The Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing's Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE) held its 12th annual CGNE Alumni and Friends Spring Brunch.
The event - which is made possible in part through the support of CGNE partners and sponsors - recognizes Penn State students, community champions and nurse leaders whose work advances gerontological nursing practice and improves the lives and care of older adults throughout the year.
This year's celebration focused on the theme, "Age-Friendly Communities, Campuses and Care." A highlight of the event was an announcement by Nese College of Nursing Dean Laurie Badzek that Penn State has joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network.
"This important global designation marks the University's collective commitment to creating inclusive and supportive environments for people of all ages," Badzek said. "Penn State is officially age-friendly - and only the second university in Pennsylvania to be so designated. While this was a collaborative effort, CGNE played a critical role in this wonderful achievement."
Attendees heard from keynote speaker, Laura Poskin, a gerontologist and executive director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, a leader in the World Health Organization and AARP network of Age-Friendly Communities. Poskin presented, "Advancing Age-Friendly Across the Commonwealth." She shared perspectives on rapidly aging population demographics, action plans for regional collaborations that provide multi-generation engagement opportunities, age-friendly neighborhoods, and community panels focused on sharing ideas and lived experiences with businesses and organizations looking to improve quality of life for older adults.
The annual event also featured recognition of CGNE's education, research, translation, and service accomplishments during 2024 with an emphasis on projects related to age-friendly care. Attendees had opportunities for networking time with 13 sponsoring organizations. Additionally, the center honored three individuals for their commitment to gerontological research and practice with specific awards.
This year's honorees are:
- 2025 CGNE Community Champion Award: Meg Clouser, director of Health Services at Foxdale Retirement Community in State College
- 2025 CGNE Ph.D. Student Champion Award: Nahida Akter
- 2025 Mark T. Kolanowski Award for Excellence in Ph.D. Nursing Research: Azza AL Harrasi
The CGNE Community Champion Award recognizes individuals and organizations who have contributed substantially to the advancement of the well-being of older adults and who are known for championing the cause of Penn State nursing excellence in the care of older adults.
"With a deep commitment to improving the quality of care for seniors and a wealth of experience in health care management, Meg continues to strive for collaboration with others focusing on improvement and advocacy for aging adults," said Erin Kitt-Lewis, associate research professor and CGNE's associate director of education, in presenting Clouser with the 2025 award. "She has been a long-time partner of CGNE and has actively participated in center events. Meg has advocated for and ushered in several research projects led by our faculty. One example is the Preference-based Care and Communication with Residents with Dementia project during the pandemic. She actively facilitated resident recruitment during that challenging time and continues to promote recruitment into other projects with our college, center and community."
The CGNE Student Champion Award recognizes graduate students who are affiliated with the center, have an elevated level of participation throughout their educational program, focus on doctoral research (Ph.D.) or doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) projects that involve gerontology, demonstrate passion and commitment for working with older adults, present a dissertation or final project that aligns with the center's vision, and seek to improve quality of care and lives of older adults in positive and person-centered ways.
In accepting her award, Akter shared, "the center helped me navigate both a new country and a new field of research. My focus is on gerontology and long-term care but coming from a country still in the process of establishing a formalized long-term care system, I had many uncertainties and gaps in knowledge. As a result, I lacked the confidence to begin my research in U.S. nursing homes. … CGNE made this transition seamless and encouraged me to engage with the community and contribute to initiatives that make a real difference in the lives of older adults."
As the Mark T. Kolanowski Award honoree, Harrasi expressed her appreciation to the center as a place where interdisciplinary collaboration broadened her perspective and equipped this doctoral student with skills to contribute meaningfully to the field of geriatric nursing.
"The CGNE provided me with invaluable resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to enhance my expertise in aging and cognitive health," Harrasi said. "The center's support has strengthened my research on quality of life in older adults with post-stroke cognitive impairment, allowing me to develop a deeper understanding of how cognitive domains impact overall well-being."
About the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
Penn State's CGNE was established in 2007 as one of nine legacy centers in the U.S. originally funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and now supported by an endowment. As an interdisciplinary community of leaders and scholars with expertise in aging, geriatrics and gerontology, CGNE believes every older adult deserves the highest quality of evidence-based care and well-being that respects their individual goals and preferences. Learn more about the center.
