Mandel School Professor Aloen Townsend receives national leadership award

Aloen Townsend, professor of social work and chair of the doctoral program at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, recently received the Association of Gerontological Education in Social Work (AGE-SW) Leadership Award for her research and scholarship contributions to social gerontology.

Townsend also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Sociology, is a faculty associate in the University Center on Aging and Health, and an associate member of the Cancer and Aging Program of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. She joined the Mandel School faculty in 2001.

She was nominated by fellow researcher M.C. “Terry” Hokenstad, Ralph S. and Dorothy P. Schmitt Professor and Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve.

“The focus of my nominating statement is on her contributions nationally and locally as an educator,” Hokenstad said. “She has had an exemplary career in the field of social gerontology as an educator and researcher at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.”

The two have worked together to build the specialization in aging for graduate and professional students. Her CV lists 62 peer-reviewed journal articles, eight invited book chapters, and more than 100 presentations on scholarly topics in the field of social gerontology.

“She was the unanimous choice of the selection committee,” said Dean Cleve Gilmore. “This is an award which recognizes her contribution to education, not only at the Mandel School, but very importantly at the national level. She has been a leader for a number of years in training at national workshops and conferences on advanced methodology.”

Each year, the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of social work and aging. This November, Townsend will receive her award at the 65th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Geronotological Society of America in San Diego.