The Gerontological Society of America has selected a New Mexico State University professor to serve as the editor of one of its peer-reviewed journals.
Karen Kopera-Frye, a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences in NMSU’s College of Health, Education and Social Transformation, began serving a four-year term as the editor-in-chief of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education in January. She was elected by members of the Gerontological Society of America, the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization focused on aging.
Gerontology & Geriatrics Education focuses on the exchange of information related to research, curriculum development, program evaluation, classroom and practice innovation, and other topics with educational implications for gerontology and geriatrics.
“I am honored to serve and follow some of the giants in the field of gerontology who have served in this role prior,” Kopera-Frye said. “I hope to expand the journal space for submissions from postdocs and early-career academics. I want to increase the continued excellence in the number of submissions, solicit more international submissions, expand the opportunities for brief reports, and especially solicit submissions from those working with diverse groups and interprofessional education.”
Kopera-Frye joined NMSU in 2016 as an associate dean for what is now called the College of HEST, bringing an extensive background in lifespan psychology and specialized training in gerontology. She later became a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and helped launch undergraduate and graduate minors in gerontology.
Kopera-Frye is a longtime member of the Gerontological Society of America, where she has served as an elected officer and contributed to many working groups and task forces. She also regularly presents her research at academic conferences like the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education, a division of GSA, and the American Psychological Association: Division 20 Adulthood and Aging.
Her current research involves health promotion and healthy aging among diverse groups, particularly Indigenous and Latinx elders. She is also an appointed reviewer for several gerontological and psychological journals and federal granting agencies, such as the Indian Health Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“I was drawn to the field of aging as I have always been intrigued by the lived experiences of elders and the amazing world events they have lived through, witnessed and endured,” she said.
Kopera-Frye described the process of becoming the editor of Gerontology & Geriatrics as rigorous and demanding. She was nominated by her peers to lead two journals.
“In the end, I was selected as editor-in-chief for Gerontology & Geriatric Education,” she said. “It was a great honor to be recognized and nominated by my colleagues in these organizations, with whom I have worked for years in advancing the field of gerontology.”
At the same time, she was also elected to a four-year term as vice chair of the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education.
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Cutline: Karen Kopera-Frye, a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at New Mexico State University, was appointed by the Gerontological Society of America to serve as the editor-in-chief of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)