Jennifer (Jenny) Sasser, PhD  is an educational gerontologist, transdisciplinary scholar, and social activist. Jenny has been working in the field of aging for more than half her life, beginning as a nursing assistant and advocate before specializing in educational gerontology, and adult development and learning. She has centered her multifaceted practice in the areas of creativity in later life; aging and embodiment; transdisciplinary curriculum design; critical gerontological theory; transformational and radical pedagogy; intersectional and anti-ageist approaches to equity, inclusion, and justice; and cross-generational collaborative inquiry. From 1999 to 2015, Jenny served as Chair of the Department of Human Sciences and Founding Director of Gerontology at Marylhurst University.  She has been an adjunct faculty member of the Pacifica Graduate Institute Depth Psychology program since 2007,  and from 2018 to 2020 designed and taught an adult-learner focused,  hybrid Human Development and Family Sciences program in downtown Portland for Oregon State University. Jenny joined the Portland Community College Gerontology Program in 2016 and currently serves as full-time faculty and department chairperson. Jenny co-authors, with Janet Lee, Blood Stories: Menarche and the Politics of the Female Body in Contemporary US Society;  Aging: Concepts and Controversies with Harry R. Moody (now in its 10th edition); and is first author (also with Moody) of Gerontology: The basics, recently published in Chinese and Spanish.  She co-authors several book chapters and is an essayist. Her ongoing commitments include convening the Gero-Punk Project (www.geropunkproject.org); serving as a community conversation facilitator; and offering consulting, workshops and presentations throughout North America.  An award-winning educator, Jenny’s citations include the 2012 Association for Gerontology in Higher Education Distinguished Teacher award, and a Willamette University Distinguished Alumni award in 2014. In 2022, Jenny was inducted into the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education as a Fellow.

Experienced research analyst skilled in Microsoft Excel, data analysis and reporting, and federal and internal survey development and distribution. Hayley has years of experience in Leadership and Teamwork, Managing Data and People, Project Management, Time Management and Problem Solving. She is a business professional with a Masters of Science in Applied Psychology and concentrations in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Evaluation Research from University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Jenn brings extensive experience as a human services and gerontology educator and practitioner. She spent 20 years working in the long-term care industry. Jenn served as an adjunct Human Services faculty member for 13 years and as a self-study reader for the Council for Standards in Human Services Education. In 2015, Jenn was hired to lead the Gerontology – Aging Services Professional Program at Northwood Tech. In 2023, the Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council accredited the program. Jenn has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Gerontology from Concordia University Chicago. She has a Master of Science in the Administration of Human Services with a concentration in adult and aging services from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. She holds a certificate in Gerontology from Montgomery County Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the College of St. Scholastica, and an Associate of Arts degree from Waldorf University.

Kimberly McDonald came to Northwood Tech with a master’s degree in social work and over 19 years of experience working in the field of human services. Throughout this experience, she performed multiple job responsibilities focused on the complex needs of providing geriatric resources and mental health services. In a complex field such as gerontology, she believes that Northwood Tech’s gerontology program will prepare you to gain increased understanding, knowledge and hands-on skills to work in a rapidly growing field. Her goal is to collaborate with you in your academic journey and assist in facilitating a learning environment that empowers the students. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with my family in the outdoors, whether it be biking, horseback riding, fishing, gardening, paddle boarding, hiking or hockey. In 2023, Kimberly became a Credentialed Professional Gerontologist (CPG) from the National Association for Professional Gerontologists.