Gerontology, the study of aging, is a field that offers invaluable insights across various disciplines. The University of Nevada, Reno proudly hosts its own Gerontology Academic Program (GAP), through the Sanford Center for Aging, which offers both minors and certificates in gerontology. Each program has been designated a “Program of Merit” by the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education. The University of Nevada, Reno is one of only fourteen universities nationwide to receive this distinction for its gerontology programs. This May, GAP is honoring two graduates from its programs, and in December another.

Kyla Loong

Kyla Loong is earning a Bachelor of Science degree in community health sciences with an emphasis on public health and a minor and certificate in gerontology in May 2025. She plans to attend physician assistant (PA) school for her master’s to explore healthcare specializations such as gerontology, family medicine and women's wellness. Kyla was awarded the Dianne Winne MD Memorial Scholarship for 2024-2025.

“I have been volunteering with a client through the Senior Outreach Services program under the Sanford Center for Aging as a companion since April 2024. I am grateful for the friendship my client and I have experienced together. Usually, the companionship consists of assisting with doctor visits and helping with the client's shopping and groceries. Additionally, with my current field of aging and experience internship, I recently completed a project where I prepared and distributed surveys to senior clients. The survey informs the gerontology program on how we can better serve our clients with the provided education, services, aid and resources.

"I hope to share with others that aging is a privilege and that it should be approached in a more positive light. With gerontology, I aim to promote successful aging and address the negative effects of stereotypes and stigmatization of the aging population. It is crucial to set a positive outlook to enhance well-being and self-identity as we age.

"My interactions with other older adults encourage me that it is crucial to have a healthy relationship with aging. The older adults I encounter are usually through work and the Sanford Center for Aging. I always see how grateful seniors are to receive access to knowledge, interventions, and resources to help them find their community and niche, whether it be through the Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program or the Senior Fit and Strong program.”

Zane Abi-Rached

Zane Abi-Rached is earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in gerontology and a second minor in chemistry with a biophysical emphasis in May 2025. He plans to attend medical school. Zane was awarded the Five Star Residents Scholarship for 2022-2023.

“I chose to pursue a minor in gerontology after I became a care partner for my grandfather with Alzheimer's disease. I wanted to learn more about aging and dementia so that I could better care for him. The GAP program provides me the opportunity to get more involved with this community and the tools to engage with this population. The service-learning component of this program has helped me connect the classroom material with the experiences of real people in our community.

"A project I am extremely proud of is the work I have done with the Dementia, Engagement, Education and Research (DEER) Program to help build the Dementia Friendly Nevada Forum and Dementia Friendly Nevada Infinity Hub. These projects help to spread the knowledge and influence of Dementia Friendly Nevada to help those around our state live well with dementia. This project had many obstacles, but with the support of my great mentor, Casey Acklin at the DEER Program, I was able to overcome them.

"I believe my work in gerontology helps provide older adults who are afflicted with cognitive diseases the resources to understand the changes they may experience in the future while also quashing myths and misconceptions that can be detrimental to their ability to interact with the community. Additionally, the information and skills I have learned from this program will allow me to provide better outcomes to my future patients, as it has allowed me to learn more about the aging process than I ever could have in a single unit or class. I have spent a significant amount of time in my undergraduate study learning about aging and interacting with older adults.

"I would advise anyone interested in a career in gerontology to get involved in the community. The GAP program has provided me with a wealth of information and service-learning opportunities that have allowed me to engage with older adults in my community. These interactions have had a profound impact on me. I have met many individuals in the community who actively work to improve the lives of older adults.”

Isabella Durda

Isabella Durda is earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor and certificate in gerontology in December 2025. She plans to enter the occupational therapy doctorate program to help older adults. She served as a teaching assistant for two semesters in the gerontology program and was awarded the Sanford Endowment Scholarship, Dianne Winne M.D. Memorial Scholarship for 2023-2024, and the Five Star Residents Scholarship for 2024-2025.

“As an incoming freshman, I needed to enroll in one more class for the semester and randomly chose gerontology 201. Throughout the class, I fell in love with its principles. I had always loved working with and being around older adults, and I had never realized that aging was a legitimate field of study. I ended up enrolling for the minor and certificate in gerontology shortly after.

“Studying gerontology has made me a better person. I am more understanding, compassionate and confident, not only in my knowledge of the field, but in myself and my morals. I have been impacted by gerontology in ways that I don’t think I would have been in any other minor.

“Gerontology is something that you can use in any field and any setting and that it is worth studying because of the prominent number of older adults in our current society. I have been fortunate to have multiple happy, independent older adults in my life, and they have shown me two important things. Firstly, that just because you get older doesn’t mean you have to be less fun, and secondly, that growing older is a privilege and it is something that should be embraced.”