The Csomay Center’s foundation builds on the accomplishments of the Directors of the John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. These exceptional leaders advanced geriatric nursing research, education, and practice for academic student learners, faculty, and practitioners alike.  We gratefully acknowledge the John A. Hartford Foundation for generously supporting the center for over 15 years and the Directors who established the legacy on which we build:

• Meridean Maas, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emeritus (2000 - 2005)
  Research interests: nursing interventions for persons with dementia in nursing homes and their family caregivers, and classification testing of outcomes that are responsive to nursing intervention.
• Kathleen C. “Kitty” Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emeritus (2006 - 2010)
  Research interests: geriatric mental health, caregivers of persons with dementia, long-term care staff training, and rural delivery systems. 
• Janet Pringle Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emeritus (2011 - 2014)
  Research interests: practice models to promote professional nursing, diagnosis, interventions and outcomes for older persons with urinary incontinence, and care of persons with dementia and their families.
• Kristine Williams, PhD, RN (2014 - 2016)
  Research interests: interventions to improve care for older adults by enhancing nursing communication, providing cognitive training for maintaining self-care, and using technology to support family caregivers of persons with dementia.
• Marianne Smith, PhD, RN, FAAN (2016 - 2021)
  Research interests: Improving the lives of older adults who experience depression, anxiety, and/or dementia by developing innovative and pragmatic ways to reduce disability and promote function

The Center is funded by the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence, an unrestricted fund that supports the operation and activities of the Center.  Csomay Center funding supports two year-long research awards, one for faculty and another for graduate students.  The College of Nursing oversees the Barbara and Richard Csomay Scholarships in Gerontology that support undergraduate, PhD, and DNP students.

Center activities are further advanced by benefactors who generously support our goals of advancing high quality care and treatment of older adults. We gratefully thank and acknowledge the:

• Woodrow W. Morris Gerontology Research Fund that supports pilot research studies.
• Woodrow W. and Inabelle H. Morris Visiting Professor Fund that supports a visiting professor program in the College of Nursing, as well as travel support for faculty to conferences or meeting focused on gerontology.
• Jo Hoyt Freeman Dementia Education and Outreach Fund that supports development of dementia training and education that targets practice change in long-term care settings.
• Marilynn H. Bowers Dementia Education and Research Fund currently supports the development of the new section for caregivers on GeriatricPain.org and efforts to disseminate best practices related to pain management.