The NIH Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is proud to announce the historic launch of its new Aging Employment Portfolio during Older Americans Month. This is a significant step in our collective efforts to combat ageism. On May 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT, we will hold a fireside chat at Lipsett Amphitheater in the NIH Clinical Center to discuss anti-ageism strategies in the workplace.

Jennifer Crawley, Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging, and Kari Benson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Administration for Community Living will provide welcome remarks.

This event will feature presentations from Cynthia Stuen, Ph.D., Primary Representative of the International Federation on Ageing for the United Nations; Patricia Morsch, Ph.D., Advisor on Healthy Aging for the World Health Organization; Patricia D'Antonio, Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for the Gerontological Society of America; and Lori A. Trawinski, Ph.D., Director of Finance and Employment for the AARP Public Policy Institute.

For more information on EDI, please visit https://www.edi.nih.gov/. For questions regarding the meeting, please contact patricia.fletcher@nih.gov.

Cynthia S. Stuen, Ph.D.
Primary Representative of the International Federation on Ageing for the United Nations

Cynthia S. Stuen, Ph.D., is a primary representative of the International Federation on Ageing at the United Nations (U.N.) and serves on its Board of Directors. Dr. Stuen is the immediate past chair of the NGO Committee on Ageing at the U.N. and strongly advocates for the human rights of older persons with a special focus on older women. Dr. Stuen actively monitors the U.N.’s Agenda 2030 to ensure the inclusion of older persons. She has over 40 years of experience as a gerontological social worker.

Patricia Morsch, P.T., Ph.D.
Advisor on Healthy Ageing for the World Health Organization

Patricia Morsch, P.T., Ph.D., is a physical therapist with over 17 years of experience in clinical physical therapy and research on aging, older adults health, and public health. Dr. Morsch holds a graduate certificate in Public Health, a Master of Arts degree in Gerontology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Gerontology from the Pontifical Catholic University of de Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.

Patricia D’Antonio, BS.Pharm., M.S., M.B.A., B.C.G.P.
Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for the Gerontological Society of America

Patricia D’Antonio, B.S. Pharm., M.S., M.B.A., B.C.G.P., is the Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a board-certified geriatric pharmacist. Ms. D'Antonio directs GSA’s policy initiatives and is responsible for developing relationships with aging organizations. She is also the executive director of the National Center to Reframe Aging, which is the central hub for advancing the long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public's understanding of aging.

Lori A. Trawinski, Ph.D., CCDP/AP, C.F.P.
Director of Finance and Employment for the AARP Public Policy Institute

Lori A. Trawinski, Ph.D., CCDP/AP, C.F.P., is a thought leader on age diversity in the workforce. She joined the AARP Public Policy Institute in 2010 and is responsible for researching policy issues relating to age diversity in the workforce, mortgage lending, foreclosures, reverse mortgages, consumer debt, student loans, and financial services. Dr. Trawinski has led a multiyear initiative to examine the employment challenges faced by older Americans.

Kari Benson
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Administration for Community Living

In this role, Ms. Benson leads the Administration on Aging in advocating on behalf of older Americans. She guides and promotes the development of Older Americans Act-funded home and community-based services, healthy aging interventions and caregiver support models designed to afford all older people the ability to age well and live well. Ms. Benson also oversees the administration of the federal Adult Protective Services funding and leads the agency’s elder justice and elder rights initiatives, including serving as the Director of the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.

Jennifer Crawley
Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging

Ms. Crawley brings an invaluable 25 years of combined experience in local government and the private health care industry. Her expertise in program administration, population health, patient advocacy, building and facilitating collaborations, stakeholder engagement, care coordination, and leading cross-functional teams is crucial for our department's success. Ms. Crawley earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland (UMD), Baltimore, and her Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from UMD, College Park.

Individuals who need Sign Language Interpreting and/or reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Chris Jackson at chris.jackson@nih.gov call 301-402-6792. Requests should be made at least five business days before the date of the event.

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