Elevating efforts to recruit and retain HBCU scholars in the field of aging

Population aging suggests the need for an increased workforce of community advocates, academic scholars, health care providers, and other professionals with training in gerontology/geriatric medicine or a related discipline. Established in the early 19th century, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created to educate Black students when they were not allowed to attend certain public and/or private predominately white institutions. With increasing enrollment, HBCUs are now being recognized for their progressive academic presence in the Black community educating distinguished scientists, inventors, politicians, and world leaders. These institutions have similarly become increasingly integrated into the aging network by educating (undergraduate/graduate) some of the most influential gerontologists and geriatric practitioners. Despite the role of HBCUs in educating and preparing established and emerging scientists, there remains limited professional development opportunities, a lack of scholarly resources, and inadequate mentoring and networking supports for HBCU scientists by established gerontologists. To address these issues, scholars will collaborate to organize and host conferences for emerging and early career scientists from HBCUs. The aims of the HBCU aging conference series are to: host five multidisciplinary annual conferences; address knowledge gaps and identify future priorities in gerontology related to aging; prepare scientists for leadership positions/roles in gerontology; facilitate professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities within and between HBCUs, and other community-based and academic institutions; and sponsor a select number of emerging and early career scientists from HBCUs to attend and participate in the annual conference through the HBCU Aging Ambassadors Program (HAAP). Each conference will be an interactive two-day pre-conference workshop during the GSA’s annual scientific meeting. All attendees will be engaged with panel discussions, professional development breakout sessions, and facilitated mentoring and networking opportunities. This conference series will serve as an essential hub for knowledge transfer and exchange, professional skills and practice improvement, sustainable best practices in gerontology, proficiency in established competencies, and transformation in the quality of aging scholarship. The novelty of these conferences is that, to our knowledge, it is the first to focus exclusively on scientists engaged in gerontology or a related discipline from HBCUs.