Where are they now?
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More AlumniKathryn BerlinAndres E. Carrillo Aleda Chen Krista Cline Katie Hill Gallant Megan Gilligan Kimberly Hurley Heidi IglayReger Jessica Kelley Seoyoun Kim Min-Ah Lee Mary Marshall Megan MacPherson Lauren Parker Lindsay Pitzer Markus Schafer Jori Sechrist Amber Seidel Tetyana P. Shippee John Spruill III April J. Stull Anusha Sundarrajan Roland J. Thorpe Kyle Timmerman Nicholas Turiano Lori Ward Oliver Wendt Lindsay Wilkinson Tim Wright |
Megan MacPherson, PhDMegan MacPherson is currently an assistant professor in the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University. Her research interests focus on the effects of the aging process, cognitive load, and autonomic nervous system function on speech motor control in healthy speakers and individuals with neurological disease. Her teaching interests include acquired cognitive and neurolinguistic disorders, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of speech, aging and communication, and motor speech disorders. What do you remember best about your time in the Center on Aging and the Life Course?What I remember best about my time in the Center on Aging and the Life Course are the many different opportunities we had to interact with and learn from a network of students and faculty from many disciplines across campus who shared a common interest in gerontology. I always looked forward to the CALC symposia and colloquia, which were not only very interesting but also very valuable in helping one to think outside of traditional disciplinary lines. My fondest memory of CALC will always be of the people involved in the center who gave it a positive, supportive, and family-like atmosphere. How did you get interested in the study of aging?My interest in the study of aging evolved from a combination of many factors including my interest in physiological processes, my personal experiences with older individuals and many of the issues they face, and my desire to help individuals optimize their functional abilities and quality of life as they age. Who were your mentors and how did they help you succeed?I have been very fortunate to have had a variety of mentors, both professional and personal, who have helped me succeed in various ways. My major professor, Anne Smith, has been instrumental in my development as a scientist and has provided many valuable opportunities for me to learn from preeminent scholars in my field. The faculty of the SLHS department and the Center on Aging and the Life Course have provided a wonderful mentorship network as well. I also credit my grandparents for being the best role models of positive aging and for instilling in me the passion, empathy, and curiosity with which I approach the study of aging. What experiences did you have at Purdue that helped form your current career?During my time at Purdue, I have been able to learn from experts whose knowledge, experience, and guidance helped me advance to my current faculty position. The dual-title Ph.D. program in gerontology also helped to form my current career by providing unique and invaluable interdisciplinary training. |
