Faculty
Center for Gerontology Faculty
The Center for Gerontology includes both core faculty members and affiliated faculty members.
Pamela Teaster, Director of the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology
| Name | Position | Office | Phone | Email |
| Karen Roberto | University Distinguished Professor | 230 Grove Lane | 540-231-7657 | kroberto@vt.edu |
| Laura Sands | Professor | 230 Grove Lane | 540-231-9634 | lsands@vt.edu |
| E. Carlisle Shealy | Assistant Director |
230 Grove Lane |
540-231-7657 | ecs@vt.edu |
| Pamela Teaster | Professor and Director, Center for Gerontology | 230 Grove Lane | 540-231-7657 | pteaster@vt.edu |
| Rosemary Blieszner | Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita | Retired | rmb@vt.edu | |
| Tina Savla | Professor | 205 Grove Lane | 540-231-2348 | jsavla@vt.edu |
- Administration
- Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Architecture
- Business
- Center for Gerontology
- Natural Resources and Environment
- Engineering
- Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology
- Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
- Science
- Veterinary Medicine
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute
- Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
| Position | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech Foundation | John E. Dooley, Ph.D | Community Programs |
| Position | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Applied Economics | Hyrum Smith, PhD, CFP(r), CPA | Retirement planning |
| Animal and Poultry Sciences | Edward J. Smith, Ph.D. | Biology of Aging |
| Biochemistry | David Bevan, Ph.D. | Alzheimers and Parkinsons Disease |
| Biochemistry | Bin Xu, Ph.D. | Peptide hormone and molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes, obesity, and neurodegeneration diseases, including Alzheimer's disease |
| Dairy Science | Katharine F. Knowlton, Ph.D. | Osteoporosis/Bone Health (Animal Models) |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Brenda Davy, Ph.D | Diet and Cardiovascular Diseases; Obesity and Body Weight Regulation; Dietary Intake Assessment |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Kevin Davy, Ph.D. | Effects of atorvastatin treatment on blood pressure and autonomic function in middle-aged and older adults |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Madlyn Frisard, Ph. D. | Exercise effects on age related alterations in mitochoncrial dynamics |
| Human, Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Samantha M. Harden, Ph.D. | Physical activity interventions |
| Human, Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Matthew Hulver, Ph.D. | Metabolism, Gaing, nutrition and physical activity |
| Human, Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Carlin Rafie, PH.D. | Adult Nutrition |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Eleanor D. Schlenker, Ph. D | Nutrition and Aging |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Elena Serrano , Ph.D. | Impact of Acculturation on Diet; Physical Activity and Body Image on Latinos Living in the U.S. |
| Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Jay H. Williams, Ph.D. | Muscle Strength (animal models) |
| Food Science and Technology | Andrew Neilson, Ph.D. | Developing and evaluating nutritional interventions for prevention of chronic diseases, specifically diabetes and obesity. |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| School of Public and International Affairs | Giselle Datz, Ph.D. | Economic policy reform (Pension reform) with focus on Latin America |
| School of Architecture+Design, Industrial Design | Brook Kennedy, Ph.D. | Product design for an aging population |
| School of Architecture+Design | James R. Jones, Ph.D. | Retirement community/NH design for the elderly |
| School of Architecture+Design | Joseph Wheeler, Ph.D. | Adaptable home design for the elderly |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Information Systems | France Belanger, Ph.D. | Use of Mobile Technology by Older Adults |
| Accounting and Information Systems | Steven D. Sheetz, Ph.D. | Group Decision-Making; Data Collection Technologies |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management | Muzaffer Uysal, Ph.D. | Tourism and Aging |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Gerontology | Nancy Brossoie, Ph.D. | Vulnerable populations and communities; community programming |
| Center for Gerontology |
Karen A. Roberto, Ph.D. | Chronic illness; older women; health care decision-making; family gerontology; elder abuse |
| Center for Gerontology |
Jyoti "Tina" Savla, Ph.D. | Intergenerational relationships and family caregiving everyday life stressors and its effects on physical and psychological health and well-being pain management using complementary and alternative medicine |
| Center for Gerontology |
Laura P. Sands, Ph.D. | Risks and health consequences of functional limitations among older adults; health care outcomes among older adults who receive insufficient health care; the influence of resilience on health care use among older adults exposed to a disaster; risks for poor outcomes among older surgical patients |
| Center for Gerontology |
Pamela Teaster, Ph.D. | Elder abuse; ethics and aging; health care decision-making; public guardianship; public policy and aging |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | Anamaria Bukvic, Ph.D. | Relocation of Communities |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Doug Bowman, Ph.D. | Virtual Environments |
| Computer Science | Denis Gracanin, Ph. D. | System Development and Design for Older Adults |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | Maury A. Nussbaum, Ph.D. | Mobility; Older Workers |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | Michael. L. Madigan | Slips, Trips, and Falls; Aging |
| Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics |
Robin Queen, Ph.D. | Foot and Ankle Biomechanics; Joint Damage and Injury Prevention; Limb and Functional Decline |
| Computer Science | Deborah Tatar, Ph.D. | Technology and Aging |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | Eileen M. Van Aken, Ph.D. | Health Care Systems |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
| Director | Benjamin Knapp, Ph.D. | Arts and Aging |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry | David Bevan, Ph.D. | Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease |
| Biochemistry | Glenda Gillaspy,Ph.D. | Genes/Proteins and Their Role in Alzheimer's Disease |
| Biochemistry | Bin Xu, Ph.D. | Basic Cell, Proteins, and Crystallography Related to Alzheimer's Disease, as well as Heart Function |
| Psychology | Eileen Anderson, Ed.D. | Health Behavior |
| Psychology | Martha A. Bell, Ph.D. | Cognition and Aging |
| Psychology | Kirby Deater-Deckard, Ph.D. | Behavioral Genetics and Individual Differences |
| Psychology | Rachel A. Diana, Ph.D. | Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Memory |
| Psychology | David W. Harrison, Ph.D. | Strokes; Assessments |
| Psychology | Jungmeen Kim, Ph.D. | Psychological Well-Being Across the Lifespan; Lifespan Developmental Research Methodology |
| Psychology | Richard A. Winett | Health Behavior; Public Health; Nutrition; Exercise Training |
| Biochemistry | Bin Xu |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
| Population Health Sciences | Kathy Hosig, Ph.D. | Diabetes Research |
| Biomedical Science and Pathobiology | Bradley G. Klein, Ph.D. | Parkinson's Disease |
| Population Health Sciences | Kerry J. Redican, Ph.D. | Health Policy; Health Administration |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
| Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute | Gregorio Valdez | Neurons and Synaptic Interconnections in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Normal Aging |
| Department | Name | Research Area |
| Center for Automotive Safety Research | Jon Antin | Aging Driver Safety |