FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2009

CONTACT:
Eleanor Lewis
Senior Director, Communications
410-455-2065
elewis@umbc.edu

Judah Ronch Begins Tenure as Interim Dean of UMBC’s Erickson School

BALTIMORE -- On July 1, Judah Ronch, a nationally known researcher whose work focuses on strength-based approaches to aging and aging services, began serving as Interim Dean of the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

The Erickson School is the first program in the nation to integrate management science, public policy and the study of human aging. The School’s goal is to educate leaders and build new knowledge to improve society for mid-life and older adults.

Most recently, Ronch served as director of the School’s undergraduate program. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Yeshiva University. He has served on the faculty at Vassar College, in the Department of Internal Medicine at Vassar Brothers Hospital, and as the Executive Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College. He also consults for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Ronch will be responsible for building the School’s undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. “With the aging of 78 million Baby Boomers in the U.S., and millions more around the world, new approaches that promote their need for an active, engaged later life focused on comprehensive wellness will be needed,” said Ronch. “As a result, there will be many, many opportunities for creativity and fulfilling careers in this growing field. The Erickson School's unique educational approach integrates learning about the processes of aging, policy issues that will impact all of society, and how managers and leaders in the private, public and not for profit sectors will achieve the most effective answers for the future.”

--Enrollment continues to grow in the School’s B.A.in the Management of Aging Services program and its courses. The B.A. program now has fully developed tracks in aging, policy and management and works with each student to arrange a substantive internship in an aging-related field. The School is beginning the process of creating online versions of all courses required for the major.

--Prospective student interest is strong for the third Master’s in Aging Services cohort that begins in spring 2010. The School continues its cohort-learning framework and is also modifying its curriculum to integrate further aging, policy and management topics. Beginning this fall, the M.A. program will include additional faculty from the Baltimore-Washington policy, healthcare and business communities to increase student exposure to the perspective of practitioners and new course sections for both senior and emerging leaders.

--Five executive education courses for the seniors housing and care industry will be offered in the 2009-10 academic year on Navigating Change in Financially Challenging Times, Management and Operations, Sales and Marketing, Business and Strategy, and Finance. The School will also offer custom executive education tailored to the culture and needs of particular organizations.

For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson.