I have had the privilege of editing the Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging for the past 22 volumes. (Vol 9.3 to 36.2). It has been an exciting time for me as it reflects many transitions in our field. Early in the journal it changed names from the Journal of Religion and Aging to the Journal of Religious Gerontology and now to the Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging. Throughout this time, we have moved from a print journal to a largely online journal, which has changed the way readers search for articles as well as the experience of the reviewers and authors. Throughout this time, the international interest in this topic has steadily grown and the journal has been able to reach a much wider audience. It is now time for me to step down. I have retired and am ready to spend more time working with disaster response and staying home with my family. I am excited today to introduce you to Dr. Jocelyn McGee. Jocelyn is a psychologist and member of the Baylor University faculty. This change will take place at the end of Volume 23. My thanks to all who have written for the journal, all the production staff at Taylor and Francis and to each of the readers who I hope these materials have been useful.
Dr. Jocelyn Shealy McGee is an assistant professor at the Baylor University Garland School of Social Work. She is an interdisciplinary scholar and double Baylor Alum (B.A. in psychology with a minor in social work and an M.S. in gerontology). She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the School of Psychology (APA Accredited) at Fuller Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Christian Leadership from the School of Theology. Postdoctoral fellowships were at Baylor College of Medicine (Neuropsychology) and the Stanford University School of Medicine (Aging Research).
Dr. McGee’s research program is at the intersection of positive psychology, spirituality, health, and wellbeing with an emphasis on aging. Currently, her laboratory has a mixed methods project aimed at understanding the role of positive psychological factors, including spirituality, among persons living with Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages and their family members. A second project seeks to understand resilience precursors in persons with heart failure and their family members. A third international project focuses on the role of the contemplative practices of labyrinth walking for cultivating positive emotions, connections, compassion, and insights for social change.
Dr. McGee is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section, and the past co-chair of the GSA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Interest Group. She is a recipient of the prestigious Spirit of Hope Award from Pros for Africa and Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe for her humanitarian service, teaching and research in Malawi, Africa, and Haiti. She is also known for her use of contemplative pedagogy in higher education.