100th Day of School: Curriculum Toolkit for Educators

Patricia M. D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP is the Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a board-certified geriatric pharmacist. Trish directs GSA’s policy initiatives and is responsible for developing relationships with organizations in the aging arena. Trish represents GSA on several policy coalitions and serves as co-chair for the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition, president of the board of the Protecting Access to Pain Relief and Chair of the Friends of NIA.  Additionally, she serves as the Executive Director for the National Center to Reframe Aging, the central hub to advance the long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. Before joining GSA, Trish served as Executive Director for the District of Columbia Board of Pharmacy and Program Manager for the Pharmaceutical Control Division, where she was responsible for the regulatory and policy development for the practice of pharmacy and served as liaison to the FDA, DEA, and other federal, state, and city organizations that promote safe handling of medications.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Duquesne University and her Master of Science in Health Finance and Master in Business Administration with a concentration in health care from Temple University. She completed a residency in administration and finance at The Philadelphia Geriatric Center.

Dr. Newsham is a professor of Gerontology and the Gerontology Program Director in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She completed her PhD in Gerontology at the University of Kentucky, focusing on responses to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. Through a community engagement lens, Dr. Newsham teaches a variety of courses focused on facilitating student understanding of the variety of aging experiences and the global implications of aging. She is active in many community-based studies and has collaborated on a variety of public art and placemaking projects, drawing on her planning and assessment skills as well as her background engaging communities. Dr. Newsham is active in the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) as Chair of GSA’s Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education. She also serves on the American Society on Aging’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council. Dr. Newsham is passionate about promoting well-being for all and views access to and appropriate use of finite resources as a human rights issue. 

Dr. Hancock is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Sociology and Director of the Gerontology Program at UNC Charlotte. With a PhD in Sociology from UNC Chapel Hill, she has earned multiple teaching awards, including the UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching Awards (2006, 2010) and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) Distinguished Faculty Award (2014). As a Fellow of AGHE, the Southern Gerontological Society, and Sigma Phi Omega, Dr. Hancock is dedicated to experiential learning and making gerontology relevant for students of all ages. Her research focuses on aging education in the K-12 classroom as well as the language we use in gerontological spaces. She regularly presents in her local community, at GSA, the Southern Gerontological Society meetings, and serves on the American Society on Aging’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council.

Hannah Albers is the Program Director of the National Center to Reframe Aging, led by the Gerontological Society of America on behalf of ten leading aging organizations. With a background as a trained facilitator of the principles to reframe aging, Hannah oversees all functions of the National Center’s work. Her efforts focus on establishing the National Center as the central hub for advancing communication strategies that improve public understanding of aging — engaging national leaders, developing tools and products, showcasing best practices, and teaching advocates across the nation. She is deeply passionate about leveraging her skills in group facilitation, strategic planning, and program management to help build communities where everyone can thrive. Prior to her current role, Hannah worked with a senior services organization where she honed her skills in project management, strategic planning, leadership development, and data analysis, and supported the development of a grant-making organization. She holds a degree in International Business and Global Service from Valparaiso University.