Fullerton : Gerontology Center Nears Money Target

Orange County’s first Gerontology Center is closer to becoming a reality as a campaign to raise money for the Cal State Fullerton project nears its $1.75-million goal.

Spearheaded by the Continuing Learning Experience, an organization made up primarily of retired and semi-retired people, the donations total about $1.4 million, said Rosalie Gilford, gerontology program coordinator at the university.

With 12% of the population over the age of 65, there is an increasing interest in older people and their needs, Gilford said. By the year 2030, about 20% of the population will be over 65, she said.

Cal State Fullerton’s Gerontology Center will provide classrooms, large meeting rooms, laboratories and offices for students preparing to work with elderly people. It also will provide research facilities and house a self-directed learning program by Continuing Learning Experience members, Gilford said.

Construction of the center south of the Fullerton Arboretum is expected to begin by January, university spokesman Jerry Keating said. While most of the donations have come from the community organization, other contributors have included the Orange County Board of Supervisors with $50,000, the City of Fullerton with $25,000, the City of Placentia with $10,000 and the City of Brea with $1,000, Keating said.

In conjunction with the gerontology center project, the university began offering a minor degree in the field about four years ago, Gilford said. Since then, “we have more and more students every semester,” she said.