Karen Roberto
Karen A. Roberto is a University Distinguished Professor, Executive Director of the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment, and Senior Fellow at the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology.

Department of Human Development and Family Science
230 Grove Lane
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-7657 | kroberto@vt.edu
Karen A. Roberto is a University Distinguished Professor, Executive Director of the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment, and Senior Fellow at the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology.
Accepting new grad students: No
In need of students for research team: Not currently
Name of research team: N/A
- Health and Social Support in late life, including caregiving for family members living with dementia, older women and chronic illness, and elder abuse and IPV in late life.
- Ph.D., Texas Tech University
- M.S., Texas Tech University
- B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Board of Directors, Gerontological Society of America
- Senior Fellow, Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech
- Founding Director, Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Tech
- Past Chair, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America
- Past Director, Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech
- Editorial Board, The Gerontologist
- Editorial Board, Journal of Women and Aging
- 2012 Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section, Gerontological Society of America
- 2007 Fellow - World Demographic Association
- 2006 Alumni Award for Excellence in Research, Virginia Tech
Journal Articles
Roberto, K.A., & Savla, J. (2022). Extended family caregivers for persons living with dementia Journal of Family Nursing, 28(4), 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1177/10748407221115455
Roberto, K.A., Savla, J., McCann B.R., Blieszner, R., & Knight, A. (2022). Dementia family caregiving in rural Appalachia: A sociocultural model of care decisions and service use. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 77(6), 1094-1104. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab236
Roberto, K.A., McCann, B.R., Teaster, P.B., & Hoyt, E. (2022). Elder abuse and the opioid epidemic: Evidence from APS cases in central Appalachia. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 46(1), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000181
Wacker, R. R., & Roberto, K.A. (2019). Community resources for older adults: Programs and services in an era of change (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Resnick, B., Gwyther, L., & Roberto, K.A. (Eds.) (2018). Resilience in aging: Concepts, research, and outcomes (2nd ed.). New York: Springer International Publishing.
Featured Books
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Select Media Mentions
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Article ItemThe pain wouldn’t stop — because her medication had been stolen , article
New York Times, 9/17/2021
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General ItemRethinking Elder Care: The Dark Side
Pulse of the Planet, 04/14/2017
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