Meet Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging Team

Linda Hollinger-Smith, RN, PhD, FAAN
Vice President

Leads a team of applied researchers and staff who are responsible for developing and expanding the Mather LifeWays applied research agenda. Seeks out new grant funding opportunities and directs staff in obtaining grant support from both public and private funding sectors to support research and education initiatives. Contributes to achieving a high profile for applied research and creating programs/tools that are mutually beneficial for Mather LifeWays and other organizations.

• Develops and oversees new initiatives in senior living and community-based research and education that successfully promote Mather LifeWays goals.
• Directs staff in obtaining research grant support from both public and private sectors to support new research initiatives.
• Champions the translation of research findings into education and practice.

To e-mail Linda click here.

Dawn Lehman, PhD
Director of Education

Leads a multidisciplinary staff responsible for developing and implementing Mather LifeWays educational programs and products. The goal of this rich portfolio is to expand knowledge and enhance evidence-based practices in older adult services, as well as in other business entities that may benefit from Mather LifeWays educational endeavors.

• Oversees and contributes to workforce program curriculum and new product development.
• Develops partnerships with companies to provide opportunities for their employees to participate in programs developed by Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging.
• Participates as a co-investigator on grant-supported projects.
• Disseminates workforce educational program results to professional/lay audiences via workshops, presentations, and publications.

To e-mail Dawn click here.

Perry Edelman, PhD
Director of Outcomes Research

Responsible for applied research related to whole-person wellness and dementia care in senior living and long-term care settings.

• Develops, tests, and disseminates the Senior Living Whole-Community Wellness Survey. The results of this survey help to develop a model to identify predictors of successful whole-person wellness communities, and thus adapt wellness programs to improve resident outcomes.
• Develops, tests, and disseminates Observing Quality of Life in Dementia (OQOLD) in senior living and community settings (funding ended 2/08; final report completed 6/08).
• Provides education and evaluates person-centered care programs for care providers of persons with dementia in long-term care settings (funded through 8/09).

To e-mail Perry click here.

Reed Engel, MA, FAWHP
Director of Wellness Strategies

Responsible for the development and evaluation of Whole-Person Wellness education and applied research initiatives in community, residential, and worksite settings. Efforts include development, testing, and evaluation of wellness initiatives including:

• A whole-person wellness and exercise collaboration program, designed to support a "culture of wellness" in Mather LifeWays communities for residents, customers, and employees. Specific programs include strength training, life coaching, and a variety of wellness seminars.
• Mather LifeWays workforce wellness programs that encompass assessment, awareness, education, and behavior change support mechanisms for employees to attain optimal wellness. Specific programs include health risk assessments, 10,000 Steps Program, wellness coaching, Brown Bag lunch seminars, financial fitness programs, and health club discounts.
• Co-developed the Comprehensive Whole-Person Wellness Survey which provides: (a) wellness program outcome data to administrators of senior living and community-based programs and (b) personal wellness reports to residents and customers.

Reed has presented his work at statewide and national conferences and has been published in scientific and professional journals. He serves on the National Council on Aging Health Promotion Institute Delegate Council, the Board of Directors of the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion, and the Strategy Board of the Alliance for Work-Life Progress.

To e-mail Reed click here.

Catherine O'Brien, MPH, MA
Director of Workforce Research

Conducts applied research and program evaluation in the creation of new workforce initiatives and tools that impact Mather LifeWays customers and contribute significantly to expanding knowledge and enhancing evidence-based practices in older adult services.

• Develops grant proposals to public/private funders targeting workforce issues in collaboration with Mather LifeWays colleagues and other partnering organizations.
• Directs the Person-Centered Care project funded by Retirement Research Foundation.
• Directs the BEST CARE II project funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health in collaboration with Life Services Network.

To e-mail Catherine click here.

Paula J. Fenza, MA
Grants Manager

Responsible for Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging grants management activities including:

• Coordinates submission of Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging grant applications and proposals.
• Manages grant activities in collaboration with directors including budget management, progress reports, and annual reports.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Assists Vice President and directors in Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging in budget preparation and administration.
• Serves as Institutional Review Board (IRB) Administrator, overseeing all Mather LifeWays IRB activities and processes, and all internal and external research studies.
• Serves as expert in cultural diversity, teaching courses in the Mather LifeWays Web-based Gerontological Education program, the PREPARE program, and the BEST CARE II program.

To e-mail Paula click here.

Jon Woodall, MEd
Project Manager, Online Programs

Responsible for all Mather LifeWays online programs related to course design, implementation, and evaluation. Seeks new grant funding support and manages current grants related to online courses. Programs and research efforts include:

• Mather LifeWays Web-based Gerontological Education courses (fee-for-service funded), a core curriculum to develop practitioners in aging studies through continuing education.
• Powerful Tools for Caregivers Online (fee-for-service funded and grant funded), a distance learning course targeting working caregivers. New 2008 grants received from Exxon Mobil and Merck for their employees to support a new student interface and program evaluation.
• Powerful Tools for Caregivers Global (grant funded by IBM), based on the success of Powerful Tools for Caregivers Online, IBM is supporting translation of the course into Spanish and Portuguese for expansion to six Latin American countries and also to the United Kingdom. Course evaluation is also a key component.
• Making Sense of Memory Loss Online (fee-for-service funded and grant funded), a distance learning course for working caregivers with family members/friends experiencing early stages of memory loss. Course evaluation is also a key component.

To e-mail Jon click here.

Jayne Schaefer, BA
Workforce Programs Manager

Responsible for the day-to-day operations of LEAP workforce training and retention initiative.

• Coordinates all aspects of local, regional, and national LEAP train-the-trainer programs including oversight of LEAP evaluation components (fee-for-service funded; grant funded through 6/08).
• Oversees the development of LEAP for Senior Living Program including participation in submission of grants for state funding efforts (submitted 4/08).

To e-mail Jayne click here.

Erin McCoy, BS
Wellness Program Specialist

Responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of various Mather LifeWays wellness projects including:

• Mather LifeWays workforce wellness programs that encompass assessment, awareness, education, and behavior change support mechanisms for employees to attain optimal wellness.
• Co-developed the Comprehensive Whole-Person Wellness Survey which provides: (a) wellness program outcome data to administrators of senior living and community-based programs and (b) personal wellness reports to residents and customers.
• Develops educational tools and conducts presentations related to whole-person wellness concepts.

Erin is currently involved in research related to positive aging and establishing education, programs/services, and experiences to support a culture of wellness. She has presented at statewide conferences and has contributed to professional publications.

To e-mail Erin click here.

Theresa Sangram, BS
Workforce Education Coordinator

Coordinates all activities related to the workforce educational programs, PREPARE and BEST CARE II.

• Develops elements of educational programs to enhance and expand current and new workforce initiatives including conversions to online delivery methods, curriculum design and development, and new efficiencies in program evaluation methods.
• Coordinates PREPARE webinars including development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring participation.
• Coordinates marketing efforts and recruitment of participants in assigned education/research programs in collaboration with the Mather LifeWays Marketing Department.
• Coordinates implementation of Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging contact management database.
• Assists faculty/staff in developing, implementing, and evaluating online educational programs, including PREPARE and BEST CARE II.
• Coordinates updates to Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging Web pages.
• Assists in the development of related publications and reports.
• Contributing author to the monthly aging in action e-newsletter.

To e-mail Theresa click here.

Scott King, MA
Senior Research Associate

• Manages Quality of Life/Quality of Worklife Annual Surveys for residents, staff, and customers in the senior living, Community Initiatives, and Orrington Avenue locations of Mather LifeWays.
• Coordinates internal and external survey research and project evaluation via the Survey Research Team. Conducts data collection and entry, data management, statistical analyses, and assisting in manuscript preparation for various research projects across all areas of focus that target wellness, workforce, and dementia research endeavors.
• Functions as Associate Managing Editor of the annual Seniors Housing & Care Journal.

To e-mail Scott click here.

Saher Selod, MA
Senior Research Associate

• Conducts data collection and entry, data management, and statistical analyses for evaluation components on several projects for Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging.
• Assists in manuscript development and submissions for PREPARE in collaboration with project director.
• Coordinates internal and external survey research and project evaluation via the Survey Research Team.

To e-mail Saher click here.

Richard Shank, MA
Senior Research Associate

• Assists in the coordination of the Quality of Life/Quality of Worklife Annual Surveys for residents, staff, and customers in the senior living, Community Initiatives, and Orrington Avenue locations of Mather LifeWays.
• Conducts data collection and entry, data management, statistical analyses, and assists in manuscript preparation for various research projects across all areas of focus that target wellness, workforce, and dementia research endeavors. Assists in the development of research design and survey instruments supporting ongoing and new research initiatives.
• Edits the monthly e-newsletter, aging in action, which tracks newly released aging related research.

To e-mail Richard click here.

Cecilia Grefalda
Workforce Program Administrative Assistant

• Assists in the coordination of LEAP workshops in both local and national locations.
• Distributes LEAP marketing materials in collaboration with the Marketing Department.
• Maintains LEAP database and filing systems including LEAP educational tracking.
• Processes LEAP payments and tracks revenue in collaboration with accounting.
• Distributes, collects, and enters data from LEAP Evaluation Surveys.
• Assists in editing LEAP publications and development of LEAP PowerPoint presentations.

To e-mail Cecilia click here.

Kimberley Deng, BS
Administrative Assistant

• Provides administrative support to Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging leadership and staff.
• Maintains Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging databases and filing systems, including maintenance of educational tracking systems, contacts, and mailing lists.
• Assists in the coordination of various Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging research initiatives (e.g., assists with subject enrollment, data collection, data entry, and development of presentations).

To e-mail Kimberly click here.

Andrew Small
Administrative Assistant

Provides administrative support to the Director of Workforce Research and additional logistic support to the Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging Education Department.

• Assists in the coordination of registration and evaluation processes for a number of Mather LifeWays educational programs, including PREPARE, BEST CARE II, and Person-Centered Care Essentials Training.
• Manages logistics for various Mather LifeWays educational events.
• Coordinates the production of training supplies for various Mather LifeWays educational programs.
• Secures the dispensation of continuing education credits to participants in various Mather LifeWays educational programs.
• Acts as a contributing author to the monthly aging in action e-newsletter.
• Serves as a member of Mather LifeWays Institutional Review Board.

To e-mail Andrew click here.