Advancing Aging Research

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Craig Hall
Communication Team"

gssw.communications@du.edu

GSSW faculty Leslie Hasche and Tyrone Hamler co-convene national social work research collaboration

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Assisting with care in a healthcare setting

Nearly two dozen University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) scholars presented their research at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 30th Annual Conference, “Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice,” held Jan. 14–18 in Washington, DC. Presentations by faculty, staff, students and alumni spanned topics including universal basic income, weight bias, feminist narrative methods, environmental issues and more.

At the conference, Professor Ramona Beltrán and community partner Olga Gonzalez of Cultivando received the 2026 Community–Research Partnership Award. Read more about their work to document the health impacts of an oil refinery on Latine and Indigenous communities in Adams County, Colorado. Sponsored by Cognella, the award recognizes their collaborative work advancing community science.

GSSW faculty also co-convened three special-interest groups (SIGs) at the conference: Aging Research, Education, Advocacy, and Practice (co-conveners: Professor Leslie Hasche and Assistant Professor Tyrone Hamler); Abolitionist Social Work (co-convener: Assistant Professor Sophia Sarantakos); and Suicide Prevention and Intervention (co-convener: Associate Professor Anthony Fulginiti). SIGs bring together faculty, researchers and students from across the nation to discuss and collaborate on research.

Hasche leads the aging SIG, which she says emphasizes building collaboration among aging-focused organizations to elevate aging-focused research. In partnership with the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW), the aging SIG offered a 2025 webinar featuring leading scholars in gerontology and social work, who shared their expertise on crafting compelling conference abstracts. In 2026, more than 50 social work researchers attended the SIG, which Hasche says is an attendance record.

Hamler explains, “Our focus is to promote aging-related scholarship at SSWR, build community, explore future collaborative efforts, support doctoral students and encourage collaborations with AGESW.” He adds, “We also want to share our experiences with and opportunities for AGESW pre-dissertation fellowships (many of us are pre-dissertation fellowship alumni).”

Hasche is the University of Denver vice provost for faculty affairs and a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). In partnership with social service and aging service providers, her research aims to understand how community-based services can best promote mental health, independence, safety, quality of life and overall wellness for older adults. Recent publications include “A Phenomenological Understanding of the Intersectionality of Ageism and Racism Among Older Adults: Interpersonal Experiences” in the Journal of Social Work, “Examining the Influences of Educational Computer-Gaming Play on Older Adults’ Learning Using the Biochemistry Video Game Foldit” in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, and “LinkAGES Colorado: Implementing Intergenerational Programs to Improve Connections Across Generations” in the Journal of Community Practice.

Listen to Tyrone Hamler’s recent Brave Ideas for Social Change podcast episode about “Advancing Health Equity Across the Lifespan.”

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Hamler’s research focuses on health inequities, chronic illness, aging, and the intersection of mental and physical health. He also studies health equity in kidney disease for older Black Americans. Hamler currently chairs the GSA Minority Issues in Gerontology Advisory Panel, which highlights research on marginalized populations; shares resources on grants, fellowships, jobs, and research opportunities; and selects the organization’s James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award. At the SSWR conference, Hamler and PhD student Tabitha Pederson co-presented “Healthcare Social Workers Confronting Bias in a ‘Doctors Know Best’ Environment” and “After Organ Donation: A Qualitative Inquiry of Donor Aftercare Worker Experiences, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Well-Being.” Another recent research project focused on harnessing social connections to treat disease. Recent publications include “Enacting Antiracist Practices in Research through Healing-Centered Engagement” forthcoming in the Journal of the Society for Social Work & Research and “The Case for Antiracist Practice and Research in Nephrology Social Work” forthcoming in the Journal of Nephrology Social Work.

This year, the aging SIG met together with the SIG for the Grand Challenge to Advance Long and Productive Lives. Hasche says that much of the group’s discussion centered on how this community of aging-related scholars can support each other in navigating recent changes to higher education, including impacts on the job market for emerging scholars and access to federal funding for research. Hamler reflects, “How do we navigate these changes and still remain true to our mission as social workers, and true to ourselves?”

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