The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) has selected professor Leslie A. Morgan, Sociology & Anthropology, as recipient of the David A. Peterson Award for her Gerontology & Geriatrics Education article “Paradigms in the Gerontology Classroom: Connections and Challenges to Learning.”

The AGHE will present Morgan with this “best paper” award at its 2013 annual meeting. The group notes, “The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in scholarship in academic gerontology.” Manuscripts are evaluated on “innovation, the soundness of their approach, and their significance to and implications for gerontology and geriatrics education.”

Morgan’s research focuses on social dimensions of aging. A recent book explored how people understand what “quality” means in their search for an assisted living facility (watch video). She is is author, co-author or editor of six books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles and chapters. UMBC named her 2011-2012 Lipitz Professor in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, in recognition of her decades of exemplary scholarship, teaching and service to the university.

The AGHE also named UMBC Ph.D. student Colleen R. Bennett, gerontology, as honorable mention recipient for its Graduate Student Paper Award, recognizing her paper “What’s ‘Glee’ Got To Do With It? Lesbians’ Future Care Concerns and Popular Media.”

A remarkable new movement has hits the streets.

Yesterday,  millions danced in over 200 countries in support of One Billion Rising, a campaign to end sexual violence and abuse against women all over the world.  

One Billion Rising was founded by activist and playwright of the Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler.

The number one billion comes from a United Nations assessment that 1 in 3 women in the world, or about 1 billion, will be victims of violence at the hands of men in their lifetime. 

After the horrendous gang-rape of 23 year old student in New Delhi in December, several hundred men, women and children rallied and danced Thursday night on the streets of Delhi. This event took a different attitude from the recent protests which have been occurring in New Delhi.

It portrayed a positive message instead of negative hostility toward the government. South Asia’s One Billion Rising coordinator, Kamla Bhasin was quoted regarding the movement,

“We don’t want violence; we want love… a love based on equality.”

This event was also highly attended by men who wished to change the culture of violence and to not be seen as predators. 

In San Francisco, inmates joined the movement by participating in a flash mob to “Break the Chains” by Tena Clark and choreographed by Debbie Allen. This dance was circulated on YouTube and thousands danced to it all over the world. 

Debbie Allen herself led 2,000 people  in Atlanta’s largest flash mob in history.  Other speakers at the Atlanta rally included SPANX founder Sara Blakely, Rev. Dr. Bernice King and Evelyn Lowery. 

D.C. rallied in favor of the re authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which expands violence protection to Native American victims of violence and the LGBT community.

The act’s passed in the Senate 78-22.

However, the bill will have more difficulty in the Republican controlled House.

President Obama mentioned the bill in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, saying

“It’s now time for the House to follow suit and send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.”

Eve Ensler, who danced in the Democratic Republic of Congo was overjoyed by the success of the One Billion Rising movement. Even the UN endorsed the event and apparently took a break from work and had a rising.  On the phone, Ensler told reporters, 

“I don’t think violence against women will get marginalized again.. I think it has moved to the center of the agenda as of today.”