Lyn M. Holley

Lyn M. Holley serves as the inaugural Dr. Chuck Powell Professor in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), holding appointments in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, Graduate Faculty, Native American Studies Faculty (Executive Council), Honors Faculty, and Medical Humanities Faculties. She joined UNO's gerontology faculty in 2004 after gerontology research at the University of Kansas and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and has served twice as Vice President of the UNO Faculty Senate while maintaining active community partnerships.

Her educational background includes:

• B.A. in Psychology from American University (1964)
• M.P.A. from UNO (1995)
• Ph.D. in Public Administration, Public Management from UNO (1999)

Dr. Holley's research centers on improving services for elders—particularly minority elders—and strengthening intergenerational relationships through lifespan resilience frameworks. Her work integrates public policy analysis with the global Age-Friendly Environments movement, examining aging through lenses of ethnicity, identity, and long-term care staffing. She pioneers AI-supported lifelong learning models and investigates midwifery's role in the artificial intelligence revolution for educational gerontology.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• 2009 UNO Alumni Association Teacher of the Year Award
• 2010 UNO Faculty Service Learning Award
• Election as Fellow of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education

As Faculty Co-Advisor for Sigma Phi Omega (national gerontology honor society), she mentors students while leading community initiatives like the UNO Food for Thought Program, Athletes and Elders Program, and Intergenerational Poetry Contest. She provides technical assistance to Nebraska's state unit on aging, serves on nonprofit boards including Midwest Geriatrics/Florence Home and Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, and co-chairs the biennial Aging with Passion and Purpose Conference to combat ageism. During the pandemic, she contributed to UNO's Fall Prep Student-Faculty Committee and develops frameworks for constructive ChatGPT integration in student learning.