Meet Our Leadership Team!
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Lisa RicheyLisa Richey brings more than two decades of experience advancing lifelong learning, healthy aging, and inclusive, age-friendly communities to her role as director of AgeAlive at Michigan State University. Since joining the program in 2023, she has helped sharpen its focus, expand its reach, and strengthen its alignment with MSU’s Age-Friendly University designation.
A passionate advocate for reframing how society understands aging, Richey leads with a focus on cross-sector collaboration, aligning efforts across campus and community, and advancing inclusive aging initiatives. Her approach integrates strategic planning, organizational development, and partnership building to promote well-being across the lifespan. Richey oversees AgeAlive’s communications, outreach, donor engagement, and university and community partnerships. She also guides the program’s strategic direction, supervises staff, coordinates the advisory council, and leads funding strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. She holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of Michigan and a graduate certificate in Organizational Communication for Leadership along with master’s level coursework in Strategic Communications. She co-developed Generations Connect and helped lead East Lansing’s successful Age-Friendly Community designation. |
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John WallerDr. John Waller, Associate Professor of the History of Medicine, received his B.A. in Modern History and his M.Sc. in Human Biology from the University of Oxford, his M.Sc. in History of Science and Medicine from Imperial College, London, and his Ph.D. in the History and Philosophy of Science from University College, London (in 2001). Following his graduate work, he served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard and as a Research Fellow at University College, London, and then became a Lecturer in History of Medicine at the University of Melbourne (Australia). Since 2006 he has been a history professor at Michigan State University whose research has largely focused on medical science and social history. He has published seven books on these topics and is currently trying to complete a history of ‘them-and-us’ distinctions from ancient Mesopotamia to the present. Since 2013 he has been Director of the Social Science Scholars Program, an initiative designed to provide diverse cohorts of able and committed students extra opportunities for academic success and community engagement.
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Lori STromLori has a BS in Gerontology/Community Services and Public Affairs from the University of Oregon, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. She retired from MSU’s WorkLife Office in 2018 from the role of Lifespan and Family Services Coordinator. Since her retirement, the WorkLife Office has retained Lori as a consultant to support the mission and initiatives of AgeAlive. Lori continues to serve on the AgeAlive Leadership Council and volunteers as a Board Member of the Helping Hands Respite Care Agency and is a member of the City of East Lansing Age Friendly Community Steering Committee. She enjoys her time outdoors camping, boating, biking, hiking, gardening, X Country skiing and playing with her dog Yogi and life partner Bill. She is most proud of her two sons Jeremy and David who are both Spartans and graduated from the College of Engineering.
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Clare LuzDr. Luz, PhD, Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Spartan Alum, and Founding Director, AgeAlive, is a gerontologist whose research focuses on quality of life for vulnerable older adults, long-term care health services, particularly the eldercare workforce shortage, and the intersection of aging, health, and the arts. She is also the founding director of IMPART Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping MI build an infrastructure that expands and supports direct care workers (DCW). She Co-chairs both the statewide MDHHS DCW Advisory committee and the statewide MI DCW Coalition. Dr. Luz has served on the Michigan Long-Term Supports and Services Advisory Commission, the Michigan Society of Gerontology board, and the National Quality Forum’s Home and Community-Based Care Committee.
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