Lauren Bowen

Lauren Bowen is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston, specializing in the intersection of aging studies, literacy, and writing pedagogy within higher education contexts. Her work critically examines age inclusivity, disciplinary positioning of retirees, and lifespan literacy practices.

Education:

• PhD in English (writing studies), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• MA in English, University of Maine

Research Interests: Bowen pioneers research in aging and literacy, investigating how age identity shapes literate practices and how writing studies can integrate gerontological perspectives. Her scholarship spans disciplinary lifecycling in academia, community literacy engagement with older adults, and resistance to age bias in digital environments. She develops frameworks for age-friendly university initiatives while analyzing the material dimensions of older adults' literate lives through ethnographic approaches.

Publication Trends: Bowen's 14 publications (2011-2022) reveal a cohesive trajectory from foundational work on age bias in digital literacy toward institutional interventions. Recent scholarship (2020-2022) focuses on operationalizing age inclusivity through campus climate surveys and audit tools, while earlier work (2011-2018) established theoretical frameworks connecting aging studies to composition pedagogy, community literacy, and disciplinary identity formation.

Advising and Grants: While specific advising roles and grant funding details are not documented in the provided materials, Bowen's extensive co-authorship with gerontologists (Silverstein, Whitbourne) and composition scholars indicates collaborative research leadership. Her development of the Age-Friendly University Audit suggests potential institutional grant involvement.