Amanda E. Sokan, PhD, MHA, LL.B

Amanda E. Sokan, PhD, MHA, LL.B, is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Practice & Translational Research at the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, where she is developing and teaching a cluster of courses on aging.  Prior positions held at the U of A include director, Executive Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Science Program, and regional associate director, All of Us Research Program.

Dr. Sokan holds a PhD in gerontology and Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Kentucky, as well as a law degree (LL.B) from the University of Buckingham, England. Her professional experience includes faculty positions in gerontology and health administration, consultancy work on aging issues, and program evaluation. Her interests straddle the nexus of gerontology and health care and include elder rights and justice, elder abuse/mistreatment, cultural competence, LGBT aging, long-term care, aging and healthcare navigation, health promotion and well-being, provider relationships, and workforce planning and development. Dr. Sokan has a broad range of experience in conducting and facilitating workshops for professionals and lay people on aging-related issues. She has multi-year experience in quality assurance and evaluation, working on a HUD Multi-Family Service Grant, which provides on-site social service coordinator services for residents of a senior housing development.

Dr. Sokan provides consultancy, advocacy and counseling services to individuals (family members and caregivers of persons with dementia) on supportive caregiving and is a trained facilitator in dementia caregiving. She is currently a member of the Arizona team participating in the CDC/ASTHO Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) lab, tasked with developing a statewide lab strategy-and-action plan with a focus on dementia and dementia caregiving in Arizona. Overall, her focus is on the translation of knowledge and research to improve the aging experience.