• PhD, Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, 2008
• MS, Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, 2006
• MGS, Gerontology, Miami University, 2002
• BA, Economics and Psychology, University of Michigan

Research: Loneliness and older adults, Hispanic health and aging, health disparities among older adults
Teaching: Online teaching, Gerontology education in higher education

• Career Center Recognition for supporting students’ career development and success, University of Georgia
• Center for Teaching and Learning Transformative Teaching Fellow, UGA, 2023-4
• Teaching Academy Member, UGA, 2023
• CPH Excellence in Online Teaching award winner, College of Public Health, UGA, 2023
• Awarded fellow status in the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), 2020
• Excellence in Service Award, College of Public Health, UGA, 2020
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholar, UGA, 2019-2020
• Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Public Health, UGA, 2018
• Center for Teaching and Learning Online Learning Fellow, UGA, 2016, 2017

• Gerontological Society of America
• Sigma Phi Omega (International Honor Society in Gerontology)

• Aspects of Aging (undergraduate)
• Films and Aging (undergraduate)
• Global Aging (undergraduate)
• Foundations of Aging (graduate)
• Death, Dying, and Bereavement (graduate)

Dr. Emerson is a gerontologist who uses large secondary data analyses to explore aging issues in the United States. Her research interests include loneliness among older adults, Hispanic aging, as well as the influence of neighborhood characteristics on physical and mental health outcomes.

Emerson, K.G. “It honestly made me want to work harder”: Student evaluation of using ungrading in an online asynchronous course. (2025). In Press at Teaching & Learning Inquiry

Dobbs, A., Morgan, T. Lott, A., Little, N., Renzi-Hammond, L., Beer, J., Emerson, K. Heckman, T. Harris, C. (2025). A looming disaster: The certified nursing assistant staffing shortage. In press at The Gerontologist

Yeo, H., Kim, E. & Emerson, K.G. (2024). Impact of social technology use on loneliness and relationship quality among older adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 1-25. Doi: 10.1080/15228835.2024.2426103

Emerson, K.G. (2023). Engaging with aging: impact of passive vs. active interview with an older adult among undergraduate students. Educational Gerontology, 50(4), 335–339. Doi: 10.1080/03601277.2023.2280828

Emerson, K.G., Mois, G., Kim, D., & Beer, J. (2022). Gender differences in coping with long-term COVID-19 impacts among older adults. Journal of Women & Aging, 1-9 doi: 10.1080/08952841.2022.2036570

Zhang, D., Rajbhandari-Thapa, J., Panda, D., Chen, Z., Shi, L., Li, Y., Shen, Y., Ghimire, R. & Emerson, K. G. (2021). Linguistic isolation and mortality in older Mexican Americans: Findings from the Hispanic Established Populations Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. Health Equity, 5.1, 375-381. doi: 10.1089/heq.2020.0139

Emerson, K.G. (2020). Coping with being cooped up: Social distancing during COVID-19 among 60+ in the United States. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health, 44, e81. doi: 10.26633/RPSP.2020

Gerst-Emerson, K. & Jayawardhana, J. (2016). Risk factors for loneliness among elders. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(4), 886-887, doi: 10.1111/jgs.14053\\

Gerst-Emerson, K. & Jayawardhana, J. (2015). Loneliness as a public health issue: The impact of loneliness on healthcare utilization among older adults. American Journal of Public Health, 1013-1019