Katelyn Frey

Before joining Kent State, I had the privilege of working as a research coordinator at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. There, I worked on an initiative aimed to support the mental and physical health of pregnant women from diverse backgrounds during pregnancy and postpartum. I also contributed to the qualitative data analysis for an online community for women to share their experiences with Type I and Type II diabetes. My time at Johns Hopkins provided me with valuable insights into intervention work in health-related research, particularly for marginalized populations.

Additionally, I spent time as a clinical intern at the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center in Baltimore, Maryland. There, I practiced both group and individual therapy in a partial-hospitalization setting. This experience allowed me to delve into the complexities of providing mental health support to older adults. I gained valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by this population and honed my skills in tailoring therapeutic approaches to meet individual needs.

As a graduate researcher in the Transitions, Resilience, and Identity Lab at the University of Akron, I collaborated with the Institute for Lifespan Development and Gerontology on Age-Friendly initiatives to reduce ageism in the student population through an intergenerational book club intervention. My thesis (Frey & Bisconti, 2023) explored the age stereotypes associated with the “OK, Boomer” phenomenon and my dissertation focused on developing an ageist microaggression taxonomy using an intersectional framework, the findings of which I hope to publish soon.