Distinguished Research Award

Established in 1986, the Distinguished Research Award is given annually to a member of the Trent University faculty in recognition of outstanding achievement in research and scholarship.

Dr. Stephen Katz

The 2009 Distinguished Research Award will be presented to Dr. Stephen Katz, Professor in Sociology during the afternoon Convocation ceremony on Thursday, June 4.

Described as one of the leading thinkers in the field of gerontology, Prof. Stephen Katz is renowned the world over for his significant theoretical and methodological contributions to the global sociology of aging. Central to his research is the heterogeneous and indeterminate nature of the aging process, a concept that embraces the complexity of old age and has literally reshaped advancing scholarship in this field.

“I am deeply honoured by this award and grateful to my colleagues and collaborators, within and outside of Trent, for their support and encouragement of my work in aging studies. They share with me the excitement of aging research today, as aging populations challenge us to transform social systems, remake the arts of living and rethink our futures,” said Professor Katz. “I am also proud to join an accomplished group of award winners whose dedication to Trent has contributed so much to its prestige as a special place of innovation and knowledge-making.”

Nominations for Prof. Katz poured in from scholars around the world extolling the value of his important academic contributions. According to one colleague, “Professor Katz’s extraordinary intellectual and research abilities, his creativity, sophistication and commitment to interdisciplinarity has made him a ‘leader of leaders’ in the field of gerontology.”

In addition to writing numerous articles on aging, he has authored two landmark books on the subject: Disciplining Old Age: The Formation of Gerontological Knowledge and Cultural Aging: Life Course, Lifestyle, and Senior Worlds. Now considered a ‘classic’, and one of the most cited publications in the area, Disciplining Old Age broke new ground with its astute theoretical analysis of gerontology as a discipline, and blazed a path for subsequent work in critical studies of aging. His research is credited with expanding the horizon of aging studies, providing the intellectual and narrative resources for other gerontologists to examine the critical linkages between the experience of aging, social processes and power structures.

In addition to his research work, Prof. Katz has participated actively in Trent’s academic life, acting as chair of the Sociology Department, and serving on numerous University and college committees. Colleagues and students alike describe him as a gifted teacher, and inspiring mentor.

Established in 1986, the Distinguished Research Award is given annually to a member of the Trent University faculty in recognition of outstanding achievement in research and scholarship.