Karen Zurlo, PhD

Associate Member, Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research

Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Social Work

Karen Zurlo is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work (Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania, 2009; MSW, University of Pennsylvania, 2004; MBA, University of Florida, 1984). She conducts qualitative and quantitative research on older adults and retirement-related topics that include financial well-being, health, life course development, and intergenerational issues. Past projects have focused on two strands of research. One strand includes her dissertation research, which evaluates the mediating effects of control beliefs on the relationship between demographic characteristics of older adults and their financial well-being. The other strand includes international research assessing poverty, globalization, and the welfare state. This second strands incorporates her interests in global aging, poverty and social policy. Prior to joining the School of Social Work, Karen was a recipient of the Hartford Foundation’s Pre-Dissertation Award, the Hartford Doctoral Fellows Award and a research grant from the National Institute on Aging.