Contact: Laurie Jake, ATRA Communications Coordinator
Phone (480) 460-1525 or
Ann D Huston MPA, CTRS
Phone: (703) 683-9420

Recreational Therapist Achieves Fellowship with the Gerontological Society of America

(Alexandria, VA) Linda L. Buettner, PhD., CTRS, was recently elected as a Fellow for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). She now holds the initials FGSA after her name and will be formally inducted at the Society’s conference in San Diego this fall. GSA is a highly respected academic professional organization providing information, advocacy, and support for research into the study of aging.

Fellowship is recognition by peers in GSA for outstanding contributions to the field of gerontology. This recognition is for diverse activities that include research, teaching, administration, public service, practice and notable participation in the Society. The GSA Council confers this status. The individual must have been engaged in recognized work related to gerontology for at least five years prior to application such as research, teaching, administration, public or professional service. The individual must have substantially demonstrated an active interest and responsibility in gerontology as shown by publications or presentations at scientific or professional meetings, or public leadership in one of the fields recognized as pertaining to gerontology. This is the first time a Recreational Therapist has received this honor.

Dr. Buettner, a current ATRA Board member-at-large, and one of the primary authors for the new ATRA Dementia Practice Guidelines, has been involved with a variety of new and innovative research projects, and was honored in the past with the Investigator Initiated Award from the National Alzheimer’s Association, as well as receiving the Scholarly Achievement Award from ATRA

The National Alzheimer's Association is currently funding recreation therapy research proposed by Dr. Buettner using biofeedback to measure outcomes in people with advanced stage dementia, "Therapeutic recreation interventions for need-driven dementia-compromised behaviors in persons with dementia". Linda Buettner, CTRS, PhD and her colleague Sue Fitzsimmons, MS, RN, GNP have worked together on many research projects, co-presented at national, regional and local conferences and have done consulting to long term care facilities. Dr Buettner is well recognized by her colleagues for her work, having been a past recipient of the ATRA Scholarly Achievement Award.
ATRA is extremely proud to have Dr. Buettner as an active member of the leadership team.