Caregiving, Aging, Research, and Education with AgeAlive and IMPART Alliance

Clare C. Luz, College of Osteopathic Medicine
City of East Lansing Prime Time Seniors Program

Dr. Clare Luz’s work focuses on quality of life for aging adults and concerns related to healthcare, the economy, and labor markets. She has founded two organizations, IMPART Alliance and MSU AgeAlive, which led to MSU being internationally recognized as an Age-Friendly University, and positioned MSU to respond to population aging on state and national levels.

IMPART Alliance addresses a severe direct care worker (DCW) shortage through training and advocacy. Luz has been instrumental in bringing community-based stakeholders together to work for change. She chairs multiple statewide initiatives including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) DCW Advisory Committee and is Principal Investigator on a project to establish a statewide employer-led DCW collaborative. Under her leadership, major policy reforms to elevate this workforce are being implemented and recognized nationally.

MSU AgeAlive is advancing aging-related research, teaching, and community outreach. Its mission is lifelong well-being for all, regardless of age or ability, through intergenerational experiences, engagement in meaningful activities, and connection to community. Partnerships with the East Lansing Prime Time Seniors Program and the MSU Social Science Scholars Program are vital to this work. Joint initiatives include the Senior Ambassadors Program, which matches MSU students with isolated seniors at risk for loneliness. Matched pairs develop mutually rewarding friendships through weekly Zoom meetings and consistently report positive results.