UF College of Nursing faculty named Gerontological Society of America fellow

July 27, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Meredeth Rowe, Ph.D., R.N., a University of Florida College of Nursing associate professor, has been named a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.

Rowe currently is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health-funded study to develop a night alert prompting system designed to prevent dementia patients from nighttime wandering, which can cause injury or death. The system utilizes an alarm to alert caregivers if dementia patients begin to wander at night.

Fellowship within the Gerontological Society of America represents the highest class of membership and acknowledges the superior contributions made to the field of gerontology. Fellows are honored for a variety of activities including research, teaching, administration, public service and participation within the organization.

Rowe has written numerous publications on topics such as dementia, care after coronary artery surgery, chronic illness and the impact of the caregiver on patients with dementia. Rowe also is a fellow of the Hartford Institute of Gerontological Research.

The Gerontological Society of America is the oldest and largest national multidisciplinary scientific organization devoted to the advancement of gerontological research. The GSA is a nonprofit professional organization comprising more than 5,000 members in the field of aging. Its members include researchers, educators, practitioners and policy-makers.