Jyotsna (Josi) Kalavar

Dr. Jyotsna "Josi" Kalavar is a professor of psychology, affiliated with the human services program at Georgia Gwinnett College. Kalavar’s primary area of research has been to examine the diverse experiences of aging in different societal contexts (immigrant elders, institution-resident elders, homebound seniors, intergenerational relationships, ageism, transnational care of older adults and Tanzania’s Maasai elderly). After completing her post-doctorial training funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), Kalavar rose through the ranks to be professor of human development & family studies at Penn State. Kalavar’s research has been funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania as well as by NIA. She has several publications to her credit, many of them being the outcome of collaborative research projects with faculty in New Zealand, United Kingdom, Tanzania and India.

• Doctorate – human development – University of Maryland at College Park
• Master's – applied psychology – State University of New York
• Master's – Sanskrit – Karnataka State Open University
• Bachelor's – psychology – University of Bombay (Sophia College)

• 2023 Excellence in First Five Years at GGC Award, Georgia Gwinnett College
• 2022 Excellence in Internationalization Award, Georgia Gwinnett College
• 2018 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award
• 2018 Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching, Penn State University
• 2014 Arlene E. Hall Service Award, Penn State University New Kensington
• 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award, Penn State University New Kensington
• 2012 John Romano Faculty/Staff Diversity Recognition Award, Penn State University
• 2011 Fellow status conferred, Gerontological Society of America
• 2004–2007 International Executive, Association of Gerontology in India    
• 2004–2005 Fulbright Senior Research Scholar Award, Council for International Exchange of Scholars