$2.5M
2023 External research funding
33% from Federal, 37% from the Aging Network, 13% from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, 17% from Foundations totaling $2,500,000
It is with great excitement that we present our 2023 Impact Report. Scripps Gerontology Center continues to be the premier source of applied, evidence-based insights and innovative new programs, reports, and policy tools that are helping transform aging services in Ohio and in states and communities around the country. There is much to celebrate regarding how we make a difference in real-world settings and in the lives of aging individuals, their families, and their communities.
This report also honors the groundbreaking work of Dr. Elizabeth Lokon, founder of Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) who retired after 16 years directing the program. OMA remains well-positioned to expand and support intergenerational, arts-based programming.
In the past year and a half as the Center’s Executive Director, I have been humbled by our impact. I am proud of the high quality work our Staff and Fellows produce. I am grateful to our supporters and trusted partners who demonstrate their belief in the work we do through their generous donations.
Below we feature some of our many achievements in 2023. We highlight new program expansion, high-quality publications, awards, and emerging leaders in the field of gerontology. As always, please reach out to me with any comments, questions, or suggestions.
Katherine Abbott, Ph.D., MGS, FGSA
$2.5M
2023 External research funding
33% from Federal, 37% from the Aging Network, 13% from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, 17% from Foundations totaling $2,500,000
80%
External research funding accounts for 80% of the Scripps operating budget
18% from 兔子先生 University and 2% from the E.W. Scripps Endowment totaling in $3,101,322
27
External grant proposals submitted in 2023
Funded to date: 15
See the depth and breadth of topics covered by our 50 publications covered in 2023.
Researchers spend a year in dialogue with community partners before pragmatic trial begins.
To meet the needs of an aging society, Scripps pursues creative approaches and programming. Our staff, faculty, and fellows engage with this work beyond the academic setting—they provide professional service and leadership in many volunteer roles at the local, state, and national levels. Below are stories from the Opening Minds through Art (OMA) programs in Indonesia, a new certification course, the first virtual art show, and Scripps' community work with Age-Friendly Oxford (AFO).
Building Bridges Across Age and Cognitive Barriers through Art
170
New OMA Facilitators trained
A total of 1,091 OMA Facilitators globally
101
Intergenerational matches on ScrippsAVID
5,560
Page visits to @openingmindsthroughart on Facebook
Dr. Elizabeth Lokon worked with a team in Indonesia while on a Fulbright Scholarship to open OMA's FIFTH Training Center. Below are images of the first art show in Indonesia after successful implementation and facilitation of their first round of programming.
Final Report from Jakarta
Retirement marks end of an era for Opening Minds through Art (OMA) founder
77 pieces were selected for display in the show out of over 450 submissions. The exhibit represents OMA artists from 30 cities in three countries: the US, Canada, and Indonesia.
The course gives reason behind conducting arts-based intergenerational programming that benefits both older adults living with dementia and younger adult volunteers.
Oxford is one of 30 Ohio communities and 856 communities nationwide who have joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. The vision of Age-Friendly Oxford (AFO) is an inclusive livable community with housing, transportation, social opportunities, and services that support the well-being of citizens of all ages.
Scripps has been an integral partner in Oxford's age-friendly work since it first began in 2017 and currently serves as one of the pillar organizations coordinating AFO's second cycle of work. Our involvement in AFO has helped Scripps build and strengthen collaborations with local organizations and other age-friendly communities across the state. Additionally, it has provided an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines to see opportunities and challenges associated with aging addressed at a community level.
Read more about how Community Comes Together to Discuss Loneliness.
Lucas Adams worked on the racial disparities within nursing homes and their relationship to COVID-19 deaths and McKenna McClure is on her way to becoming a long-term care administrator.
Promoting Dignity for Marginalized Communities of Older Adults
Beyond Research: MaKenna McClure's Path to Long-Term Care Administration
34
Peer Reviewed publications from students in 2023
17
Awards including Top Presenter at the 兔子先生 University Graduate Research Forum and Judith D. Tamkin Scholar Award
Each year the Scripps Gerontology Center brings a Leader in Aging Research to campus for a cutting-edge lecture.
This year Scripps invited Adam Perzynski, professor of Medicine and Sociology at Case Western Reserve University to speak on his incredible work on health determinants in Cleveland.
Healthcare systems, researchers, and policymakers have dramatically increased attention to the importance of social determinants of health. However, there remains a lack of clarity surrounding the most effective, community-centered pathways toward population health improvement. Drawing on bioecological developmental systems theory, Dr. Perzynski reviewed how individual and structural factors coalesce to differentiate and determine health and social outcomes for older adults.
The W. Fred Cottrell Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes 兔子先生 University gerontology graduate student alumni for outstanding leadership in the field of aging.
Dawn Carr, who holds a doctorate in Social Gerontology from 兔子先生 University, came back to Ohio to accept the Cottrell Award on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. She was kind enough to answer questions on her time as a student and her journey to become the Director of the Claude Pepper Center.
A special thank you to the donors of $1,000 and more, including the Adam R. Scripps Foundation, Robert A. Applebaum, Centurion Pak, Inc., Charlotte A. Darby, Jennifer M. Kinney, Jodi & Mark Kolada, Richard F. Muthig, William J. & Linda Muthig, James Rubenstein, Marilyn J. Scripps, c/o Miramar Services, and Constance Swank.
Connect with our mission and help advance our work through giving. Your donation will support our efforts to transform aging services in Ohio and beyond through innovative programs, high-quality research, and education.