging, direct care workers, communicating with and caring for people with dementia, and ethics in gerontology using narrative approaches and photography.

Shenk is a fellow of AGHE and The Gerontological Society of America.

Provided by The Gerontological Society of America