Dr. Cathy Scott, a member of the UTC Department of Social Work faculty since 2011, has been selected as a Gerontological Society of America Fellow.
Growing up in the small rural town of Leighton, Alabama, with a population of 650, Dr. Cathy Scott vividly recalled living across the street from her grandmother in a “very close-knit community.”
“I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and older people in my community,” she said. “I remember, when I was first able to drive, taking my grandmother to the doctor or the grocery store and helping other people. It really was just a part of me.”
Her upbringing was the foundation for her future.
Scott, an associate professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Social Work and the Bachelor of Social Work program director, has been selected as a Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Fellow—an honor bestowed upon those who demonstrate exceptional commitment to aging issues through research, teaching and service.
The GSA is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education and practice in the field of aging. GSA’s mission is to cultivate excellence in interdisciplinary aging research and education to advance innovations in practice and policy.
As a member of the UTC faculty since 2011, Scott’s research interests focus on aging, Alzheimer’s disease, caregiver burden, and grandparents raising grandchildren.
In addition to her research, Scott plays a crucial role in several state-funded grant initiatives to build a dementia-friendly community. She currently serves on the ROAD MAP grant initiative, which focuses on supporting older adults in surrounding rural communities. Her experience includes a decade with the PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program through Alexian Brothers Community Services, further solidifying her expertise.
“Outstanding faculty are the key to successful programs and are often the reason students choose a specific career path. Dr. Cathy Scott is such a faculty member,” said Dr. Valerie Rutledge, dean of the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. “Her dedication to her profession and her students is evident in many ways. Her service to her chosen field has resulted in many accomplishments, including a successful accreditation review of the Bachelor of Social Work program.
“She is an example of someone who invests in her students and, as a result, is clearly deserving of the designation of fellow in the Gerontological Society of America.”
Scott’s accomplishment will be celebrated at the GSA’s 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Nov. 13-16 in Seattle.
“It really means a lot to receive this honor,” she said. “It means that my work is being recognized, but the more significant thing is that older adults and families and students are benefiting from the work that I’ve done.
“To know that my name is connected to enhancing the lives of older adults and their caregivers … yes, I’m pretty stoked about that. It’s validating.”
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“I really found my niche working with older adults”
Scott said she has always had a passion for helping others. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s from Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, she entered the workforce.
“My career started out by working with adults living with intellectual disabilities. From there, I did some work with at-risk youth at a residential facility,” she recalled.
She then landed a job with the Alabama Department of Health, “and that’s where I got my feet wet working with older adults … I had to do monthly (well-being) visits to ensure that the services that we had coordinated were going well.
“I really found my niche working with older adults.”
Along those same lines, she found that she relished being a field instructor for social work students.
“It’s that process where social work students work alongside a social worker in the community,” she explained. “It’s learning the ropes and seeing the day-to-day operations of social work. I really enjoyed working with the students, so I thought that was a career path that I wanted.”
After a lot of “exploring and tough decision-making” and many conversations with her husband, Rodney—a native of Chattanooga who she had met in Huntsville—“I decided to go back and pursue my doctoral education,” she said. “It was a big decision because it meant I had to stop my full-time job.
“My daughters were really small then—they were 2 and 5—but my husband and I decided, ‘Hey, if this is what you want to do, you have to pursue it.’”
Scott went on to receive her Ph.D. from UT Knoxville in 2010, then resumed her social work career at Alexian PACE.
The following year, she received a call from UTC asking if she would be interested in teaching at the University. It was the start of a new career.
“This is now my 12th year here, and I still have some connections in the practice community, working with older adults—even with my work here,” she said.
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“Yes, social work needs to be a part of that”
Scott will make many new connections as one of the principal UTC faculty members for the ROAD MAP grant, which involves developing a mobile health program to serve older adults and caregivers in 10 southeastern Tennessee counties.
Funded by the Tennessee Department of Health’s Healthcare Resiliency Program, the $2.6 million grant will purchase a mobile health vehicle to visit rural senior centers, providing education, health promotion, screenings, primary care and social services to older adults.
Dr. Kristi Wick, UC Foundation assistant professor and Vicky B. Gregg Chair in Gerontology, and Vice Provost Shewanee Howard-Baptiste are co-principal investigators on the project, leading an interdisciplinary team that includes Scott; Dr. Sarah Treat and Dr. Latisha Toney from the School of Nursing; Dr. Amir Alakaam from the Master of Public Health program; and Dr. Erin Melhorn from Occupational Therapy.
Wick and Scott have known each other for over 15 years, initially meeting when both worked on the same interprofessional team serving complex older adults and caregivers at Alexian PACE.
“When she joined UTC, she immediately developed a strong acumen for teaching—not just didactic content, but real-life pearls that make social workers a critical part of an interprofessional team,” Wick said.
“Her commitment to health equity and advocacy on behalf of older adults, caregivers and the community is unwavering and a true inspiration to those of us who follow in her footsteps.”
Scott said that when Wick approached her about the grant possibility, “I was like, ‘Yes, social work needs to be a part of that. The interdisciplinary approach really speaks to the holistic needs of the older adult, and it exposes students to the possibilities of working with older adults and that interprofessional practice.
“As a social work faculty member, I’m really thrilled about what our social work students can learn and contribute to this—and I’m excited about extending and improving the viability and the life of older Tennesseans in rural communities.”
The mobile health vehicle is slated to be unveiled later this fall—and Scott is eager to hit the road with her UTC colleagues.
Will visits to those rural communities remind her of her roots?
“Absolutely,” she said, flashing a big smile.
“When I think of my small town, there was one traffic light and there was one doctor’s office—and we would have to drive 20 or 30 miles to physicians and hospitals. So to carry services to these communities, there is definitely a connection there.”
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