A Case Study in Healthy Aging
Photo/Trevor Nelson
Birren, blue eyes gleaming, looked fit and trim in his signature striped red and gold tie. Without using note cards, the talented orator dazzled a crowd of gerontology faculty, former students and luminaries in the field of aging.
Forced to overcome long-held dogmas about human development and aging, Birren discussed the gradual growth of gerontology into the indispensable academic discipline it is today.
“The idea of what it means to grow old has changed so much in my lifetime,” he said. “The elder years used to be looked at as a time to ‘find a new rocking chair,’ now the idea is ‘use it or lose it.’ ”
An expert in the areas of neurocognition and psychology, Birren established much of the framework of modern gerontological theory. His notion of “quality of life” as a multidimensional concept involving biological, psychological and socio-cultural domains is one of the core principles of the USC Davis School curriculum.
In 1950, Birren joined the National Institute of Mental Health and created the first section on aging. He came to USC 15 years later as dean and executive director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, where he served until 1989.
Current dean Gerald C. Davison described him as “iconic, visionary, strategic and supportive to students, staff and faculty.”
In 2006, Birren returned to the USC Davis School to instruct a course on autobiographical writing. Using his own approach known as the Guided Autobiography Method, he helped a diverse group of students and Andrus Center volunteers to recall, organize and share life experiences.
“The vitality of the young intrigued the older people and in turn young people were inspired by the stories of the aged,” Birren said.
Following his presentation, an open microphone was available for friends, students and colleagues to comment.
Jon Pynoos, UPS Foundation Professor of Gerontology, Policy, Planning and Development, said Birren “is not only supportive and productive, he’s an example of what creative aging is all about.”
Merril Silverstein, professor of gerontology and sociology, said “reaching 90 as lucid and as good of shape as he’s in is as much of an inspiration as his contribution to the field.”
The celebration was co-hosted by the USC Emeriti Center.
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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