The education of a Gerontechnologist: Patterns in my life
N. Charness
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 466)
AbstractBackground: Gerontechnology is a growing field with a mission to shape and develop technology tools and training that can enhance the quality of life of aging adults. It offers the opportunity to researchers in a diverse set of disciplines to learn and grow together in the service of that opportunity. The goal of this paper is to describe my career trajectory from the perspective of a developing gerontechnologist. Research aim: Describe patterns, influences, and influencers that have shaped my career. The review focuses on identifying significant events that led me from early work on understanding expert performance to the field of aging and cognition and on applied aging research making use of human factors methodology.
Methods: I review my formal and informal educational experiences as new research challenges arose in the context of societal changes.
Results Opportunities provided by academia through formal education (McGill University, Carnegie Mellon University) and later through employment (Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, Florida State University) coupled with happy accidents, as well as privileges such as sabbaticals, leaves, and new writing assignments, provided me with the chance to shift research areas multiple times, eventually settling into gerontechnology research. My research was also shaped by societal trends such as the microcomputer revolution and the shift in funding from individual to team research (CARNET, CREATE).
Conclusion: The range of research challenges that I have been fortunate to pursue was made possible by a complex web of influential teachers, students and colleagues, universities and institutes, professional associations, taxpayers in multiple countries, and most importantly, through family support.Keywords: Gerontechnology, education, aging, technology, human factors, CREATE, family
N. Charness (2020). The education of a Gerontechnologist: Patterns in my life. Gerontechnology, 19(2), 96-101
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2020.19.2.002.00