2019-2020 UMBC Research Faculty Excellence Award

Ann Christine Frankowski, Senior Research Scientist, Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health; and Associate Director, UMBC Center for Aging Studies

Ann Christine Frankowski’s engaged scholarship exemplifies UMBC’s values and inspires her peers and students to pursue excellence in all endeavors. She came to UMBC in 1992 as a part-time instructor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy, and later became a senior research associate on several large National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded projects.

Frankowski currently serves as a senior research scholar and Associate Director of UMBC’s Center for Aging Studies. As a principal and co-principal investigator on grants from the NIH-National Institute on Aging, Frankowski is bringing further understanding to topics related to autonamy in assisted living, lesbian-gay health strategies dealing with dementia, and adult day services. This research will have a profound impact on the daily lives of members of these communities. In total, these projects have brought close to $6 million in grants to UMBC. This speaks to the high regard with which NIH peer reviewers evaluate Frankowski’s scholarship and her commitment to advancing UMBC research goals.

In addition to her outstanding leadership in obtaining federal research funding and her duties as director of the Center for Aging Studies, Frankowski provides both undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to conduct aging-related research. She has mentored graduate students on grant, fieldwork, and manuscript preparation. She also serves on doctoral committees for students in the gerontology doctoral program.

Frankowski earned a B.A. in sociology from Alfred University, an M.A. in anthropology from Binghamton University, and her Ph.D. in anthropology from Indiana University.