Integrating gerontological inquiry into undergraduate education: An ADAR-Informed teaching model

Increasing life expectancies and growing diversity among adults create a need for scholars who understand intersecting identities in aging. NIA-funded Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) programs aim to diversify this workforce; however, additional strategies are needed to expand undergraduate engagement in gerontological research. We integrated an ADAR-informed research poster project into a non-ADAR undergraduate course. Students used publicly available data to examine aging-related health disparities among populations with intersecting identities and presented their findings as professional posters. Students who selected the poster option earned higher grades and reported satisfaction with the project; however, these differences should be interpreted cautiously, as assignment selection was not randomized. This approach offers a practical model for engaging undergraduates in gerontological research and may support broader participation in the field.