I am a gerontologist, educator, and entrepreneur with a wide range of experience in the field of aging. I recently completed a tenure as a Professor of Gerontology and Director for the Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago.  I completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development in 2013 and received my Ph.D. in social gerontology from the Department of Sociology and Gerontology at Miami University in 2011.  My expertise lies in complex issues related to aging and well-being.  My research focuses on resilience with additional interests in religion and gender.  In 2016, I founded Circle of Life Consulting, Inc. and serve as a gerontological consultant where I view products, services, and programs with a gerontological "eye" in an effort to help businesses and organizations be age-friendly.  Additionally, I am a certified dementia practitioner (CDP) and an end-of-life (EOL) doula. In 2018, I began working with Dissertation by Design as a dissertation coach.