Emerging Scholars Program
CAF Emerging Scholars Program
To advance innovative aging family science, each year the Center for Aging Families (CAF) selects two CAF junior faculty affiliates for its Emerging Scholars program. Scholars receive two years of support, including seed grant funding, structured dual mentoring, networking and community-building opportunities, and grant writing support. By the end of the two-year period, Emerging Scholars will submit a K or R series grant application to NIA that aligns with CAF research themes on aging families, health, and well-being.
2026 Cohort
David J. Kinitz, Assistant Professor, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University
Project title: "Family Structure and the Association Between Financial Insecurity and Healthcare Access Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults"
Project abstract: How family structure shapes the relationship between financial insecurity and healthcare access among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults will be explored. A mixed-methods design will be used to analyze national survey data and in-depth interviews with older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults experiencing financial insecurity. Attention to the role of “chosen family” networks, including close friends and partners who provide support outside traditional kinship structures will be of focus. By identifying how chosen and kin families help older adults navigate financial and healthcare challenges, new knowledge will be generated to inform policies, programs, and future research aimed at promoting healthy aging among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults.
Alec P. Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Purdue University
Project title: "Children’s Intergenerational Income Mobility and Parents’ Health in Later Life"
Project abstract: How does a child's intergenerational mobility shape parents' later life health? While social scientists have long been interested in social mobility's impacts on adult children, relatively little is known about how a child's intergenerational mobility may affect aging parent's health net of both parent's earlier life and their adult children’s incomes. This pilot study seeks to improve understanding of the consequences of children's intergenerational mobility for parent's aging health using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. First, I will use mobility effects models to quantify the associations between children's intergenerational income mobility and parents' physical, mental, and behavioral health after age 65. Second, I will test for differences in these associations for mothers and fathers.
Shiro Fuyura, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Purdue University (currently on leave to serve as David E. Bell Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University)
Project title: "Retirement and Family Transitions in Later Life"
Project abstract: This project examines the associations of retirement with the union formation and dissolution in middle-aged and older adults. As the Baby Boomers, who divorced at higher rate than previous cohorts and continue to do so as they age, has become old, older people in the contemporary United States are more likely to experience union formation and dissolution than in the past. Given that work plays a central role in the theoretical frameworks of marital/union formation and dissolution, this project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between retirement and union transitions, including both formation and dissolution of marriage and cohabitation, in later life. Specifically, this project will (1) assess the associations of retirement with union transitions, (2) investigation the causation in this association, and (3) extend the scope to populations outside of the United States. To address these aims, I will analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study and its international sister studies, such as the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement for the Continental Europe, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing for England, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study for China, and the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement for Japan.
Lauren Newmyer, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Bowling Green State University
Project title: "Sexual Health and Behavior in Later Life: The Role of Relationships"
Project abstract: As population aging persists, it is important to examine all aspects of health and well-being in later life. Although sexual frequency tends to decline with age, sexual activity continues to play an important role in overall well-being, with links to mental and physical health. This project uses longitudinal data from the National Social Life, Health & Aging Project (NSHAP) to examine the contribution of relationship histories, current partner dynamics, and broader social relationships to sexual health and behavior in older adulthood.
Updated: 08/07/2026 12:06PM