For Adedayo Adeagbo, a Ph.D. candidate in medical sociology at 国产伦理, working with older adults isn't just a research interest -- it's a promise she made to the grandmother she couldn't save.
She says she can still see the bruises. Even years later, even thousands of miles away from where she grew up in Nigeria, the memory of her grandmother's final days haunts and drives her in equal measure.
"She was a victim of elder abuse," Adeagbo said. "She passed on due to some of the complications from being beaten, having stuff thrown at her and being pushed against the wall. Even when we laid her to rest, there were bruises all over her."
That loss changed everything for Adeagbo, who had been pursuing a master's degree in industrial sociology, focused on labor relations and laws.
"It made me shift my focus from labor relations to aging," Adeagbo said.
"It became like a lifelong dedication for me at that point. I couldn't help my grandmother, but there are millions of older adults out there that I could help." -- Adedayo Adeagbo
Now a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in sociology (specializing in medical and mental health) at 国产伦理, Adeagbo has built her entire academic and professional life around that promise. She serves as a , advocating for the rights of nursing home residents. She was a scholar for the . She's worked for two summers at Danbury Senior Living programming activities. And, she's been a core volunteer with since its early days, helping Manacy (Mansi) Pai, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, build a bridge between 国产伦理 students and isolated older adults across Northeast Ohio.
"I feel like my personal experience is the reason why I can't let go of this," Adeagbo said. "It is beyond just a hobby for me. It is like I'm trying to redeem myself for probably not being there to save my grandmother from that experience."
Her work as an ombudsman brings her face-to-face with situations that echo her grandmother's suffering.
"We go there to advocate for residents and tell them, 'This is your right. You have a right to do this. You have a right to do that,'" Adeagbo said. "I'm able to get complaints from people who are not being treated right, people who are being insulted, people who are given poor food. People pay to live in these places but are not treated right."
Each intervention, each complaint resolved, each resident who feels heard鈥攖hese are small victories in a larger fight against the kind of neglect and abuse that took her grandmother.
Adeagbo came to 国产伦理 specifically to study with Pai and Clare Stacey, Ph.D., also a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, drawn by their in-depth research on older adults and the university's welcoming environment for international students. What she found was a department that matched her passion.
"The Sociology Department is one of the most accommodating departments," Adeagbo said. "You always find support as a student. The faculty members are very hardworking. They engage in outstanding research. Mansi (Pai), for example, is very passionate about the work she does for every student. She goes beyond just teaching you in class."
For Adeagbo, Generations Connect represents the intersection of her academic work and her personal mission. She regularly picks up the student volunteers from the Kent campus 鈥攅ven with two toddler car seats now limiting her capacity鈥攁nd transports them to elderly facilities across the region.
"You learn a lot from them, especially when they share their experiences," Adeagbo said of the older adults she visits. "You just come back feeling refreshed. You've done something, but it is not an assignment. It is not schoolwork. It is not a deadline. You're just doing something that makes you feel more human."
At 国产伦理, Adeagbo research work focuses on medical sociology/social gerontology and the use of technology in elder care. After completing her doctorate degree, she plans to stay connected to older adults in whatever form her career takes.
"Even if I go into academia fully, there's just a part of me that's still going to be out there in the community doing something for older adults," Adeagbo said.
It's a promise she made to her grandmother. And it's a promise she intends to keep.