Center for Health, Equity, & Aging (CHEA)

Banner for UMBC’s Center for Health, Equity, and Aging.

The Center for Health, Equity, & Aging (CHEA) (formerly known as the Center for Aging Studies, established 2002) is the hub for research on the social dimensions of health, equity, and aging in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health (SAPH). CHEA attracts researchers and students who are committed to furthering a comprehensive approach to the study of health, equity, and aging through qualitative and quantitative approaches.

The mission of CHEA is to promote productivity and mentorship in social science research for UMBC’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health. Since 2002, the Center has housed more than 20 multi-year studies, totaling over $20 million in external funding.

Working in conjunction with the UMBC/UMB Doctoral Program in Gerontology, the UMBC Master’s Program in Applied Sociology, and UMBC’s undergraduate programs in Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, CHEA also provides opportunities for students to work with faculty on research projects. We are particularly proud of our Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Scholar Program, which offers undergraduate and graduate students a course in the practical aspects of interdisciplinary social science research then matches those students to faculty mentors for a hands-on research experience.

Past directors include founding director, Dr. Kevin Eckert (2002-2010), Dr. John Schumacher (Associate Director, 2005-2008), Dr. Bob Rubinstein (2010-2018), Dr. Ann Christine Frankowski (2018-2019), and Dr. Laura Girling (2019-2022). In 2022, the Center was renamed the Center for Health, Equity, and Aging (CHEA) and is currently directed by Dr. Christine Mair.

Click Here to View our Open Access Article Repository

“ScholarWorks@UMBC is an institutional repository (IR) for scholarly and other professional works created by members of the UMBC community.  It is a part of the Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (MD-SOAR) initiative, a consortial institutional repository for institutions of higher learning throughout the state. ScholarWorks@UMBC collects, preserves, and provides public access to the scholarly output of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Community members can upload research products for rapid dissemination, global visibility and impact, and long-term preservation.”

Annual Graduate Student Networking Event with Johns Hopkins Population Center

Graduate student presenting research using a digital slideshow to fellow graduate students during the Annual Graduate Student Networking Event.
Graduate student presenting a slide titled “Parental Bereavement in Later Life” at the Annual Graduate Student Networking Event with the Johns Hopkins Population Center.

Graduate student presenting a research poster on reproductive health to an attendee during the Annual Graduate Student Networking Event in the CHEA office.

Graduate student presenting a research poster to fellow graduate students in the CHEA office during the Annual Graduate Student Networking Event.
Graduate student researchers from the Center for Health, Equity, & Aging and the UMB-UMBC Gerontology Doctoral Program posing on the Public Policy Building staircase.
Graduate student researchers from the Center for Health, Equity, & Aging and the UMB-UMBC Gerontology Doctoral Program.

CHEA is located on the lower level of the Public Policy Building (PUP).

To contact CHEA, email: chea(at)umbc.edu or christine_mair(at)umbc.edu

Hallway in the CHEA department within UMBC’s Public Policy Building, with office doors and cubicles along the corridor.