Lauren Bouchard is a Senior Instructor and the Gerontological Curriculum Coordinator at the Institute on Aging at Portland State University (PSU). After completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology, Dr. Bouchard earned a doctorate in Gerontology. Their initial interest in gerontology began as an undergraduate student worker at the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Indiana University Health. Due to this experience, Dr. Bouchard is passionate about engaging undergraduate and graduate students in aging coursework to better the lives of older adults and families in Oregon via the Better with Age Initiative.
Current research interests include resilience narratives, social connectedness, faith communities, and LGBTQ aging. They have published research in the Journal of Career Development, Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, Journal of Aging and Mental Health, and the Clinical Gerontologist, to name a few.
Dr. Bouchard is also invested in national and international educational initiatives, and they are an active member of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). Additionally, Dr. Bouchard is the faculty advisor for the PSU Gerontological Society of America Chapter.
Selected Publications:
Bouchard, L. M., Manning, L. K., Perton, C., & Flanagan, M. (2021). Connection, inclusion, support, and transition: The contextual significance of aging within faith communities. Journal of Religion, Spirituality, and Aging. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2021.1938341
Bouchard, L. M., & Nauta, M. M. (2021). Associations of health symptoms and perceptions with work volition. Career Development Quarterly. 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12257
Bouchard, L. M., Manning, L. K., & Pessman, M. (2021). Women as elder caregivers in a global context. In M. Kapur Shankardess (Ed.), Older Women and Well-being: A Global Perspective. Springer
Bouchard, L. M., Potts, C., & Lund, E. M. (2020). Violence and Harassment against LGBT elders: Continued challenges in healthcare, housing, and aging services for pioneers of the movement. In. E. M. Lund, C. Burgess, & Andy J. Johnson (Eds.), Violence Against LGBTQ People. Springer.
Manning, L. K., & Bouchard, L. M. (2019). Encounters with adversity: A framework for understanding resilience in later life. Journal of Aging and Mental Health, 24(7) 1108-1115. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1594162
Bouchard, L. M., & Nauta, M. M. (2018) College students’ health and short-term career outcomes: Examining work volition as a mediator. Journal of Career Development, 45(4) 393-406. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845317699517