The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Public Health announces that after 35 years of distinguished research, teaching, and service J. Kevin Eckert, professor, will be retiring in June 2022.
Kevin joined UMBC in 1987 as the founding Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies in the University of Maryland Graduate School, serving in this position until 1992; he also was appointed professor with tenure in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (now the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health). Kevin subsequently held numerous positions in the administration, including serving as Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences (1993-1994); founding Director of the Center for Health Program Development and Management, now the Hilltop Institute (1993-1995); Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (1994-1995); and founding Dean of the Erickson School of Aging Studies (2005-2009). Kevin additionally served as department chair from 2010-2020, overseeing the department's name change from Sociology and Anthropology to Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health. Kevin also established the department's Center for Aging Studies in 2001, serving as director from 2001-2010. The Center for Aging Studies received over $23 million in external funding under his leadership.
In addition to playing a significant role in the development of schools and research institutions on UMBC's campus, Kevin worked with collaborators across UMBC and University of Maryland, Baltimore to create the UMB-UMBC Joint Doctoral Program in Gerontology in 2001. Kevin served five years as co-director of the program, which remains a strong example of inter-campus collaboration.
Kevin has maintained an active research portfolio throughout his career, ultimately completing over 43 years of continuous, externally funded research. This includes 35 years of funding from federal agencies, most frequently the National Institute on Aging. Kevin's research broadly focused on the experience of aging within and across diverse socio-ecological contexts, from urban, single room occupancy units in San Diego to large, assisted living (AL) communities across the Mid-Atlantic. His publications include five books with major academic presses and over 60 peer reviewed articles. A distinguishing characteristic of these scholarly works is the co-authorship with many students and tenure-track faculty.
Over the years, Kevin has contributed numerous courses to Anthropology, Applied Sociology, and Gerontology. His most recent teaching efforts included graduate courses in qualitative methods and the non-profit sector, both representing core passions. These courses served the MA in Applied Sociology, the Certificate in the Non-Profit sector, and the doctoral programs in Gerontology, LLC, and Public Policy. He also has continuously mentored students, serving on over 40 doctoral dissertation committees.
Throughout his career, Kevin's expertise and contributions have been recognized. In 2003 he received a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship to work in the U.S. Senate on health care reform during the Clinton administration. He has been named a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Kevin received the Board of Regents' Faculty Award for Excellence in Collaboration in 2000. In 2003, he was named UMBC Presidential Research Professor. Kevin received the Marilyn E. Demorest Award for Faculty Advancement in recognition of his support of tenure track faculty in 2016.
Please join us in honoring Kevin's achievements and contributions to UMBC at a reception in the Public Policy Building Atrium and the adjoining terrace on Wednesday, May 18, 4-6 pm.