Naomi Jack was selected for her work on her honors thesis, “Provider-Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Implementation of the Community-Based Integrated Care Initiative in Fussa City, Tokyo, Japan.” She was nominated by her advisor Emily Gadbois, who stated, “With minimal direction from me, [Naomi] led an extremely ambitious and rigorous qualitative case study that included semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis… It is apparent from the care she’s put into this work as well as the quality of the work produced that she is highly committed to improving care for older adults.” This work resulted in a poster presentation at the 2026 Public Health Research Day, as well as a manuscript currently being prepared for submission.
2026 Recipients of the Gerontology Center Prize
The Center for Gerontology & Healthcare Research is pleased to announce that Naomi Jack and Olivia Taylor have been selected to receive the Gerontology Center Prize.
“ It is apparent from the care she’s put into this work as well as the quality of the work produced that [Naomi] is highly committed to improving care for older adults. ”
Olivia Taylor was selected for her work on a team project with Meridian Senior Living, "Exploring Physical and Emotional Benefits of an Exercise Program for Older Adults in an Assisted Living Community." She was nominated by Rosa Baier, Ann Reddy, and Ellen McCreedy. Ann Reddy stated, “Olivia played a pivotal role in this community-academic partnership by leading the qualitative analysis of focus groups and interviews conducted with residents, staff, and corporate leaders at Meridian's Chapel Hill assisted living community in Cumberland, RI. Her insightful thematic analysis effectively identified resident- and staff-prioritized outcomes, laying a critical foundation for future efficacy trials.” This work resulted in a Long-Term Care Quality & Innovation Lab Issue Brief and poster presentations at the 2025 Public Health Research Day and the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, as well as a submitted, co-authored manuscript.
“ Olivia played a pivotal role in this community-academic partnership... laying a critical foundation for future efficacy trials. ”
This prize is awarded to a graduating undergraduate or Master's public health student, recognizing their completion of a research project in gerontology leading to a public presentation, publication, or publication-quality manuscript.