Judith Gonyea

Judith Gonyea is a professor at Boston University School of Social Work and a faculty affiliate of the Center for Innovation in Social Sciences (CISS) at BU’s College of Arts & Sciences.

Gonyea is the author of more than 100 publications, often centering on historically disadvantaged older populations with the goal of advancing equity. In her work, she uses an intersectionality lens to explore how individuals’ multiple identities (e.g., gender, age, race) intertwine to shape their aging experience. One strand of Gonyea’s research focuses on elder care, especially the gendered nature of caregiving and how culture shapes health behaviors. A second strand explores the intersection of older adults’ health and environment, particularly neighborhood and community effects. In her current research, she is studying lower-income older adults in subsidized housing and those experiencing homelessness. She also writes extensively on the politics of aging.

Gonyea previously served as associate dean for faculty affairs at BUSSW. She is a fellow and past elected chair of the Social Research, Policy and Practice Section of Gerontological Society of America, an elected member in the National Academy of Social Insurance, and an elected fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Public Policy & Aging Report, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, Journal of Aging Studies, Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, and the British Journal of Social Work.