2021 Program Portal
Welcome to the 2021 Age Boom Academy 
Use this page to access all conference information including agenda, session links,
speaker and fellow bios, and our comprehensive video and publication library. 

To navigate to all resources, click on the buttons and scroll down.

If you have any questions or issues during the Academy, please email us at:
​events@kelsonproductions.com.
To access all live sessions, click the button below:
With thanks to our funders
THE AGENDA
Session I: Welcome and Framing
Thursday, May 6 | 5:30pm-7pm ET

Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Director of the Age Boom Academy
Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health
Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
 
Loneliness & Your Beat: Raising the Unseen Stories, Seeding the Solutions
Bruce Shapiro, Co-director of the Age Boom Academy
Senior Executive Director, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Columbia Journalism School

If Loneliness is a Construct, Deconstruct It: The SJN Approach
Julia Hotz
Communities Manager, Solutions Journalism Network
Mikhael Simmonds
Multimedia Lead, Solutions Journalism Network
 
Session I Plenary Discussion
Moderator: Richard Eisenberg | Managing Editor, Next Avenue
Session II: The Root Causes
Friday, May 7 | 9am-10:30am ET

Keynote: The Psychosocial Factors at the Root of Loneliness
Louise Hawkley, PhD | Senior Research Scientist,
NORC, University of Chicago

Panel Discussion | Getting It Together: The Future of Loneliness
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH | Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health, Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center,
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Louise Hawkley, PhD | Senior Research Scientist, NORC, University of Chicago
Becca R. Levy, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health and Professor of Psychology, Yale University
Moderator: Carol Hymowitz | Senior Journalist
 
Session II Plenary Discussion
Moderator: Kerry Hannon | Senior Journalist 

“Ask Me Anything”
Afternoon | Various Times 
Various speakers will be available for optional, brief small-group interviews by Fellows. Fellows will reserve their top choice in advance.
Session III: The Costs, The Solutions | Monday, May 10
Morning | 9:30am-11:45am ET

Panel Discussion | The Toll on Health and in Healthcare Settings
Justin S. Golub, MD, MS | Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Karen Ignagni | President and Chief Executive Officer, EmblemHealth
Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS | Associate Professor, Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine
John W. Rowe, MD | Julius B. Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Moderator: Rodney A. Brooks | Contributor, US News & World Report, National Geographic

Panel Discussion | Revisualizing Civic Design
Charles Branas, PhD | Gelman Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH | Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health, Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Leslie Hunter-Gadsden | Journalist and Educator
Lisa Marsh Ryerson | President, AARP Foundation
Moderator: Chris Farrell | Senior Journalist

~10 Minute Break~

Fellows Breakouts | Introduced by Bruce Shapiro
Senior Journalist moderators Rodney Brooks, Richard Eisenberg, Chris Farrell, Kerry Hannon, and Carol Hymowitz lead five groups of Fellows in breakout rooms to develop the main themes for what solutions need to be implemented.
Discussion Questions:
  • What are the main propelling forces of loneliness today?
  • What are the main obstacles to societal connectedness?
  • What policies or funding are missing?
  • How do you report on cohesion and community?
  • What is missing in current coverage? What story ideas might you pursue?
 
Evaluation
Part I | Fellows to complete evaluation form

“Ask Me Anything”
Afternoon | Various Times 
Various speakers will be available for optional, brief small-group interviews by Fellows. Fellows will reserve their top choice in advance.
 
•••
During the period between May 10 and June 11, Fellows will develop stories and convene in a small group setting led by our Senior Journalist moderators.
•••
Session IV: Interventions Showcase | Friday, June 11
Morning | 9am-11:30am ET
​
Panel Discussion | Community-based Interventions for Healthy Aging: What Works in Which Contexts
Julia Hotz | Journalist, Solutions Journalism Network
Roger O’Sullivan, PhD | Director of Ageing Research and Development, The Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Thomas Prohaska, PhD | Dean Emeritus, George Mason University
Moderator: Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH | Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health, Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

Panel Discussion | Tech: 2gather 2gether
Sara J. Czaja, PhD | Professor of Gerontology in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Dana Griffin | Co-Founder and CEO, Eldera.ai
Thomas Kamber, PhD | Executive Director, OATS/Senior Planet
Joy Zhang | CEO and Co-Founder, Mon Ami
Moderator: Carol Hymowitz | Senior Journalist

Panel Discussion | Keeping It Hyperlocal: Grassroots and Community Building
Caitlin Hawke | Former Board Member and Activities Co-Chair, Bloomingdale Aging in Place; Senior Science and Strategy Officer, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center
Atalaya Sergi | Director, AmeriCorps Seniors
David Vincent, PhD | Chief Program Officer, SAGE
Moderator: Richard Eisenberg | Managing Editor, Next Avenue

Session 4 Plenary Discussion
Bruce Shapiro, moderator
The Way Forward on Reporting on Solutions to Loneliness
  • How examples from today's sessions relate to the beat, region or city that you cover?
  • What story ideas might you pursue? 

Conclusions
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Director, Age Boom Academy
Deploying Policy, Public Health, and Social Capital in the Service of Social Connectedness

Optional
Farewell Breakouts

Evaluation
Survey on Part II | Fellows to complete evaluation form here for the second half of the Academy.

“Ask Me Anything”
Afternoons of June 11 & 14 | Various Times 
Various speakers will be available for optional, brief small-group interviews by Fellows. Fellows will reserve their top choice in advance.
 ​
Side Events
In addition to the above sessions, the following events are also planned.
​
Tuesday, April 27 | 6:45pm-7:45pm ET
Fellow & Mentor Virtual Happy Hour & Speed Acquainting

Wednesday, May 5 | 10am-11am ET
Solutions Journalism 101 (optional training)
 
Thursday, May 20 | 7pm-8pm ET
Fellow & Mentor Virtual Mixer

Thursday, June 10 | 7pm-8pm ET
Mixer with Older Adults from Bloomingdale Aging in Place
THE FELLOWS 
Tara Bahrampour
Staff Writer, The Washington Post
Mario Campa
Contributing Writer, Revista Este Pais
Paige Cornwell
Reporter, The Seattle Times
Cailin Crowe
Editor, Smart Cities Dive
Bruce Frankel
Vice President, ​Redstring
Ariel Hart
Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ​
Kasley Killam
Founder, ​Social Health Labs
Alessandra Malito 
Retirement Reporter, MarketWatch
Anne Marshall-Chalmers
Researcher/Reporter, Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program
Amy Peterson
Staff Writer, Estherville News
Maria Sestito
Reporter, The Desert Sun
Edward Baig
Contributing Writer, AARP
Melody Cao
Freelance Journalist, SinoVision
Peter Cox
Senior Reporter, Minnesota Public Radio ​
Diane Eastabrook
Staff Writer, McKnight's Home Care Daily
Anita Fritz
Senior Reporter, The Greenfield Recorder
Erica Hensley
Independent Health and Data Journalist
Rachel Layne
Freelance Journalist, CBS,
​USA Today, HBSWK
Lauren J. Mapp 
Reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune
Greggory Morris
Journalism Professor, Hunter College 
​Angelica Recierdo
Healthcare Writer, Doximity
Rochelle Sharpe
Freelance Journalist
Taylor Wizner
Journalist, Interlochen Public Radio
Janeane Bernstein
Producer, KUCI 88.9FM
Lois Collins
Reporter & Columnist, Deseret News
Hannah Critchfield
Reporter, Tampa Bay Times
Kate Ferguson
Editor-in-chief, Real Health Magazine
Julie Halpert
Freelance Journalist, NYT, AARP, WSJ
​Sharon Jayson
Freelance Journalist
Nora Macaluso
 Freelance Journalist
JoAnn Mar
Producer, KALW Public Radio
Sophie Okolo
Founder, Global Health Aging

Kathy Ritchie
Reporter, KJZZ News (NPR)
Misty Williams 
State News Editor, AARP Bulletin
THE MODERATORS & SPEAKERS
Rodney A. Brooks | Moderator
Columnist, U.S. News & World Report & Contributor, National Geographic
Kerry Hannon | Moderator
Author/Columnist/Contributor, The New York Times, PBS Next Avenue, MarketWatch
Sara J. Czaja, PhD
Professor of Gerontology, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine,
​Weill Cornell Medicine
Director, Center on Aging and Behavioral Research
Dana Griffin
Co-Founder and CEO,
Eldera.ai
Julia Hotz
Journalist, Solutions Journalism Network ​

Tom Kamber, PhD
Founder and Executive Director,
​Older Adults Technology Services ​
Professor Roger O’Sullivan 
Director of Ageing Research & Development, Institute of Public Health in Ireland; Visiting Professor, Ulster University
Tom Prohaska, PhD 
Dean Emeritus, College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University
Bruce Shapiro
Co-director, Age Boom Academy
Executive Director, The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma,
Columbia Journalism School​
Richard Eisenberg | Moderator
Managing Editor, 
Next Avenue
Carol Hymowitz | Moderator
Journalist, Author, Consulting Research Scholar, Stanford Center on Longevity
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH
Director, Age Boom Academy
Director, Robert N. Butler
Columbia Aging Center,
Dean and DeLamar Professor
of Public Health
​Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Caitlin M. Hawke
Project Lead, Age Boom Academy
​Senior Science and Strategy Officer,
​Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center 
Leslie Hunter-Gadsden 
Journalist and Educator 

Becca R. Levy, PhD 
Professor of Epidemiology,
Yale School of Public Health and
​Professor of Psychology, Yale University
Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS 
Associate Professor of Medicine,
UCSF School of Medicine,
Medical Director, UCSF Care at Home,​
John W. Rowe, MD 
Julius B. Richmond Professor of
Health Policy and Aging
Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center,
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Mikhael Simmonds
Multimedia Lead,
​Solutions Journalism Network

Joy Zhang 
CEO & Co-Founder, Mon Ami
Chris Farrell | Moderator
Columnist, 
PBS Next Avenue; MPR; APMG
Charles Branas, PhD
Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Justin S. Golub, MD
Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Louise Hawkley, PhD 
Principal Research Scientist,
NORC at the University of Chicago
Karen Ignagni 
President and CEO, EmblemHealth

Lisa Marsh Ryerson
President, 
​AARP Foundation 
Elena Portacolone, PhD, MBA, MPH 
Associate Professor of Sociology,
​Institute for Health & Aging at UCSF  
Atalaya Sergi
Director,
AmeriCorps Seniors

David Vincent, PhD 
Chief Program Officer,
​SAGE