Congratulations to this year's recipients, recognized at the 2026 Annual Conference luncheon.
Educator of the Year
Donna Alexander, NHA, MBA, CDP
Long-Term Care Administration Program Coordinator, Kent State University
Researcher of the Year
Tina Dothard Peterson, PhD, MPH, MSW
Associate Professor and Director of Aging Education, School of Social Work, University of Cincinnati
Practitioner of the Year
Katie Beaumont
Executive Director, At Home by High
Lifetime Achievement Award
Karen Rose, PhD, RN, FGSA, FNAP, FAAN
Dean and Professor; Co-Director, Golden Buckeye Center for Dementia Caregiving, College of Nursing,
Dr. Jerome Kaplan Outstanding Graduate Paper
Krishna Sapkota, PhD student in the Social Gerontology program at Miami University
Arnedia Smith Outstanding Undergraduate Paper
Camille Paoletta, senior in the radiation science program at the Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Ray Matura Best Conference Theme Paper
Adedayo (Dayo) Ageagbo, Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University
Marc Molea Innovation Award
Lindsay Cotner, senior in the Health Sciences program the Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Check out the links below to learn more about the 2026 Award winners.
2026 OAGE Professional Award Winners
2026 OAGE Student Award Winners