About Us

Pinchas Cohen is the Dean of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, holds the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology and serves as the executive director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center. Dr. Cohen trained at Stanford University and held his first faculty position at the University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1999. He has received numerous awards for his research, holds several patents for novel peptides and is the Cofounder of CohBar, a biotechnology company developing mitochondrial peptides for diseases of aging. Dr. Cohen has published over 300 papers in top scientific journals. For more information, please visit: http://gero.usc.edu/faculty/cohen/

Maria Henke is the Senior Associate Dean of the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world. Maria has been responsible for developing numerous gerontology education and training programs at the USC Leonard Davis School, including creating several online home modification training programs that have been administered over the past two decades. Since joining the USC Leonard Davis School in 1987, Maria has authored or co-authored several scholarly articles on gerontology education, focusing on distance learning gerontology program research and development and tailoring programs for the educational needs of working professionals. She has been invited to present at several conferences on the topics of innovation in gerontology education and falls prevention and home modification programs. Maria is dedicated to meeting the educational needs of professionals working to maximize independence for older adults. Maria holds a bachelor’s Degree in journalism and Masters in Communications, both from the University of Southern California.

Julie Overton, MSG, MHA is a Senior Learning and Development Specialist at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Julie is a supportive housing and long term care specialist whose primary expertise is in the area of home modification. Her research and training activities over the past three decades have focused on the analysis and compilation of national, state, and local home modification efforts and ascertaining the impact of the physical home environment on well-being. Julie has managed and instructed the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program since 2004. She conducts research and training on state and local home modification policies and programs as part of the Administration for Community Living grant “Promoting Aging in Place by Enhancing Access to Home Modifications.” She has published over 20 reports and articles and presented over 50 workshops on home modification and housing options for older adults. She has organized and led several home modification coalitions and provides technical assistance to professionals and national organizations. Julie holds a Masters of Science in Gerontology and a Masters of Health Administration from the University of Southern California.

Jon Pynoos is the UPS Foundation Professor of Gerontology, Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He is also Director of the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification, and Co-Director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence which is funded by the Archstone Foundation. He is a recognized national and international expert on housing and aging in place. Dr. Pynoos has spent his career researching, writing, and advising the government and private sector concerning how to improve housing and long-term care policies and programs for the elderly. He has written and edited six books on housing and the elderly and was a delegate to the last two White House Conferences on Aging. Dr. Pynoos has been awarded both Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships and holds undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University where he graduated Magna cum Laude.

Leon Watts, a Learning and Development Specialist with the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, is a home modification specialist and instructor with the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program and engages in outreach efforts for the School. Having owned and operated Guardian Home Services for 35 years, he provided home modification services for small and large homes in Southern California. As his clients aged, Leon decided to pursue a Masters in Gerontology at USC after receiving his Undergraduate Degree from USC in Alongside his work at USC, Leon continues to manage clients that are over 80, to help them remain as independent as possible in their homes.