ROSEMARY BLIESZNER

Alumni Distinguished Professor

Rosemary Blieszner

Curriculum Vitae

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JOINED VPI& SU: 1981

CURRENT PROJECTS:

EDUCATION:

Bachelor's

Mercyhurst College

Master's

The Ohio State University

Doctorate

The Pennsylvania State University


CURRENT TEACHING INTERESTS:

Adult Development and Aging
Family Studies

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Family and Friend Relationships and Well Being in Old Age
Use of Community Services by Rural Elders and Their Families
Support for Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Their Families

SELECTED AWARDS AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Past Chair, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section, Gerontological Society of America
Director of Strategic Planning, Office of the President, 2000-2001
Psychology Consultant, Mental Health Service Education Program, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, VA
Fellows Committee Chair, Division 20, American Psychological Association
Fellow, National Council on Family Relations, 1999
Editorial Boards: Family Relations, Journal of Aging Studies, Journal of Applied Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Journal of Loss & Trauma, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Alumni Recognition Award, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 2000
Outstanding Educator, Virginia Association on Aging, 1999
University Alumni Teaching Award, Virginia Tech, 1998
Distinguished Teacher of Gerontology, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 1998
Charter Fellow, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 1997

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Books

Janet L. Ramsey & Rosemary Blieszner (1999). Spiritual Resiliency in Older Women: Models of strength for challenges through the life span. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Rosemary Blieszner & Victoria Hilkevitch Bedford (Eds.). (1995). Handbook of Aging and the Family. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. [Republished (1996), Aging and the family: Theory and research. Westport, CT: Praeger].

Articles and Chapters

Rosemary Blieszner  & Karen A. Roberto (in press). "Perspectives on baby boomers’ close relationships." In S. K. Whitbourne & S. L. Willis (Eds.), The Baby Boomers at Midlife: Contemporary perspectives on middle age. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Rosemary Blieszner (2005, in press). "Close relationships in middle and late adulthood." In D. Perlman & A. Vangelisti (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Rosemary Blieszner  & Karen A. Roberto (2005, in press). "Perspectives on baby boomers’ close relationships." In S. K. Whitbourne & S. L. Willis (Eds.), The Baby Boomers at Midlife: Contemporary perspectives on middle age. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Rosemary Blieszner (2004, October). "Supporting quality of life for old women." Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 59.

Rosemary Blieszner  & Karen A. Roberto (2004). "Friendship across the life span: Reciprocity in individual and relationship development." In F. R. Lang & K. L. Fingerman (Eds.), Growing together: Personal relationships across the lifespan (pp. 159-182). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Viers, D., & Rosemary Blieszner (2004, in press). "Career and relationship satisfaction among female faculty in MFT programs." Contemporary Family Therapy, 26,

Rosemary Blieszner (2003). "The aging dimension in personal relationships courses." In S. K. Whitbourne & J. C. Cavanaugh (Eds.), Integrating Aging Topics into Psychology: A practical guide for teaching undergraduates (pp. 217-228). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Rosemary Blieszner, & Ramsey, J. L. (2002). "Uncovering spiritual resiliency through feminist qualitative methods." Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14, 31-49.

Rosemary Blieszner, Roberto, K. A., & Singh, K. (2002, invited article). "The helping networks of rural elders: Demographic and social psychological influences on service use." Ageing International, 27, 89-119.

de Vries, B., Rosemary Blieszner, & Blando, J. A. (2002). "The many forms of intimacy, the many faces of grief in later life." In K. J. Doka (Ed.), Living with grief: Loss in later life (pp. 225-241). Washington, DC: Hospice Foundation of America.

Grants

“Caregivers of Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Information and Support Needs.” Co-investigator with Dr. Karen A. Roberto, PI, Center for Gerontology. Alzheimer’s Association, # IIRG-03-5926, $239,975 (2003-06).

“Advanced Training Institute on Longitudinal Methods, Modeling, and Measurement.” Selected participant. American Psychological Association (2003).

“Exploration of a Longitudinal Data Base Approach to Technology Impact Research in Human Development.” Co-investigator with Drs. Peggy M. Meszaros and Jay A. Mancini. Department of Human Development, $1,200 (2002).

“Longitudinal Follow-up of Friendship Research Participants: A Feasibility Study.” Principal Investigator. ASPIRES Grant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $9,775 (2000-02).

“Older Families in Rural Communities: Personal and Social Influences on Service Use.” Co-investigator with Dr. Karen A. Roberto. National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA/CSREES, # 99-35401-7769, $150,000 (1999-02).

“Professional Development Grant, International Conference on Personal Relationships, Australia.” Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc., College of Human Resources and Education, and Department of Human Development, $1,400 (2000).

“Enhancing Intergenerational Service-learning in Virginia.” Principal Investigator. Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and Generations Together, $34,492 (1997-98).

“Multicultural Perspectives on Aging: Enhancements of FCD 3004, Human Development II: Adulthood and Aging,” Principal Investigator. University Office of International Programs and Newman Library, $655 (1997-98).

“Older Adults’ Perceptions of Biological and Chosen Grandchildren: A Feasibility Study.” Co-investigator with Drs. Katherine R. Allen and Karen A. Roberto. ASPIRES Grant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $38,122 (1997).

“Toward a National Study of Older Adult Friendship.” Principal Investigator. Seed money grant, College of Human Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $1,500 (1995).

Department of Human Development
313 Wallace Hall (0416)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
phone: (540) 231-5437
fax: (540) 231-7012