Gerontology with Focus on Management of Aging Services

Faculty

Ellen Birchander
Co-Director, Management of Aging Services Track, previously served as Assistant Secretary for Programs at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. She has worked in the areas of development of community supports and care management for elders. She received a BA from Simmons College, an MSW from Boston College, and an MS from Tufts University.
Lillian Glickman
Co-Director, Management of Aging Services Track, was formerly Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Secretary for many years and has expertise in development, implementation, and management of community-based services for elders. She received her A.B. degree from Harvard and an MSW and Ph.D. from the Heller School at Brandeis University.
Jeffrey Burr
Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Ph.D. Program in Gerontology. His specialty areas include sociology of aging, demography of aging, and research methods. He has a B.A. from Texas Tech University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Frank Caro
A professor of Gerontology and former Director of the Gerontology Institute. He is a nationally recognized researcher with major interest in the areas of productive aging, home and community-based long-term care, and evaluation research. He has a B.S. from Marquette university and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
K.R. Kaffenberger
An instructor with experience in health planning and long-term care administration. He is a licensed nursing home administrator. Dr. Kaffenberger has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Master’s degree in Public Management from Boston State University, A Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, and a Ph.D. in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Kristin Kiesel
An instructor with more than 20 years experience in community-based services for elders. Her major interests include the link between public policy and community-based long-term care. Ms. Kiesel holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Assumption College and a Master’s degree in Gerontology from UMass Boston. Ms. Kiesel is a doctoral candidate in Gerontology at UMass Boston.
Daniel J. O’Leary
The Executive Director of Mystic Valley Elder Services, Inc. and has held a variety of senior-level positions in the Massachusetts aging network since 1975. He was appointed to the Governor’s Special Commission of Long Term Care Services in Massachusetts, was Past President of the Massachusetts Home Care Association, was a former Board committee member of the national Alzheimer’s Association, and currently serves as President of Lifetime Care Solutions, Inc. He received his MA from the University of Florida and a BA from the University of New Hampshire.
Patricia Rivard
An instructor with extensive experience in the field of aging. She is a senior research leader for Medstat, working with states on quality improvement activities. Ms. Rivard is also the Massachusetts Project Coordinator for the Elimination of Barriers SAMHSA Project, working with the Mass Association of Older Americans and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health on an elder focused antistigma campaign. She holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts
Kiran Verma
An Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance in the School of Management. Her areas of expertise include healthcare financial management and managerial accounting systems in profit and not for profit organizations. She has a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.