In this blog post, we’re introducing a new series, a spotlight on WashU alumni who have centered their training and subsequent professional work on aging. While they were at WashU, these alums were affiliated with different schools and programs, and all have made important contributions to the field of aging then and now.
Emma Swinford, MPH, MSW
Training:
2012, BA, Geography – Community & Global Health Concentration; Hispanic Studies minor, Macalester College
2019, MPH/MSW – Gerontology, WashU
Tell us about your current position and responsibilities.
I work as the Research Education Component (REC) Program Coordinator at WashU’s Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC). My job largely centers around managing programs that support junior investigators and creating opportunities for people to get involved in Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD)-related fields. The goal of the REC Program is to support emerging ADRD researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to advance ADRD knowledge and treatment. I manage this program as well as another training grant that supports pre- and postdoctoral fellows interested in ADRD research.
My other responsibilities include organizing a weekly seminar series that shares cutting-edge ADRD research with the community and helping coordinate a course for medical students focused on memory, dementia and clinical therapeutics.
How did you land where you are now?
Word of mouth! Before accepting my current position, I worked remotely at University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development, where I did applied research and program evaluation on projects focusing on older adults. One part of this role that I really enjoyed was working with community organizations, state agencies and other partners throughout Missouri. I liked learning about different aging-related initiatives around the state and meeting a larger network of professionals working in aging. Professional networking can feel intimidating, but building connections with others can be inspiring and motivating—and it can open up doors to new opportunities. I learned about my current job from a former co-worker who knew about the position opening and shared it with me.
How did your career start?
After college, I worked in the non-profit world for about six years, focusing on food security, legal aid, and behavioral health. I had always had an interest in public health, but after working with a team of social workers at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Chicago, I decided to pursue social work as well. The dual master’s degree program in social work and public health brought me to the Brown School at WashU, and that’s where I began to center my academic and professional life around older adults and aging.
When and how did you know you wanted to focus your work on aging and older adults?
I have always enjoyed intergenerational environments! I spent most childhood weekends with my grandparents, “Bittie” and “Pappy,” playing board games and snacking on vegetables they picked from their garden. When I went to college, I missed spending time with older adults and volunteered with an organization that matched undergrads with older adults in the community for social activities. However, I hadn’t considered a career path with a focus on aging until grad school. I took several aging-focused courses offered by Professor Nancy Morrow-Howell and began to shape some of my coursework and practicum experiences around aging-related issues. The content interested me, but I also appreciated how a lot of work in the aging world is done—with an eye towards interprofessional collaboration and cross-systems work. I think I gravitated towards aging, in part, because the field emphasizes and necessitates this approach.
What kinds of experiences did you have at WashU that had a meaningful impact on your career?
Academically, I had the opportunity to take courses from Professors Nancy Morrow-Howell and Vanessa Fabre that taught me about the larger landscape of and narratives around aging. I also got involved with the undergraduate course, “When I’m 64,” where I was a teaching assistant in an intergenerational classroom. Professionally, I did a practicum that turned into part-time employment at an intergenerational roommate matching service. This opened my eyes to how entrepreneurship and innovation show up in the field of aging. Personally, I spent a year as a student-in-residence at Crown Center for Senior Living, where I lived alongside a vibrant community of older adults, who I got to know as friends and neighbors. These experiences provided exposure and perspective that educated and energized me and helped me think more holistically about my career goals.
What’s the focus of your work now?
My day-to-day responsibilities largely focus on grant management, program administration, and planning ADRD educational programming. This looks a little different every day, but the larger goal of the grants and programs I support is to develop a diverse clinical translational workforce of ADRD clinicians and researchers.
Where do you do this work?
I work at the WashU School of Medicine’s Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center.
Who else do you work with? (other professional disciplines)
I appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of the Knight ADRC. I get to work with colleagues from a range of academic and professional backgrounds including occupational therapy, social work, neurology, healthcare administration, medicine and more. I also work with students, faculty, and staff across these fields, so I am regularly exposed to new ideas and knowledge.
What do you find fulfilling or meaningful about your career?
A recent example of a fulfilling moment for me was organizing a poster session event for early career ADRD researchers to share their work with the larger WashU School of Medicine community. It was meaningful to create an environment where investigators, from undergraduate students to faculty, could showcase their work and meet like-minded colleagues. In planning and executing this event, I learned new skills, met new people, and achieved the goals I had set for myself, and that also felt fulfilling.
Any advice you have for other people who care about aging?
There are so many ways to connect with aging work! Whether you gravitate towards direct service, research, program management, policy work, volunteerism, entrepreneurship or something else entirely, there are opportunities to plug in. I’d recommend keeping an open mind to the opportunities that arise. Also, having an interest in aging, doesn’t necessarily box you in to a specific role or field, and I’ve found it valuable to continually refine my understanding of which environments, roles and schools of thought best align with my career goals, skills set, and values. Finally, whether it’s through email newsletters, podcasts, books, conversations with colleagues, blogs or academic publications, I’d also recommend staying tuned in to the wider world of aging.