Speaker to Discuss Minorities and Aging The Ithaca College Gerontology Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series continues on Thursday, September 25, with a presentation by Penny A. Ralston, an expert in the study of minority aging issues. Ralston's talk, "African American Elders in the 1990s: A Profile and Implications for Policy and Practice," will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Emerson Suites, Phillips Hall. The talk is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow. One premise for Ralston's talk is the fact that diversity in the older adult population is growing-African American elders older than 65 is one of the fastest growing groups-and she will provide baseline data on that group, including contextual factors such as demographic trends, theoretical orientations, and strengths. A number of characteristics such as socioeconomic status, work and retirement, marital status, health, social supports, and social participation will also be discussed, as will policy and practice implications. In addition to the talk, Ralston will spend time on campus, meeting faculty and students in informal settings, guest lecturing in classes, and learning more about gerontology activities at Ithaca College and in Tompkins County. Ralston's research interests have included community-based organizations for the elderly, health promotion and nutrition, and minority elderly issues. The author of 25 refereed articles, book chapters and reviews, Ralston has focused her major research efforts on the development and use of senior centers for the elderly. Her most recent research concerned factors influencing dietary quality of elderly blacks. Her work has been published in the Journal of Gerontology, The Gerontologist, and the Journal of Applied Gerontology, among others, and she has been on the editorial board for the Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly and the Journal of Ethnicity and Aging. She is a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America, and is currently on the board of directors of the Older Women's League. Ralston has also served as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and has been a member of the board of directors of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education. She has been the recipient of several honors, including the Flemmie Kitrell Fellowship and the New Achievers Award given by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Currently a professor and dean at the College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Ralston is a native of Indiana. She holds a bachelor's degree from Ball State University, and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois. She has held faculty and administrative positions at Iowa State University and the University of Massachusetts. For further information contact the Gerontology Institute at 607-274-1965.

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