Prof. Judith Gonyea Honored with Prestigious Barbara J. Berkman Award
Prof. Judith Gonyea from BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) has received the Barbara J. Berkman Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research, Practice, or Policy in Aging and Health Care from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). This lifetime achievement award recognizes her decades of outstanding interdisciplinary research, practice, and policy making in aging and healthcare.
GSA is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging, where they promote and disseminate aging information to scientists, decision makers, and the public. By honoring Gonyea with this award, the GSA recognizes her dedication to translating elder care knowledge into practice.
Gonyea’s work has influenced how we understand and address the complexities of older adults’ lives. Her interdisciplinary research often focuses on historically disadvantaged older populations, employing an intersectionality lens to uncover how overlapping identities—such as age, gender, and race—shape the aging experience. In addition to advocating for social policy reforms, her scholarly contributions include emphasizing how U.S. population aging trends and sociocultural transformations have heightened the risk of precarity in later life, particularly in lives of older persons, their families, and communities.
In addition to her prolific research, Gonyea is a distinguished leader in academic and professional communities. She previously served as associate dean for faculty affairs at BUSSW, a fellow and past chair of the Social Research, Policy and Practice Section of the GSA, an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. Gonyea currently serves on editorial boards for leading journals, such as Public Policy & Aging Report, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, and Journal of Aging Studies.