9th Biennial Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference Webinar
2023 CONFERENCE
The target audience for this conference is older adults and their families, friends, and care partners as well as multidisciplinary providers of care, researchers, and educators. The conference is free except for those wanting CEU's. Six (6) CEU's are available for $10 per CEU or a total of $60 for all six. Anyone interested in CEU's should email gatsa@unomaha.edu after the conference. Fees will be collected, and certificates issued after the conference.
Learn more about our speakers!
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Jeffrey L. Ahl is founder and principal of arCUREtecture architects. He has enjoyed a 35-year career as an architect with a focus on housing for aging individuals and he has worked on more than 110 such projects. Jeff’s expertise in project planning, community repositioning, budgeting, facility operations and extensive experience in senior living has made him a valuable resource for providers, planners and community leaders seeking to sustain or develop senior living options. Jeff’s unique passion for seniors led him on a year-long journey of research that involved living in numerous nursing homes across the county to experience life as an elder. This experience is the inspiration behind the name of his firm and how they provide services. |
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Ashton Applewhite is an Anti-Ageism Activists and Author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism In 2022, Ashton appeared on HelpAgeUSA’s inaugural 60 Over 60 list of Americans “who are making significant contributions to society at the local, national or international level”; Fe:maleOneZero’s first international edition of 40 over 40 – The World’s Most Inspiring Women (referenced above), a group of “extraordinary women who have one thing in common: they change the world for the better”; and received the prestigious Maggie Kuhn Award for being a “visionary leader, author and advocate in combating ageism.” She has written for Harper’s, the New York Times, The Guardian, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, and has spoken at venues that range from community centers and universities to the TED main stage and the United Nations. |
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Shannon Guzman is the director of housing and livable communities with the AARP Public Policy Institute. She is also the deputy of the AARP enterprise Housing Issue Area, and works on housing and livable communities policy as well as building innovative partnerships in the Housing space. She provides policy analysis and guidance and develops resources to inform community members and assist local decision makers in their efforts to support residents who want to age in place. Shannon has presented on livable communities and housing policy solutions to various audiences across the country and has been quoted in local and national media. She has co-authored publications on housing, community livability, and transportation. |
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| Roger O’Sullivan, PhD., is Director of Ageing within the Institute of Public Health and visiting Professor at Ulster University. He was previously the Director of the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland. He has written, edited, and published mainly in the area of ageing and older people. Professor O’Sullivan was awarded membership through distinction of the Faculty of Public Health–UK in 2017 and in 2020 he was made Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. | |
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Anthony Warrior- is a Chef and Owner of Warriors’ Palate Catering and Consultation.During his career he has had the opportunity to work for 15 Tribal nations in healthcare, a residential home for children, and Casino/Resorts. In his teenage years he traveled and spoke on behalf of the United National Indian Tribal Youth program. His experiences working for tribal nations has included studying and acquiring local traditional recipes, stories, and historical methods in food preparation and preservation. His approach to cultural nutrition is interconnected with feeding the mental, spiritual, and holistic balance necessary to differentiate the total health needs of each individual tribal group. His lifelong quest for education fuels his passion for learning and preparing traditional sustenance that stimulates cultural retention and community healing. In recent years he has earned AAs in Business/Entrepreneurship from Nebraska Indian Community College, He has also received dual bachelor degrees in business management and HR Management from Wayne State College. His goals include continued research in Tribal food systems, developing an updated reference guide for tribal historians to document and preserve foraging, medicinal, and recipe analysis. |
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| Steven Wengel, MD, is originally from Omaha and received his bachelor’s degree from UNL and his MD from UNMC. He completed his psychiatry residency and geriatric psychiatry fellowship training at Creighton University and UNMC. He has been practicing geriatric psychiatry since 1991. He sees patients in his office and at several local long-term care facilities in and around Omaha. He is an active and enthusiastic teacher of students and residents. Dr. Wengel has also served UNMC in several administrative roles, including clerkship director and department chair. In 2018 he became UNMC and UNO’s first Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Wellness, and in this role he is developing strategies to reduce stress and burnout in students, staff, faculty and healthcare professionals. His vision is to improve the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of all who work and learn in the health care world, the academic environment, and the community at large. |
About the Biennial Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference
The first biennial Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference was held in 2007. Each year's conference has a unique theme reflecting a trend in aging. The theme of the inaugural conference was “Spirituality and Creativity Programming for Older Adults;” the focus highlighted cutting edge efforts to address the needs of older adults utilizing alternative and complimentary strategies within the arts and spirituality arenas that have been shown through research to improve older adults quality of life. In 2009, the conference theme was “Social and Spiritual Dimensions of Aging and Caregiving” and emphasized support efforts for caregivers that aimed to better the quality of care provided to older adults and self-care of the caregiver. The 2011 theme of "It Happens" reflected the reality that the first of the baby boomers were turning 65 and entering retirement. The 2013 theme of "Aging Well in the Age of Technology" brought participants together to learn about the growing field of gerontechnology and its impact on the quality and way of life of aging individuals. The 2015 theme of "Generations Working Together" helped participants better understand the unique characteristics of each generation and how they manifest in the workplace. The 2017 theme was "Next Generation Services" and introduced attendees to new ways of doing business in a new age. 2019 brought the theme of “No One Left Behind,” which focused on the unique needs of diverse populations of older adults. 2021 covered the timely theme of "Unmasking Covid 19," which addressed the important needs of caring for older adults during the pandemic.
The conference is organized and conducted by a team of planning partners representing a wide range of organizations concerned about aging issues and is hosted by UNO.
2023 CONFERENCE PLANNING PARTNERS
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2023 CONFERENCE SPONSORS
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