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Summary

Much of my scholarship in gerontology has been directed at two important questions: what is normal versus pathological aging, and how do we conceptualize, measure and positively influence older adults' quality of life? In addition to the theoretical and empirical value of these questions, the answers to these questions have critical implications for the daily lives of older adults. Decisions about nursing home placements, diagnoses of dementia and declarations of incompetence often hinge on judgments and measures of health and psychological functioning. My passion for gerontology has led me to write an introductory textbook on aging, which includes a full range of topics, from normal physical aspects of aging to economics, work and retirement, medical conditions, Social Security, Medicare, the Older Americans Act and older adults’ contributions to their communities. That passion also led to me to join the Board of Directors of the National Association for Professional Gerontologists (NAPG), a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, promote and professionalize the field of gerontology.

Selected Publications

In preparation

• Sugar, J. A., & Cohn, J. (in preparation). A multidimensional scaling model of quality of life in the elderly.

2021

• Grinshteyn, E. G., & Sugar, J. A. (2021). Active aging through volunteerism: A longitudinal assessment of perceived neighborhood safety as a predictor among older adults, 2008–2018. BioMed Research International, Article ID 5185264. [Special Issue: Active Ageing as an Answer to Demographic Change]

2020

• Sugar, J. A. (2020). Introduction to aging: A positive, interdisciplinary approach (2^nd ed.). Springer.
• Grinshteyn, E. G., & Sugar, J. A. (2020). Perceived neighborhood safety and volunteerism among older adults. Ageing & Society, 1-19.

2015

• Sugar, J. A. (2015). Gerontology. In R. Miller & J. Irons (Eds.), Academic advising: A handbook for advisors and students (Vol. 2, p. 107-110). American Psychological Association. ISBN: 978-1-941804-36-0.

2008

• Anstee, J. L., Harris, S. G., Pruitt, K. D., & Sugar, J. A. (2008). Service-learning projects in gerontology courses: A six-stage model and application. Educational Gerontology, 34(7), 595-609.

2007

• Sugar, J. A. (2007). Work and retirement: Challenges and opportunities for women over 50. In J. C. Chrisler & V. Muhlbauer (Eds.), Women over 50: Psychological perspectives (pp. 164-181). Springer.
• Sugar, J. A. (2007). Memory strategies. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology. Age, aging, and the aged (2^nd ed., pp. 145-151). Elsevier. Also available as doi:10.1016/B0-12-370870-2/00122-0 at

2005

• Sugar, J. A., Pruitt, K., Anstee, J. L. K., & Harris, S. G. (2005). Academic administrators and faculty retirement in a new era. Educational Gerontology, 31(5), 405-418.

1997

• Sugar, J. A., & Marinelli, R. D. 1997. Healthful aging: A social perspective. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 21(4), 1-12.

1996

• Sugar, J. A. 1996. Memory strategies. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology. Age, aging, and the aged (Vol. 2, pp. 119-124). New York: Academic Press.

1992

• Sugar, J. A., & McDowd, J. M. 1992. Memory, learning, and attention. In J. E. Birren, R. B. Sloane, & G. D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of mental health and aging (2nd ed., pp. 307-337). New York: Academic Press.

1991

• Cohn, J., & Sugar, J. A. 1991. Determinants of quality of life in institutions: Perceptions of frail older residents, staff, and families. In J. E. Birren, J. E. Lubben, J. C. Rowe, & D. E. Deutchman (Eds.), The concept and measurement of quality of life in the frail elderly (pp. 28-49). New York: Academic Press.

Education

• Ph.D., Lifespan Developmental Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada