About Me:
For the last 25 years, my work has been multi-focused, combining social program evaluation projects (big and small) with applied research studies, almost all within the field of aging (but not exclusively). My particular areas of interest are protective services (guardianship, elder abuse, self neglect), and Alzheimer's Disease. I have worked and taught at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, and since 1998 have directed the Northwestern University Ethnographic Field School. I am also the Director of a small research center, the Leonard Schanfield Research Institute, which is part of the Council for Jewish Elderly in Chicago. CJE is a very large, multiservice organization for the elderly, that serves over 15,000 people a year, and has an annual budget of approximately 50 million. There are hundreds of employees. Services are community-based and institutional, and run the gamut from healthy aging programs to skilled nursing care and hospice. I have tremendous leeway to pursue interesting research and intervention studies, and a great team of people (we are small but mighty). I love working in different communities, helping small organizations meet their research and evaluation needs, and building the personal relationships that strengthen understanding and problem-solving. Not having time to write is my biggest problem as I don't get to share my findings as widely as I would like to.
Besides work (consulting, research, teaching), which occupies almost all my time, I spend time with my husband and our little beagle, Darwin (the bandita). I also serve on the Board of Directors of an organization called Health and Disability Advocates, which does a lot of policy work and training in the areas of medicaid, access, medicare, and SSI. I love spring gardening but by August, I'm bored, and I enjoy painting but don't do much anymore. You can read about my career path and direction in NAPA Bulletin #26, Making History at the Frontier, edited by Christina Wasson.
Area(s) of Training
cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, other
Current Area of Employment
Research at a non-profit social service organizataion
