News

AARP Challenge Grant Fuels Digital Companions

Kelly Gavagan

July 8, 2026 - Featured News

A new Michigan State University initiative is using technology to connect older adults one-on-one with college students and other community members to enhance digital literacy - and in the process is creating opportunities for “connection” between people. The project is made...

Butterfly Garden Brings Healing Through Art at MSU

Kelly Gavagan

June 16, 2026 - News

At Michigan State University, Artist-in-Residence Zahrah Resh is building something that looks delicate at first glance—paper butterflies, garden installations, quiet creative spaces—but carries the weight of illness, grief, healing, and human connection. Her work with AgeAlive and IMPART Alliance did not begin as a formal university role. Instead, it...

The Heart Behind AgeAlive

Kelly Gavagan

June 10, 2026 - News

As a program assistant for AgeAlive, Erin Filipich helps organize leadership council meetings, support community partnerships and keep programming running smoothly. While much of her work happens behind the scenes, she says every task plays a role in a bigger goal: creating meaningful connections across generations...

AgeAlive Designated Program of Merit by Generations United

Kelly Gavagan

May 20, 2026 - News

AgeAlive has been honored with a Program of Merit designation by Generations United for the second consecutive year in recognition of its efforts to foster meaningful intergenerational connections. This designation highlights the effectiveness of AgeAlive's diverse programming in bringing together younger...

Students with medical packs walking through snow in an urban area.

Care Without Walls: Inside MSU’s Spartan Street Medicine Program

May 6, 2026 - News

A recent MSU AgeAlive Town & Gown session at Michigan State University brought together students, physicians, and community members to discuss how to better care for people experiencing homelessness. The program, Spartan Street Medicine, focused on a simple but powerful idea:...

Victoria Elizabeth Marazita, Eleanor Marazita and Victoria Bucher.

MSU Spring Fling Builds Lasting Connections

Kelly Gavagan

May 6, 2026 - Featured News

Students and older adults filled the room at the East Lansing Public Library on March 31, 2026, for the Generations Connect Spring Fling. The event, coordinated by Michigan State University students as part of the MSU AgeAlive Generations Connect program, brought together people of different...

Lori Strom, Special Projects and Outreach Coordinator

Kelly Gavagan

May 6, 2026 - News

Lori Strom brings decades of experience, compassion, and a lifelong commitment to aging and caregiving to her role as a special projects and outreach coordinator with AgeAlive at Michigan State University. With a background in gerontology, community service, and public affairs, Strom says she has “always been interested in...

MSU Students Design Device to Regain Arm Mobility After Injury

Kelly Gavagan

May 6, 2026 - Featured News

At the Michigan State University (MSU) AgeAlive Education and Research Forum, a group of engineering students showed how a simple idea could change someone’s life. The 2025 MSU Student Capstone Team #9 — Brandon Davies and Brody Stack — presented a device designed to help...

MSU AgeAlive Forum Showcases Innovation and Community Engagement

Kelly Gavagan

May 6, 2026 - News

Michigan State University’s AgeAlive Education & Research Forum and Awards Ceremony brought together researchers, community leaders, and aging advocates Thursday, March 26, 2026, to discuss ways to improve the lives of older adults through research, technology, and community engagement. The event is part of MSU’s efforts...

Bridging the Generation Gap

Kelly Gavagan

May 4, 2026 - News

Generations Connect is a program that brings Michigan State University students and older adults together to build friendships across generations. The program began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was originally called the Senior Ambassadors Program. Today, it is a...

Local farm manager earns intergenerational award

March 30, 2026 - Impact News

Allison Stawara, a Michigan State University alum and community farm manager, has received an Intergenerational Award for her work bringing people of all ages together through food and community programs. Stawara works at Partridge Creek Farm, where she helps run a one-acre...

MSU’s Peter Berg Wins Aging Research Award

Kelly Gavagan

March 25, 2026 - News

Dr. Peter Berg, a professor at Michigan State University, has been recognized for his research on aging and the workplace at the university’s AgeAlive event. Berg, who teaches in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, received the Research in Aging Award for...