Celebrating 20 Years!
Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics
Optimism and Kindness:
Ingredients for a Long and Healthy life
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
5:30 p.m. Doors open, light refreshments
6–7 p.m. Lecture followed by Q&A
Edwards Hall, Kingston Campus
The 2026 Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics will feature social psychologist Laura Kubzansky, PhD, professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She will share her perspective on aging and longevity, focusing on how personal attributes such as optimism, gratitude, kindness, and a positive outlook relate to living a long and fulfilling life.
This event is free and open to the public. Free parking available in Briar Lane Lot behind the Visitors Center.
Registration is encouraged but not required.
Register
About the Speaker
Dr. Laura Kubansky is professor of social and behavioral sciences and director of the Society and Health Laboratory at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a sitting faculty member at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and served as a founding director of both the JPB Environmental Health Fellowship Program and the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard Chan School.
About the Thewlis Lecture:
Malford W. Thewlis, MD, a former resident of Wakefield, RI, was a pioneer in the field of geriatric medicine most widely known for co-founding the American Geriatrics Society in 1942 and his manuscript, The Care of the Aged: Geriatrics, which was first published in 1919 under the title, “Geriatrics: A Treatise on the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of Old Age and the Care of the Aged.”
In honor of Dr. Thewlis, URI established the Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2006 to help raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and stimulate discussion about issues related to aging, longevity, and health care for older adults.
The event is held annually in the spring and is open to the public.
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