As our nation’s population grows older, McDaniel College is spearheading an effort to improve the lives of older adults by establishing a Center for the Study of Aging with a $150,000 start-up grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.

The Center will provide both degree and continuing education opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, service providers, community leaders, policy makers, and others interested in the field of aging. Moreover, it will serve as a central location for all members of the local community and the region to work collaboratively in response to and support of the area’s aging population.

“We are grateful to the Jessie Ball duPont trustees in funding this timely educational program and empowering us to serve the community in which we reside,” said McDaniel President Joan Develin Coley.

According to the Maryland Department of Planning’s Population Projections, the population of adults over the age of 60 living in Carroll and surrounding counties is expected to grow significantly by 2020. Specifically, growth projections are 123 percent for Carroll County, 131 percent for Frederick County and 169 percent for Howard County. Surveys of employers in agencies serving older adults indicate the need for a knowledge-based workforce, and McDaniel will address this need.

McDaniel currently offers a graduate-level Gerontology Certificate for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of aging from a physical, mental, and social perspective. To earn a certificate, students complete five classes and participate in an internship.

“Gerontology is ideally suited to a liberal arts environment like McDaniel, as it can be approached from many perspectives: psychology, physiology, sociology, anthropology -- even literature,” says Provost Tom Falkner.

The College will initiate its search to name a full-time Director of the Center, appoint a community-based advisory group as well as adopt an evaluation plan to track and assess the effectiveness of the Center’s programs and offerings.

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a national foundation that makes grants to a defined group of 325 diverse organizations including 43 residential colleges of liberal arts and sciences.