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NORC at the University Chicago

Melissa Howe

Pronouns: She/Her

Senior Research Scientist
The Bridge at NORC
Melissa studies elder mistreatment and has experience working with diverse older adult populations.

Melissa’s work at NORC focuses on elder mistreatment, elder care, and cross-cultural studies of health and well-being among older adults.

Melissa is the analytic project director of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a longitudinal study that integrates survey and biomeasure data collection to examine the health and social relationships of U.S. older adults. She is also the Principal Investigator of the Positive Aging for Latinos Study (PALS), a community-based participatory research project in Chicagoland. Additionally, Melissa directs a NORC funded study of Public Awareness of Elder Financial Exploitation in the United States.

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Expertise

Education

PhD

University of Chicago

MPhil

University of Cambridge

BA

University of California San Diego

Project Contributions

Sampling Strategies & Measure Development for the LGBT Aging Project

Honing methods and strategies to recruit and survey a nationally representative sample of older LGBT adults

Client:

National Institute on Aging

Reconceptualizing Positive Aging to Support Older Latinos

Concept mapping and community-based participatory research

Client:

Mather Institute

National Social Life, Health & Aging Project

A pioneering nationally representative study of the intersection between social and intimate relationships and healthy aging

Client:

National Institute on Aging

National Social Life, Health, and Aging COVID-19 Study

Assessing how resilience or vulnerabilities might affect older adults

Client:

National Institute on Aging

Elder Abuse Survivor Equity (EASE) Study

Applying a cultural lens to personal and technology-facilitated elder abuse to better protect diverse communities

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Publications

Research Library & Findings