Alumni Update: Where are they now?
Name: Daphna Gans
Degree(s) Received: Ph.D.
Job title: NIA Postdoctoral Trainee
Company: RAND Corporation
Location (city and state): Santa Monica, CA
Please briefly describe your position and your company:
I am a postdoctoral researcher. I will be working both on my own research agenda as well will participate in a research project already ongoing at RAND.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
Why did you choose to study gerontology at the USC Davis School?
My interest in gerontology developed during my undergraduate studies at the University of Haifa in Israel when I was working as an RA and TA for Professor Ariela Lowenstein, an internationally renowned gerontologist. I followed this interest when I got my masters at the Michigan State University in family studies with an emphasis on human development and aging. When my family moved to Los Angeles, it was only natural for me to complete my academic studies at the school of gerontology at USC.
How did you learn about your current position? Was it through an internship, a previous job, or a connection through USC?
During my studies at the Ph.D. program, I participated in the RAND Summer Institute, a series of two workshops geared towards scientists studying aging. I heard about their postdoctoral program and expressed interest in it, although it was premature for me at that time. When this position became available, the director of the program remembered me and emailed me the flyer with the information. Attending meetings and other professional events is the best way to informally learn about various postdoctoral opportunities.
Please briefly describe how the USC Davis School’s curriculum helped prepare you for your current position.
During the structured part of the doctoral program, I have taken courses that addressed the biology, physiology, psychology, and sociology of aging, as well as aging and social public policy. However, the most unique aspect of my studies at the Andrus Gerontology Center at USC, which makes this Ph.D. program second to none, was the understanding that the most effective way to study aging is by collaborating across disciplines and approaching the complex phenomena of individual and societal aging from a multi-disciplinary perspective. In addition, during the course of my studies, I have acquired knowledge in state-of-the-art statistical methods uniquely suitable to the study of aging including methods that allow for longitudinal analysis of multilevel data, methods that account for family clustering, and various methods of dealing with missing data.
What advice would you offer to a prospective student interested in studying gerontology at USC?
Take advantage of all the unique opportunities available to you. Go to colloquium lectures, get involved in research projects and expose yourself to the wealth of knowledge the faculty of USC holds. Most of the education is acquired informally rather than in class.
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