We are delighted to announce two upcoming age studies events for September and October 2026.
ENAS Quarterly Research in Conversation Series:
“Aged by Narrative in Comics, Literature, and Film”
with Leonie Unkel, Katie Jacques, and Dr. Femke de Sutter
September 24, 2026 | 10:30–11:45 AM Atlantic Time, 4:30-5:45 Central European Time
Join the Free Event Here
On October 2, NANAS will present the seventh edition of our Intersectional Age Studies Seminar Series:
NANAS Intersectional Age Studies Seminar Series:
Indigenous Age Studies Panel
with Boyd Cothran, Martin Rizzo, and Olivia Chilcote
October 2, 2026 11–12 PM Pacific Time
Poster + Free Registration Link Coming Soon
Dr. Julia Henderson Receives NANAS Distinguished Service Award
NANAS is delighted to congratulate Dr. Julia Henderson on receiving the NANAS Distinguished Service Award. As the outgoing Governing Council Chair, Julia has made extraordinary contributions to the organization through her leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to advancing age studies scholarship. Her service has helped strengthen the NANAS community and support scholars across the field. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Julia for her many years of outstanding service and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.
Intersectional Age Studies Seminar Series
Grandmothering While Black: A Twenty-First Century Story of Love, Coercion, and Survival
Dr. LaShawnDa Pittman – Associate Professor of American Ethnic Studies, University of Washington
REGISTER FOR THE APRIL 17th TALK: HERE
View Dr. Pittman’s talk HERE:
Intersectional Age Studies Seminar Series
Negotiating Dance Dramaturgies of Aging
Dr. Nanako Nakajima – Dance Scholar and Dramaturg
Feb. 23, 2026 (North America) – Feb. 24, 2026 (Japan)
ELECTION 2026 RESULTS
This year, three positions in the Governing Council were up for election. Professor Saskia Furst and Katie Jacques were elected Members-at-Large. Amanda Bull has been re-elected Student Representative.
Professor Benjamin Gillepsie is now Chair and Dr. Gustavo Morelos Padilla is Co-Chair. Amanda Bull has assumed the role of Secretary.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Julia Henderson for her years of service and commitment to the NANAS organization. Her dedicated leadership as Chair has made a lasting and positive impact on our community and the broader field of aging studies.
We are also grateful to Kate de Medeiros and Nicole Dalmer for their dedicated contributions.
Thank you to the NANAS membership for your continued participation and contribution to our organization.
UPCOMING 2026 ELECTION UPDATE
- The NANAS Governing Council elections for 2026 will be held in January with voting closing on January 31st
- Several Governing Council positions are up for election: Chair, Co-Chair, Members-at-Large (2), Secretary, and Student Representative. The candidate statements are now available here.
- NANAS members please remember to renew your membership in order to vote.
- A voting link will be circulated in January
Intersectional Age Studies Seminar Series
Rituals of Ongoingness
Dr. Mérida Rúa – Author and Faculty Member, Northwestern University
LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE TALK: HERE
View Dr. Rúa’s talk HERE:
NANAS Book Talk!
American Eldercide: Why I Wrote It, How I Wrote It Inspiration and Empathy Amid the Evils of an Ageist Era
Margaret Morganroth Gullette
Wednesday, October 10, 2025 9:00-10:00 AM PT / 12:00-1:00 PM ET
Link to Register: Here
View Dr. Gullette’s talk HERE:
NANAS’ Anti-Racism & Anti-Discrimination Speaker Series
Orientalizing Older Age
Dr. Jacob Jewusiak – Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University
LINK TO VIEW TALK: HERE
NANAS’ Anti-Racism & Anti-Discrimination Speaker Series
Orientalizing Older Age
Dr. Jacob Jewusiak – Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University
May 22, 2025 9:00-10:00 AM PDT / 12:00-1:00 PM EDT
This seminar can only be viewed virtually. Click here to register for the seminar.
Please get in touch with Adithya Kumar (adithya.kumar@ubc.ca) for any technical questions. If you have other questions, please contact Corinne Field (cf6d@virginia.edu) task-force co-chair NANAS.
NANAS EMERGING SCHOLAR CONFERENCE PRESENTATION AWARD (2025)
The NANAS Emerging Scholar Conference Presentation Award will celebrate and recognize an outstanding conference paper from an emerging scholar at the upcoming 2025 ENAS/NANAS conference in Lleida, Spain . This award will honor the best paper presented by an emerging scholar working on a subject related to age studies. The award will be based on exceptional research, methodology, and writing style.
Eligibility: This award is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, or postdoctoral researchers. Emerging scholars must be members of NANAS to enter (NANAS student membership is $20 USD and can be obtained here). Winners will receive recognition at the conference, a certificate of achievement, and a small honorarium.
Applicants must already have papers accepted at the ENAS/NANAS Lleida conference and plan to attend the conference in person to be considered. We encourage all emerging scholars to submit their papers for consideration. Papers will be read in advance by the awards committee and winners will be announced at the conference.
Submission: To apply, please submit the full script of your conference paper along with a short bio, including your institutional affiliation and your contact information, to Dr. Benjamin Gillespie (NANAS Awards Committee Chair) at benjamin.gillespie@baruch.cuny.edu with the subject line “NANAS Emerging Scholar Presentation Award” by March 25, 2025.
ELECTION 2025 UPDATES
- The NANAS Governing Council elections for 2025 will be held in January with voting closing on January 31st
- 3 governing council member-at-large positions are up for election. The candidate statements are now available here
- NANAS members please remember to renew your membership in order to vote
- A proposed amendment to the NANAS Bylaws (removing the requirement for Governing Council members to attend NANAS conferences in-person) will also be up for voting in January – please review the following document with the revision outlined:
- A voting link will be circulated in January
1st NANAS ANTI-RACISM and ANTI-DISCRIMINATION SPEAKER SERIES WITH DR. SASKIA FURST
Click here to register for the seminar.
NANAS Opportunities for Upcoming 2025 ENAS/NANAS Conference
We are excited to announce two opportunities linked to the upcoming 2025 ENAS/NANAS Conference: An Emerging Scholar Conference Presentation Award and a NANAS-Sponsored Panel at the 2025 ENAS/NANAS Conference.
- NANAS Emerging Scholar Conference Presentation Award (2025)
The NANAS Emerging Scholar Conference Presentation Award will celebrate and recognize an outstanding conference paper from an emerging scholar at the upcoming 2025 ENAS/NANAS conference in Lleida, Spain. This award will honor the best paper presented by an emerging scholar working on a subject related to age studies. The award will be based on exceptional research, methodology, and writing style. This award is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, or postdoctoral researchers. Winners will receive recognition at the conference, a certificate of achievement, and a small honorarium. Applicants must attend the conference in person to be considered.
We encourage all emerging scholars to submit their papers for consideration. Papers will be read in advance by the awards committee and winners will be announced at the conference. More details will be shared closer to the conference.
To apply, please submit your conference paper along with a short bio to Dr. Benjamin Gillespie (benjamin.gillespie@baruch.cuny.edu) with the subject line “NANAS Emerging Scholar Presentation Award” by March 21st 2025.
2. Call for Abstract Proposals for the NANAS-Sponsored Panel at the 2025 ENAS/NANAS Conference
The North American Network in Aging Studies (NANAS) invites individual paper abstract proposals to join a sponsored panel at the 2025 ENAS/NANAS conference in Lleida, Spain.
We are seeking emerging, independent, and established scholars, researchers, and practitioners, of all levels of experience and from diverse disciplines working on age studies, to contribute their expertise to this panel. We hope the panel will offer a platform to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, share cutting-edge research, and foster innovative approaches to understanding age and its intersections with identity, culture, health, and more. From exploring the narratives of aging populations to examining ageism and age discrimination, we aim to cultivate a rich discourse that transcends disciplinary boundaries. Paper proposals should fall in line with the conference themes and call found here: https://enasnanaslleida2025.com/call-for-abstracts/
Selected panelists will be recognized by NANAS and receive a small honorarium.
To apply, please submit a brief abstract (max. 250 words) along with a short bio to Dr. Benjamin Gillespie (benjamin.gillespie@baruch.cuny.edu) with the subject line “NANAS Sponsored Panel Proposal” by June 30th 2024.
Welcome to the NANAS website!
NANAS’s ongoing mission is to facilitate sustainable interdisciplinary collaborations and methodologies that bridge the medical and social sciences and the humanities, supporting research that increases understandings of the cultural meanings of the aging processes across the lifespan in order to challenge stereotypes and provide creative approaches that improve the health, care, and quality of life for people aging into old age.
We are working to provide the latest information regarding events, publications, and emerging ideas in the network of aging studies. If you see something that is not working properly, please email info@agingstudies.org. Thank you, and we hope that your experience is superb.
