Better With Age

Photo of Keren Brown Wilson and Michael DeShane — Keren Brown Wilson and Michael DeShane

Gerontology Education and Research Initiative

Drs. Keren Brown Wilson, Ph.D. ’83, and Michael DeShane, MA ’71, PhD ’77, made an important gift to PSU's Institute on Aging (IOA) to expand career pathways for students interested in supporting Oregon’s elders.

The Better with Age Initiative enables program and curriculum development, endows a Scholarship in Aging Studies, and provides critical support for faculty as they mentor students and pursue important research interests.

PSU Faculty Gerontology Education and Research Initiative (GERI) Grants

Better with Age funds PSU faculty interested in pursuing research on aging issues. Funds can be used for:

Faculty course releases and/or summer salary
Student research assistance (i.e., GAs)
Support (e.g., stipends) for community participants
Direct research

Meet the GERI grant recipients

Better with Age Wilson-Deshane Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to widen the pathway to careers in aging and support students who can bring new ideas and perspectives to the field.

Eligibility: The scholarship is open to PSU students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate specializing in gerontology or aging-related fields. Students must have been accepted into an aging-related program or track at PSU. Students must be enrolled in courses at least part-time and be in good academic standing for funds to be distributed.

*Wilson-Deshane scholarship is currently paused for the 2023-2024 academic year

If you have any questions about the scholarship, please contact betterwithage@pdx.edu.

Meet the Wilson-Deshane Aging Scholarship Recipients

2021-2022 Academic Year	2022-2023 Academic Year
Sarah Dys, PhD, Community Health	Tu Chuc, Master of Social Work (MSW)
Alicia Garrison, Gerontology certificat	Maria Garibay, MSW
Ian Miller, Masters of Business Administration (MBA)	Minju Kim, PhD in Urban Studies
Rowena Paz Norman, MBA	Lauren Neely, MSW, MPH
Riley Wilton, Bachelor's in Public Health	Katelin Turner, MSW
	Dawn Walter, Master of Urban and Regional Planning
	Molly Willis, MSW

Meet the Wilson-Deshane Graduate Assistants

2021-2022 Academic Year

Lindsey Smith, Graduate Research Assistant for Assisted Living Policy study
Minju Kim, GRA, Oregon Community Based Care Study
Dani Himes, Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA) for the Better with Age Initiative and the Senior Adult Learning Center

2022-2023 Academic Year

Lauren Neely, Graduate Administrative Assistant for the Better with Age Initiative and the Senior Adult Learning Center
MinJu Kim, Graduate Research Assistant for the Oregon Community-Based Care Study
Eiji Toda, Graduate Research Assistant for the Climate Resilience and Aging Project
Dani Himes, Graduate Administrative Assistant for the Better with Age Initiative and the Climate Resilience and Aging Project

Learn more about the team