Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Joy Swanson Ernst, and Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director Faith Hopp from the Wayne State University School of Social Work, have been named fellows of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

Ernst and Hopp were awarded GSA fellowship - the highest class of membership - through the Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section in acknowledgement of their outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology. GSA is the world's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. Fellowships are approved by GSA's Council after review and recommendations by the GSA Fellowship Committee.

Ernst is a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar and her research interests include elder mistreatment and adult protective services (APS) programs. She has published articles on trauma-informed care and elder abuse, elder neglect, the use of multidisciplinary teams in APS, geriatric enrichment in social work education, and several book chapters on elder abuse and neglect. She serves on the research committee for the National Adult Protective Services Association and has served as a grant reviewer and technical expert on Adult Protective Services for the U.S. Administration for Community Living. Prior to joining the Wayne State faculty in 2016, Ernst was a Professor of Social Work and the Undergraduate Social Work Program Director at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

Hopp is also a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar and prior to her faculty appointment at Wayne State, she was a Research Investigator with the Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Hopp has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on federal and foundation grants focused on interventions and programs for people facing chronic diseases, including heart failure and diabetes, and end of life issues for these populations. Seeking to address disparities in care for persons with advanced illness and their caregivers, Hopp is studying the benefits of embedding support services, resources, and training programs through online technologies and person-centered support.

Through research, interdisciplinary education, community engagement and advocacy Ernst and Hopp have worked to advance changes in the field of gerontology not only in Wayne State's community of Detroit, but across the nation. The Wayne State School of Social Work supports their individual initiatives and has committed to supporting the field via a number of initiatives including specialized gerontology coursework, infusion of gerontology content into the social work curriculum, and the promotion of community based support and care for diverse elders in the Detroit area.