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UT Tyler School of Health Professions to Host Forum on Aging Well

August 5, 2025 | Elizabeth Wingfield

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions is hosting Age Well: A Healthspan Forum 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at Oak Crossing Event Center, located at 101 Glenda Street in Whitehouse. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness around healthy aging and wellness. The event will feature free lunch, health care vendors and speakers.

“While increasing life span has long been a focus of medical progress, the true goal of healthy aging is to extend health span—the period of life spent in good health, free from chronic disease and disability,” said Dr. Theresa Byrd, founding dean of UT Tyler School of Health Professions. “Prioritizing health span ensures that added years are not just longer, but more vibrant, independent and fulfilling. By shifting our focus to maintaining physical, mental and social well-being throughout the aging process, we can enhance quality of life and reduce the burden on individuals, families and health care systems.”

Dr. Jason Burnett, associate professor of geriatric and palliative medicine at McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, will discuss the vital link between social connection and healthy aging. Dr. Hirofumi Tanaka, professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at UT Austin, will deliver a keynote speech highlighting the role of physical activity in promoting longevity and quality of life as we age.

Vendors include:

Agenda

Time

Activity

10 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:15 a.m.

Community Resource Fair and Refreshments

11 a.m.

Keynote Presentation

12 p.m.

Dementia Live Experience

1 p.m.

Featured Speaker

 

For more information, contact Shawnn Casagrande, shawnn.casagrande@uttyler.edu.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.