News Release

IOA Appoints Four Research Scientists

June 1, 2009

The IOA is pleased to announce four appointments as research scientists, effective June 1 2009.

As Senior Research Scientists:

Dr. Jim Mitchell, Professor of Sociology and Family Medicine and Director of the Center on Aging at East Carolina University.

Jim has stepped down from his long-held position as Associate Director for Multi-Campus Initiatives (a position that has a few other titles over the past thirteen years). In his Associate Director Role he chaired the Statewide Advisory Committee and played a key role in establishing the North Carolina Gerontology Consortium. He has published in all of the major journals in gerontology as well as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Journal of Public Health, and Social Science and Medicine. His research has been supported by state and national foundations, private gifts, and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, the National Cancer Institute, and the Department of the Army. He served a term as editor of the Journal of Applied Gerontology. On July 1, Jim becomes President of the Southern Gerontological Society. Jim's current research includes studying aging issues in Costa Rica and leading a consortium in the eastern part of the state to address the impact of older migrants on the coastal counties.

Dr. Victor Marshall, Professor of Sociology and Adjunct Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Victor steps down on July 1, 2009, following ten years as Director of the UNC Institute on Aging. He will remain as Director and Principal Investigator of the Institute's T-32 training program, CPHAR, which supports two postdoctoral and four predoctoral fellows. He will continue his funded research at the Institute as Co-Principal Investigator of the WILIS 2 project and Co-Investigator of the NCCOLLE project.

As Research Scientists:

Dr. Susan Rathbun-Grubb

Susan completed her doctoral dissertation at the UNC School of Information and Library Science in May 2009. Her research has been based on the WILIS research project (in partnership with the UNC School of Information and Library Science) led by Professor Joanne Gard Marshall and housed in the IOA, on which Susan worked as a research assistant and project coordinator. Prior to her doctoral studies, Susan had several years of experience working in different types of libraries. She will continue to be involved in projects, and will develop her own research program, that relates to three of the IOA's program areas: Workforce Issues in Library and Information Technology, the Aging Workforce Initiative, and the Program on Communities and Engagement.

Dr. Cherie Rosemond

Cherie completed her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education at UNC in 2009. She also holds an MS degree in Physical Therapy from Duke University and an MA in Education/Exercise Physiology from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Prior to commencing her doctoral studies, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy at UNC at Chapel Hill. Cheryl continues as Co-Director of The Hubbard Program: Collaborative Clinical Practice in Geriatrics, a position in the Center for Aging and Health that she has held since 1997. Cherie received the 2008 Gordon H. De Friese Award for a doctoral student of great promise. She will develop her research interests through the Institute concerning physical therapy and aging and frontline care for older adults.