Pamela Elfenbein

Dr. Pamela Elfenbein always had a special bond with her grandparents.

"I was the first grandchild, and I was born on my grandfather's birthday," she said.

The love for her grandparents and aging adults grew with time. Elfenbein received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. She then planned to earn a degree in social work with a focus in gerontology, the comprehensive study of aging and older adults.

"They had to create classes for me," she said, adding she got her Master of Social Work degree at Barry College and doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Miami.

Now, Elfenbein is providing similar educational opportunities to UNG students as director of the Institute for Healthy Aging at UNG.

Since arriving at UNG in 2006, Elfenbein has slowly built a gerontology program. It started with a gerontology minor followed by gerontology certificates for undergraduate and graduate students.

In January 2018, she helped establish the Center for Healthy Aging to provide a community-based organization that offers quality education and services for older adults in north Georgia. About 18 months later, the center partnered with the Wisdom Project to allow members to benefit from and contribute to the center's programs and services.

"UNG students will have the opportunity to work with this program that embodies the paradigm shift to healthy aging and engage with adults who are aging well," she said.

In September 2020, the Center for Healthy Aging was upgraded to an Institute for Healthy Aging. Elfenbein was named its director and is in the process of creating a nexus degree program in gerontology.

Elfenbein also has focused on reaching the aging community during the COVID-19 pandemic through a pair of projects to collect oral histories and provide virtual programming.

All of these elements fuel Elfenbein's passion and she encourages others to do the same.

"Find your passion, engage with others, and make your vision come true," she said.