Meet the Expert: Claudia John, Institute of Gerontology

It is a pleasure and honor to join the leadership team here in the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) of the University of the District of Columbia. As Project Specialist, the Institute of Gerontology (IOG) will continue its mission to serve the senior community of the District of Columbia with compassion and integrity. My goal for the Institute is to introduce interdisciplinary gerontology courses into the University’s curriculum, and to create a community resource for improving the lives of the elderly community. Together, we can fulfill the CAUSES motto “Healthy Cities – Healthy People” for DC residents of all ages. 

Claudia John (l) with Ms. Erma Long, 20+ year volunteer.

These are the words of Claudia John, the new Project Specialist for the Institute of Gerontology, a division of the CAUSES Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health. Ms. John has a genuine passion to serve people and especially senior citizens. She has over 12 years of work experience in Adult and Geriatric Health Services and more than 14 years of work experience in: program development and management, case management, budget management and formulation, and regulation enforcement. After graduating from college, she had the opportunity to educate and to provide public health services in a variety of health services facilitates within the state of Maryland, including government agencies, local health departments, hospitals, National Clearinghouse and Women's Health Center. 

For over a decade, Ms. John served as the guardianship specialist with the Prince George's County Department of Family Services, Administration on Aging, where she was responsible for representing the Director of Administration on Aging, as the Court Appointed Guardian of Person. It was her responsibility to make decisions regarding an individual's medical care and living arrangement, attend court hearings and provide testimony regarding guardianship cases. In addition, Ms. John’s work experience includes the development of goals and objectives of public health programs and services to meet the needs of specific targeted population and the general public. She also managed a budget of $1 million awarded by the State of Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention to implement public health programs in Prince George's County. 

Ms. John received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, a Master of Science in Health Administration with a specialty in Gerontology from the University of Phoenix, and a Postgraduate Certificate on Aging from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. She has received numerous awards including: The Maryland Department of Aging Certificate, Evangel Assembly 2012 Volunteer Award, Emergency Management Institute Certificate, and Prince George’s County Exemplary Performance Award.

Ms. John has a loving, caring, brilliant, and energetic nine year old son, Matthew John. She is a native of British Guyana, South America.
She can be reached at (202) 274-6697 or claudia.john@udc.edu.

Also supporting the Institute of Gerontology are:

Ms. Pena and Ms. Murphy 

Ms. Audrey Qualls-Murphy, Project Coordinator
Ms. Kashawna Holmes, Project Coordinator
Ms. Charnita Wilson, Project Coordinator
Ms. Antoinette Pena, Project Assistant