Janice Whitaker, M.Ed., BSN, RN, CDP

Janice Whitaker, M.Ed., BSN, RN, CDP (she/her) is a geriatric nurse, educator, and program leader with expertise in aging, dementia care, curriculum development, and community education. Since 2015, she has served as Administrator, Education Program Manager, and Community Liaison for the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE) at Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, where she helps lead initiatives focused on education, research, best practices, and community engagement related to older adult care. Janice currently serves as Project Director for the college’s contributions to the Long-Term Care RISE project in partnership with Penn State College of Medicine. She is also involved in the Teaching Nursing Home Project, Age-Friendly Care PA, and Penn State’s Age Friendly University initiative, including leading community education related to living with dementia. Prior to Penn State, she served as a Director of Nursing in a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. Recognized as a Distinguished Educator in Geriatric Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing, Janice brings both professional and personal insight to grief education following the death of her spouse in 2017.