Kenneth Ferraro

Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director, Center on Aging and the Life Course Office: STON 335
Office Phone: (765) 494-4707
Email: ferraro@purdue.edu

Specialization: Aging, health, quantitative methods.

Courses:

Taught (Last two years)

SOC 591 Proseminar in Sociology
SOC 674 Seminar in Medical Sociology:  Early Origins of Adult Health
SOC 677 Research Seminar on Aging and the Life Course
SOC 681 Longitudinal Data Analysis

Dr. Ferraro is the founding Director of the Center on Aging and the Life Course at Purdue University.  He is the author of over 75 refereed articles in journals such as the American Sociological Review, American Journal of Public Health, Social Forces, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and Journal of Gerontology:  Social Sciences.   His recent research focuses on health inequality, especially between White and African Americans, and the prevention of health decline.  He is also continuing his research on the relationship between obesity and health, examining the links between excess weight and physical health in later life.  His research has been supported by the National Institute on Aging and the AARP Andrus Foundation.  He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and has twice founded gerontology centers, at Northern Illinois University and Purdue University.  He teaches courses on medical sociology, aging, and quantitative analysis. 

Positions at Purdue University

July 2008 to present                Distinguished Professor of Sociology
July 2003 to present                Director, Center on Aging and the Life Course
Aug 1995 to June 2003            Director, Gerontology Program
Aug 1994 to 2008                    Professor of Sociology
Aug 1990 to July 1994             Associate Professor of Sociology

Service to the Profession

Editor, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, January 2006 - 2009  

Chair, Section on Aging and the Life Course, ASA, 2004-2005

Editorial Board, Journal of Gerontology:  Social Sciences, 1/92-12/97, 1/02-12/05

Editorial Board, American Sociological Review, 1/00-12/02

Associate Editor, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1/88-12/90, 1/03-12/05

Study Section Member, Human Development and Aging (Subcommittee 2), National Institutes of Health 9/91-8/95

Honors and Awards

Fellow, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 1997

Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 1990.

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