Meet the team at UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/09\/photo_1_mbd-368x375.jpg\")
\n\t\tMary DeSilva, ScD, MS, MSFS<\/h3>\t\tProgram Director<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tDr. DeSilva assumed leadership of AgingME in August 2025. She is\u00a0an epidemiologist and demographer with expertise in design, implementation, and analysis of mixed methods public health research, with over 25 years\u2019 experience with a variety of public health projects in global and U.S. settings. She leads the University of New England\u2019s new Center on Healthy Aging and is the Principal Investigator of the Legacy Scholars project, an ongoing longitudinal cohort of ~750 older adults living in Maine who complete annual surveys on health and wellbeing, including cognitive assessments. She has particular interests in a lifespan approach to health and aging, mental health, caregiver\/care partner wellbeing, and how aging issues affect Maine\u2019s rural and other underserved communities.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/06\/SiroisL-Headshot-368x472.jpg\")
\n\t\tLynette Sirois, MPH<\/h3>\t\tProgram Manager<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tLynette, Program Manager for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), brings a wealth of experience in healthcare and public health to her role. Her expertise includes managing HRSA-funded programs, leading health center clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting, and collaborating with academic and public health partners on healthcare quality data for research. Lynette is passionate about supporting underserved communities and enjoys working with diverse groups to achieve shared goals and enhance patient care to improve health and wellness. With a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England, she’s thrilled to be back with the UNE community. She’s especially excited to work with GWEP, where she\u2019ll help foster a more age-capable workforce to enrich the lives of older adults in rural and tribal areas of Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/03\/image_123650291-1-368x472.jpg\")
\n\t\tRuth Dufresne<\/h3>\t\tSenior Research Associate<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tRuth Dufresne, SM, is a Senior Research Associate\u00a0at the Center for Excellence in Public Health and the Center for Excellence in Aging and Health. She\u00a0has extensive experience as an evaluator on state and federally funded programs in public health and primary care settings. She collaborates with community partners to integrate or improve care in primary care and health systems. Ruth\u2019s focus is chronic disease prevention and management program research and evaluation. She provides both quantitative and qualitative evaluation expertise, designs and implements comprehensive evaluations, develops data collection tools such as web-based surveys and interview discussion guides, analyzes and summarizes data, and disseminates findings to funders and partners.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPrior to coming to UNE in 2010,\u00a0Ruth had a\u00a0public health consulting practice where she provided evaluation consultation to the Maine Center for Public Health, the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program in the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service, Maine Nutrition Network. \u00a0Prior to working as a consultant, Ruth worked for the Maine Bureau of Health (now called Maine CDC) as the Epidemiologist\/Program Evaluator for the\u00a0<\/i>Breast and Cervical Health Program. Along with other public health positions, Ruth served as a Primary Health Care Coordinator in\u00a0US Peace Corps in Cameroon, Africa.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRuth is a Mainer. She is a graduate of University of Maine at Farmington and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/div>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/03\/Keough-Katie-1-scaled-e1742822686936-368x472.jpg\")
\n\t\tKatie Keough<\/h3>\t\tProject Coordinator<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tKatie is the Project Coordinator for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) at UNE\u2019s Center for Excellence in Public Health. She brings experience from her previous role at Gould Academy, where she worked as an Admissions Associate and Summer Programs Manager, developing strong skills in program management and stakeholder engagement. Currently pursuing her Master of Public Health with a concentration in public health education and communication, Katie is eager to build on her undergraduate background in community health education. She looks forward to applying her experience managing diverse projects to AgingME and supporting its mission to improve health care for older adults through training and education.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2019\/08\/Susan-Wehry-MD-Headshot-368x472.jpeg\")
\n\t\tSusan Wehry, MD<\/h3>\t\tMicrocredentialing Lead and Physician Preceptor<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tSusan Wehry MD is a geriatric psychiatrist with almost 40 years of experience. During her multifaceted career, she has inspired professionals, older adults and family caregivers throughout the United States. The former Chief of Geriatrics at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM), she now directs AgingME, a geriatrics workforce enhancement project (GWEP) that she hopes will help create a more age-friendly health system.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n\n\n\nMeet the team at UMaine’s Center on Aging!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.une.edu\/gwep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/10\/head-368x403.png\")
\n\t\tPatricia Oh, PhD, MSW<\/h3>\t\tAssistant Director, Community Innovation and Research<\/h5>\n\t\t
\n\t\tMary DeSilva, ScD, MS, MSFS<\/h3>\t\tProgram Director<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tDr. DeSilva assumed leadership of AgingME in August 2025. She is\u00a0an epidemiologist and demographer with expertise in design, implementation, and analysis of mixed methods public health research, with over 25 years\u2019 experience with a variety of public health projects in global and U.S. settings. She leads the University of New England\u2019s new Center on Healthy Aging and is the Principal Investigator of the Legacy Scholars project, an ongoing longitudinal cohort of ~750 older adults living in Maine who complete annual surveys on health and wellbeing, including cognitive assessments. She has particular interests in a lifespan approach to health and aging, mental health, caregiver\/care partner wellbeing, and how aging issues affect Maine\u2019s rural and other underserved communities.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tLynette Sirois, MPH<\/h3>\t\tProgram Manager<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tLynette, Program Manager for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), brings a wealth of experience in healthcare and public health to her role. Her expertise includes managing HRSA-funded programs, leading health center clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting, and collaborating with academic and public health partners on healthcare quality data for research. Lynette is passionate about supporting underserved communities and enjoys working with diverse groups to achieve shared goals and enhance patient care to improve health and wellness. With a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England, she’s thrilled to be back with the UNE community. She’s especially excited to work with GWEP, where she\u2019ll help foster a more age-capable workforce to enrich the lives of older adults in rural and tribal areas of Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tRuth Dufresne<\/h3>\t\tSenior Research Associate<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tRuth Dufresne, SM, is a Senior Research Associate\u00a0at the Center for Excellence in Public Health and the Center for Excellence in Aging and Health. She\u00a0has extensive experience as an evaluator on state and federally funded programs in public health and primary care settings. She collaborates with community partners to integrate or improve care in primary care and health systems. Ruth\u2019s focus is chronic disease prevention and management program research and evaluation. She provides both quantitative and qualitative evaluation expertise, designs and implements comprehensive evaluations, develops data collection tools such as web-based surveys and interview discussion guides, analyzes and summarizes data, and disseminates findings to funders and partners.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPrior to coming to UNE in 2010,\u00a0Ruth had a\u00a0public health consulting practice where she provided evaluation consultation to the Maine Center for Public Health, the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program in the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service, Maine Nutrition Network. \u00a0Prior to working as a consultant, Ruth worked for the Maine Bureau of Health (now called Maine CDC) as the Epidemiologist\/Program Evaluator for the\u00a0<\/i>Breast and Cervical Health Program. Along with other public health positions, Ruth served as a Primary Health Care Coordinator in\u00a0US Peace Corps in Cameroon, Africa.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRuth is a Mainer. She is a graduate of University of Maine at Farmington and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/div>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tKatie Keough<\/h3>\t\tProject Coordinator<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tKatie is the Project Coordinator for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) at UNE\u2019s Center for Excellence in Public Health. She brings experience from her previous role at Gould Academy, where she worked as an Admissions Associate and Summer Programs Manager, developing strong skills in program management and stakeholder engagement. Currently pursuing her Master of Public Health with a concentration in public health education and communication, Katie is eager to build on her undergraduate background in community health education. She looks forward to applying her experience managing diverse projects to AgingME and supporting its mission to improve health care for older adults through training and education.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSusan Wehry, MD<\/h3>\t\tMicrocredentialing Lead and Physician Preceptor<\/h5>\n\t\t<\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/div>\t\tSusan Wehry MD is a geriatric psychiatrist with almost 40 years of experience. During her multifaceted career, she has inspired professionals, older adults and family caregivers throughout the United States. The former Chief of Geriatrics at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM), she now directs AgingME, a geriatrics workforce enhancement project (GWEP) that she hopes will help create a more age-friendly health system.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n\n\n\nMeet the team at UMaine’s Center on Aging!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tPatricia Oh, PhD, MSW<\/h3>\t\tAssistant Director, Community Innovation and Research<\/h5>\n\t\t
Dr. DeSilva assumed leadership of AgingME in August 2025. She is\u00a0an epidemiologist and demographer with expertise in design, implementation, and analysis of mixed methods public health research, with over 25 years\u2019 experience with a variety of public health projects in global and U.S. settings. She leads the University of New England\u2019s new Center on Healthy Aging and is the Principal Investigator of the Legacy Scholars project, an ongoing longitudinal cohort of ~750 older adults living in Maine who complete annual surveys on health and wellbeing, including cognitive assessments. She has particular interests in a lifespan approach to health and aging, mental health, caregiver\/care partner wellbeing, and how aging issues affect Maine\u2019s rural and other underserved communities.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Lynette, Program Manager for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), brings a wealth of experience in healthcare and public health to her role. Her expertise includes managing HRSA-funded programs, leading health center clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting, and collaborating with academic and public health partners on healthcare quality data for research. Lynette is passionate about supporting underserved communities and enjoys working with diverse groups to achieve shared goals and enhance patient care to improve health and wellness. With a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England, she’s thrilled to be back with the UNE community. She’s especially excited to work with GWEP, where she\u2019ll help foster a more age-capable workforce to enrich the lives of older adults in rural and tribal areas of Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Katie is the Project Coordinator for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) at UNE\u2019s Center for Excellence in Public Health. She brings experience from her previous role at Gould Academy, where she worked as an Admissions Associate and Summer Programs Manager, developing strong skills in program management and stakeholder engagement. Currently pursuing her Master of Public Health with a concentration in public health education and communication, Katie is eager to build on her undergraduate background in community health education. She looks forward to applying her experience managing diverse projects to AgingME and supporting its mission to improve health care for older adults through training and education.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Susan Wehry MD is a geriatric psychiatrist with almost 40 years of experience. During her multifaceted career, she has inspired professionals, older adults and family caregivers throughout the United States. The former Chief of Geriatrics at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM), she now directs AgingME, a geriatrics workforce enhancement project (GWEP) that she hopes will help create a more age-friendly health system.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\tLynette Sirois, MPH<\/h3>\t\t
Program Manager<\/h5>\n\t\t
\n\t\tRuth Dufresne<\/h3>\t\t
Senior Research Associate<\/h5>\n\t\t
\n\t\tKatie Keough<\/h3>\t\t
Project Coordinator<\/h5>\n\t\t
\n\t\tSusan Wehry, MD<\/h3>\t\t
Microcredentialing Lead and Physician Preceptor<\/h5>\n\t\t
Meet the team at UMaine’s Center on Aging!<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n\t\tPatricia Oh, PhD, MSW<\/h3>\t\t
Assistant Director, Community Innovation and Research<\/h5>\n\t\t