NCOA (The National Council on the Aging) honors (NRI) Indian Researcher with prestigious award.

The NISC will present the 2004 Research Award to Dr. Manoj Pardasani at the Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on the Aging, the first Indian to receive this prestigious award.

(PRWEB) March 24, 2004 -- Dr. Manoj Pardasani will be presented with the 2004 Research Award in San Francisco on April 15, 2004. Dr. Pardasani started his career in human services as the coordinator of summer camping for seniors at the Berkshire Hills Emanuel Camps.    

In 1993, he began managing senior programs at a community center in the Bronx. As a participant in and observer of the significant role of senior centers and community-based agencies in the lives of the elderly, his interest was kindled in gerontological social work. He received his Masters degree (MSW) in 1996 and a doctoral degree (PhD) in 2003, both from Yeshiva University, New York. Through his work, he became aware of the exponential growth and increasing heterogeneity of the elderly population and the need for addressing their diverse needs.

Dr. Pardasanis dissertation entitled, Senior Centers: Patterns of Programs and Services, surveyed the administrators of senior centers, clubs, and nutrition sites in New York State. The aim of the study was to identify what factors influence programming decisions and to explore efforts made by senior centers to reach out to a diverse aging population.

The study revealed that sources of funding, participant and staff demographics, conduct of needs assessments, establishment of community linkages, and geographical location of senior centers had a significant impact on programming.

Dr. Pardasani hopes to continue to study the impact of senior centers in the lives of their members and work with administrators, leadership, staff and participants to promote the continued relevance of senior centers to the aging continuum of care.