OGA Mentorship ConnectionAre you a student or newer professional in the field of aging who would like to connect with someone who has more experience? We are launching an initiative to connect students and newer professionals interested in the field of aging with OGA members who would like to share their valuable experiences and insights. The following is a list of OGA members who have volunteered to be listed as mentors on our site. Interested students or newer professionals are welcome to reach out to them via their provided contact info. If no contact info is listed next to a mentor, please email [email protected] to be connected. Note that the availability of each mentor may vary; some individuals may desire to begin an ongoing mentoring relationship, while others may be available for a short informational interview every once in a while. If you are interested in being added to this website as a mentor, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Current OGA MentorsSarah Dys, PhD, MPA, is a senior research associate at the Institute on Aging at Portland State University with expertise in assisted living, residential care, and memory care communities and resident population health and outcomes. She is an early career member of the Gerontology Society of America, where she has served in leadership roles within the Social Research, Policy, and Practice member section. Dr. Dys earned her doctorate in Community Health from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health with a specialization in gerontology. Her professional vision is to center aging in public health discourse, particularly at the intersection of housing, health, and social services provision. She specializes in weaving together quantitative and qualitative methods to tell stories that highlight the voices of those who live and work in long-term services and supports (LTSS). Current research interests include medication management and administration in congregate care environments, comparative experiences of residents and staff across the LTSS continuum, organizational development, and understanding and intervening on structural determinants of health and well-being. Contact: [email protected] Ann McQueen, PhD, has worked in various capacities for the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) within the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). She developed and taught college courses in gerontology, and worked in and as a consultant for long-term care facilities. She is especially interested in the experiences of people living with dementia and in helping to create a world that affords them the respect, dignity, safety, and companionship that all human beings deserve. Ann has presented at various conferences, both locally and nationally on topics related to aging, dementia and dementia care, and the role of humor in the lives of older people. Contact: [email protected] Britta Willson, MA, is a gerontologist and sex educator who has worked with systems and services that support aging adults for over 20 years. She received her BA in Human Studies from Marylhurst University and MA in Gerontology from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. She enjoys supporting people navigating aging in its physical, emotional, and social dimensions and has extensive knowledge of aging and disability related resources and services. She is skilled at program coordination, evidence-based health promotion, and facilitating trainings and workshops for healthcare professionals, older adults, and family caregivers. Britta lives in The Dalles, Oregon with her partner and three dogs. Contact: [email protected] Gúy Holady, MSW, QMHP, holds Master Degrees in Counseling (Substance Use and Addictions), Gerontology, and Social Work. He wrote the following to share with potential mentees: As the Client Service Coordinator at the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center (LOACC), I come into contact with older adults every day and with individuals struggling with various forms of cognitive impairments. In my role as Client Service Coordinator at the ACC, I facilitate a support group for caregivers of folks with dementia, I teach a course on Stress Reduction, called Stress Busters, and also provide instruction and support to other programs, like the Alzheimer’s sponsored water-color art program, Memories in the Making, and the adult day-care program, RESPITE. Personally, I have been a caregiver for several family members who have had both chronic illness and have suffered from various forms of cognitive impairment due to sickness, injury, or both. This has provided me with the experiences and knowledge, both personally and professionally, to be able to support, counsel, and teach in these areas of social welfare. Furthermore, in my current role, having access to various options, treatment plans, and resources enables me to better provide for my own family, as well as the participants at the ACC and in the community as a whole. Contact: [email protected] Margaret Beth Neal, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Urban Studies and the former director of the Institute on Aging at Portland State University. She taught graduate courses in gerontology, survey design, data collection and global aging. She led Portland's participation in the 2006-07 World Health Organization's Global Age-Friendly Cities project and has co-coordinated the Age-Friendly Portland and Multnomah County initiatives since then, speaking and publishing locally, nationally and internationally on the topic of age-friendly communities as well as that of combining paid work with unpaid family care for elders. She is a long-time member of OGA and a former OGA president. She and her husband, David Leckey, live between Wilsonville and Newberg at their nursery, Oregon Small Trees. Contact: [email protected] Dan Gillette is a designer, cognitive scientist, educator, researcher, and coach with a focus on co-design projects that create access and opportunity for underrepresented individuals and communities. Before moving to Portland in the fall of 2022, he was the director of the Change Lab at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Currently Dan is co-developing an educational program focused on home modification for both functionality and joy for residents aging-in-place in SROs with Aging 360 and UCSF, and coaching a cohort of self-advocates with developmental disabilities in starting their own nonprofits at the USC/CHLA UCEDD. Previously, Dan was co-founder of InWorld Solutions, a virtual reality for mental healthcare company. He has also held teaching and research positions at Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, CSU Monterey Bay, and Mills College. Contact: [email protected]
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