Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Gerontology appoints Katie Gilstrap and Sonya Barsness to the Adjunct Faculty

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Feb 25, 2014, 05:32 ET

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Katie Gilstrap and Sonya Barsness have been appointed as adjunct faculty members in VCU's Department of Gerontology. In their roles with the department, they will co-design and co-facilitate a class focused on fusing best practices in the disciplines of gerontology and business.

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Lift Caregiving. (PRNewsFoto/Lift Caregiving) (PRNewsFoto/LIFT CAREGIVING)

The Department of Gerontology will add this class to their curriculum in an effort to help students understand how to meet the growing need for aging services in a person centered and entrepreneurial way. And with 10,000 people turning 65 everyday, the need is growing fast. "Our main goal in the Department of Gerontology is that our graduates hit the ground USEFUL! One of the fastest growing areas of career exploration and professional identity development among our students and for the field in general is Entrepreneurial Gerontology, said Dr. Ayn Welleford, Chair of the Department of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University. "We're finding this among our traditional graduate students as well as our recareering and encore career students who are seeking to make meaningful and purposeful contributions to the field. Clearly, Katie Gilstrap brings a unique skillset to our team. We are already hearing rave reviews from our students about this beneficial addition to our curriculum. We are most grateful and I expect great things from this continued partnership with Lift Caregiving."

Katie Gilstrap says, "I am very excited to be working with the Department of Gerontology. They are doing such important work in the study of optimal aging and are leading the way in improving eldercare through education. As an entrepreneur and a business professor, I see such a need for businesses to understand person centered care."

About Katie Gilstrap

Katie Gilstrap is co-founder of Lift Caregiving, opening in January of 2011. Before starting this new chapter in her career, Katie served as Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing for First Market Bank in Richmond, Virginia, overseeing advertising, merchandising, public relations, community outreach, product pricing, development & management, customer behavior analysis, social networking and communications strategies. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Katie serves on community and corporate boards and has been named an assistant professor in Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business. https://www.liftcaregiving.com/about/

About Sonya Barsness

Sonya Barsness, is the owner of Sonya Barsness Consulting, LLC. Sonya has a Masters Degree in Gerontology and her mission is to help person-centered values come to life in organizations through education, research, and practice. Sonya has a special focus on supporting people living with dementia. Her consulting includes organizational assessment, training, and coaching in long-term care; program development, management, and evaluation; and research. http://www.sbcgerontology.com/

About Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Gerontology

The Department of Gerontology, founded in 1976, became a part of the School of Allied Health Professions at Virginia Commonwealth University in January 1985. The department is well known for the quality and innovation of its programs and for the scholarship and applied expertise of its faculty. The Department of Gerontology offers a variety of degree programs based on an interdisciplinary approach using the bio-psycho-social model. http://www.sahp.vcu.edu/gerontology/