Optimal Aging Institute names administrator, plans community fair

BGSU’s new Optimal Aging Institute (OAI) is moving ahead. Its inaugural project administrator has been recently named and a community fair is planned.

Paula Davis has been named project administrator effective July 11, Dr. Marie Huff, dean of the College of Health and Human Services, has announced. Currently serving as BGSU’s director of corporate and Foundation relations, Davis served as both the assistant director and outreach coordinator of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute from 2012-15. In addition, she successfully completed the Geriatric Scholar Certificate Program sponsored by the Columbia-New York Geriatric Education Center in 2013.

“Paula’s many years of experience in marketing and fundraising, along with her experience in gerontology, make her uniquely qualified to lead the Optimal Aging Institute,” Huff said. “We look forward to collaborating with her and our community partners and other individuals on campus to develop our long-term strategic plan and beginning to provide engaging programs and resources for the community.”

Davis will also be a speaker at the institute’s Optimal Aging Community Fair, to he held  from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1 in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. The fair is open to all ages but does require advance registration by July 28. It will include an international keynote speaker discussing active aging, followed by panel discussions and interactive breakout sessions and health screenings in the afternoon emphasizing the seven dimensions of wellness. This event is free for people age 60 and over, BGSU employees and students, and $20 for others. Lunch is included.

For more information, visit the OAI website or call 419-372-8243.

The institute, based in the College of Health and Human Services, was strategically developed in 2016 to provide learning opportunities and educational materials focusing on optimal aging for service providers, health systems, entrepreneurs, corporations, caregivers, and older adults. The OAI has received a generous five-year commitment of financial support from Medical Mutual of Ohio.