Dr. Lee Ann Steffen Ferguson
Management of Aging Services
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Erickson School of Aging Studies
She/Her/Hers/Herself
About
Dr. Lee Ann Steffen Ferguson is the Director of Graduate Programs and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore, Erickson School of Aging Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in leadership and gerontology from Concordia University, Chicago. She attained a M.A. degree in gerontology from Appalachian State University in 2000, and holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of South Florida. She also completed a Core Public Health Concepts Masters Certificate from University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2010.
As an environmental and geographical gerontologist, Dr. Ferguson’s research has focused on aging and aging policy in rural and remote environments, specifically island countries within the Caribbean and coastal municipalities of Central American countries. Additional research interests include studying the influence of therapeutic gardening programming for older adults, and All-Hazards Disaster Trainings for health care settings.
Dr. Ferguson actively volunteers in her community as a program manager and is a program trainer for the Alexander County Community Emergency Response Team.
Dr. Ferguson is the former executive director of the Southern Gerontological Society. Throughout her career, Dr. Ferguson has also maintained adjunct and visiting professor appointments at Lenoir Rhyne University, Caldwell Community College, and Appalachian State University. Prior to engaging her academic career, Dr. Ferguson worked as Director of Social Services, Director of Marketing, and as a clinical liaison in various continuing care retirement community settings.
She is a member of the Southern Gerontological Society and the Gerontological Society of America, for which she serves on numerous committees and subcommittees.
Research interests
Rural aging and social exclusion, Latin American & Caribbean aging, medical sociology and public health, emergency management and disaster preparedness for vulnerable populations, applications of therapeutic horticulture to aging populations, improving gerontological literacy, lifelong learning, and nonprofit management.
Teaching interests
Gerontological theory, applied leadership training, strategic innovations, non-profit management, and advanced sociological concepts.
Education
- Ph D, Leadership; Gerontology — Concordia University, Chicago (2023)
Grants and Contracts
- Leveraging Community Based Assets of North Carolina's Community Emergency Response (CERT) Teams to Improve Disaster Preparedness for Older and Vulnerable Populations: A Train-The-Trainer Initiative 2024