Published May 29, 2014
Dr. Pamela Higgins Saulsberry, professor of social work, and Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye,
Biedenharn Endowed Chair and professor of gerontology at the University of Louisiana
at Monroe, presented at the 40th Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference
of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) in Denver, Colo.
During the conference Saulsberry and Kopera-Frye conducted a poster presentation titled
“The Rich and Diverse Meanings of Custodial Grandparenting.”
Research was conducted in Louisiana and Ohio, and data was gathered from a combined
351 participants.
According to Saulsberry and Kopera-Frye, the number of custodial grandparents has
increased measurably over the last decade.
The two-fold purpose of this study was to explore the racial socialization and cultural
sharing of grandparents in the areas of religion, moral, education, and personal belief
to foster pride and self-esteem in their grandchildren.
According to Kopera-Frye, who is also a fellow of AGHE and Gerontology Society of
America, “This conference is well-respected and the presentations are refereed to
ensure that those selected represent significant research that enhances gerontological
and geriatric education. It was an honor to have our abstract selected and presented
at this conference”.
In 1972, the Administration on Aging (AoA) within the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services established a grant program to fund gerontology training programs in
colleges and universities.
A combination of resources, people, and events led to the birth of AGHE in 1974. In
1998 AGHE moved from an independently incorporated organization to a unit within the
Gerontological Society of America (GSA). GSA focuses on research, and AGHE focuses
on education and training.
The conference attracts higher education leaders and government officials from across
the nation to exchange ideas on the improvement education and leadership in gerontology
and geriatrics.
