Member Profile
Karen Hooker
OSU IGERT in GSA
This year our IGERT students and adviser attended Gerontological Society of American 64th annual meeting in Boston during Nov. 18 and 22. The annual scientific meeting usually showcases the latest advancements... More »
About Me
I am a Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Director of the Oregon State University Center for Healthy Aging Research. My current research is on self-regulatory processes related to health behaviors in mid-life and older adults. I teach courses on social and psychological aspects of aging. I grew up on the east coast but love the Pacific Northwest and now consider myself an “Oregonian”.
Karen Hooker, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University and Founding Director of the OSU Center for Healthy Aging Research and Program on Gerontology. Her research focuses on self and personality processes in understanding relationships between mental and physical health, health behaviors, family caregiving, lifespan theory, and developmental methods. She has published widely in leading journals, has co-authored texts and multimedia materials, and has written numerous book chapters. Her work on caregiving for people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease has been funded by the National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, and the Alzheimer’s Research Alliance. Dr. Hooker has also received federal support for development and delivery of interdisciplinary gerontological educational programs through the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Education. She has served on Scientific Review Boards for the National Institute on Aging, as Associate Editor of Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, and is currently on the Editorial Boards of Psychology and Aging, and Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.
She received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Pennsylvania State University and previously held appointments as Postdoctoral Fellow at Duke University, and Assistant and Associate Professor at Syracuse University. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Hooker has been a recipient of the prestigious Kalish Innovative Publication Award from GSA and the Distinguished Professor Award from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.
