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The Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC)

at the University of Rhode Island

Annual Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics

The 2013 Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics:

"Transforming Community: The Art of Active Aging" presented by
Tim Carpenter, founder of EngAGE; host/producer of the EXPERIENCE TALKS radio show

You can watch Tim Carpenter's lecture, which took place on 3/20/13, on the URIs YouTube channel.

In this lively talk, Tim discussed the cutting edge developments in programming toward senior health, creativity and civic engagement. He presented case studies of seniors who have engaged in new lifestyles in later life and experienced profound advances in health, longevity and life satisfaction and tied anecdotal stories to research that shows that aging can be a window to opportunity, a second act, a natural progression through the phases in adult development - and a key to a happier, fuller later life.

Tim Carpenter serves on the board of the National Center for Creative Aging. In 2008, he was elected an Ashoka Fellow for being one of the top social entrepreneurs in the world, and in 2011 he received the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. EngAGE is a nonprofit that changes aging and the way people think about aging by transforming senior apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness and creativity. EngAGE provides life-enhancing arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community building and intergenerational programs and events to thousands of seniors living in Southern California. Experience Talks is a radio magazine that shines a light on the value of experience in society, airing for 250,000 listeners on Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara and streaming live worldwide on the web at www.kpfk.org. Tim catalyzed the creation of the Burbank Senior Artists Colony, a first-of-its-kind senior apartment community with high-end arts amenities and programs. The NOHO Senior Arts Colony and the Long Beach Senior Arts Colony opened in 2012.

Background on the Thewlis Lecture

A former resident of Wakefield, RI, Dr. Malford W. Thewlis was a pioneer in the field of geriatric medicine and one of the founders of the American Geriatrics Society in 1942. Dr. Thewlis wrote The Care of the Aged: Geriatrics, which was first published in 1919 under the title, "Geriatrics: A Treatise on the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of Old Age and the Care of the Aged."

In honor of Dr. Thewlis, URI established the Malford Thewlis Lecture in Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2006. This goal of this annual event is to raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and stimulate discussion about issues related to aging, longevity, and health care for older adults.

Guest speakers from previous years include:

2012: Kolbein Lyng, Professor of Health Sciences, Molde University College, Norway, was the URI Distinguished Visiting International Scholar and guest speaker for the Thewlis Lecture.

Lecture title: Growing Older: What Can We Learn from Norway and the Norwegians? 
Click here to view on YouTube.

2011: Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emerita, Senior Research Associate & Director at The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing.

Lecture title: Coming of Age - Negotiating Health and Health Care as We Age.
You can view Dr. Mezey's on URI's YouTube Channel.

2010: Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, Director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology (Neuroscience Program affiliate) Harvard Medical School.

Lecture title: Alzheimer's Disease: What Have We Learned and Where Are We Going.
View Dr. Tanzi's lecture on YouTube.

2009: Thomas Perls, MD, MPH, Director of the New England Centenarian Study and Associate Professor and Researcher at Boston University School of Medicine

Lecture: What Can Centenarians Teach Us About Healthy Aging?

2008: Geoff Fernie, PhD, PEng, Vice President of Research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto

Lecture: Environment, Aging, and Disability: Current Research and Prospects for the Future

2007: Nancy Fey-Yensan, PhD, RD, Associate Dean and Professor in the Department Of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University Of Rhode Island

Lecture: Healthy Aging: New Directions for Nutrition

2006: Kenneth Minaker, MD, Chief of the Geriatric Medicine Unit and Director of the Senior Health Practice at Massachusetts General Hospital

Lecture: Aging in America: A Success and a Challenge
Dr. Minnaker's lecture is available for viewing on CD. Contact RIGEC for information.

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