Alumni Update: Where are they now?
Name: Maria Burgee Dwight
Degree(s) Received: MSG
Year of Graduation: 1977
Job title: President and C.E.O.
Company: Gerontological Services Inc. (GSI)
Location (city and state): Santa Monica, CA
Please briefly describe your position and your company:
I am the founder and president of GSI, which was started in 1982. Previously I had been a partner in an architectural and planning firm that specialized in housing for elders. GSI works nationally and internationally with profit and non profit developers, hospitals and health systems, underwriters and bankers and foundations by performing market analysis and feasibility studies for the development of retirement campuses, housing, health facilities and community based services for elders. We do primary research through mailed surveys and focus groups, and do secondary data analysis using demographic and competitive data. We also work closely with architectural teams, financial analysts and management to develop operational and design programs. We are also highly experienced in strategic planning and technology development and planning.
Why did you choose to study gerontology at the USC Davis School?
I had been actively working in the field 8 years, and had developed and implemented the first Geriatric Authority in the country. I was also on the Board of Overseers at The Heller School at Brandeis University, but they did not offer a Master’s degree. I was a single mother of 5 children and did not have the luxury of time for a PhD. It was the first year of the Davis School and I thought I would like to be in at the start of that adventure. It was also in CA, which was very inviting.
How did you learn about your current position? Was it through an internship, a previous job, or a connection through USC?
My first internship and job was with a USC associate professor. I created my business and my present position after 8 years with that firm (which is no longer active).
Please briefly describe how the USC Davis School’s curriculum helped prepare you for your current position.
The curriculum was in its infancy when I was at the School, but I was able to put my field experience into a broader academic context, which has subsequently helped me in business. I also learned statistics, and my professor would be astounded to know that I use statistics constantly in my work.
What advice would you offer to a prospective student interested in studying gerontology at USC?
There is a fantastic future and multiple business opportunities for entrepreneurs in our field. I would advise everyone to consider public service, but the excitement is going to be in the private sector. The field is changing so rapidly and with biotech, nanotech, longevity and pharmaceutical research, who knows what is over the horizon.
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