The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is expanding its summer policy internship program in 2021 — with the addition of a position named in memory of late GSA Board Chair Kathryn Hyer, MPP, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, who passed away in January.
This professional development opportunity for emerging scholars in the aging field was established in 2019. The six-week summer GSA program will enable the interns to be immersed in aging-related policy development and participate in this process at the national level.
Lei Chen, MS, MSP, a doctoral student in the Department of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a graduate student researcher at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, will serve as the inaugural Kathryn Hyer Student Policy Intern.
"As a doctoral student in social welfare specializing in aging and health policies, I am passionate about applying research to the real world and making evidence-based policies beneficial for people who need long-term services and supports, especially those in marginalized groups," Chen said. "After attending my first GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in 2018, I see great collaborations and opportunities to connect research and policy in the GSA community. I am excited and feel honored to support GSA this summer while in memory of Dr. Kathryn Hyer's contributions to the field."
Chen's research focuses primarily on health and aging policy, long-term care services and supports, older adults' social support, cross-cultural studies, immigrants' access to health care, and mixed methods.