María P. Aranda, the Margaret W. Driscoll/Louise M. Clevenger professor in Social Policy and Administration and executive director of the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, is named the 2024 recipient of the Research Recognition Award from the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA). The award acknowledges trailblazers who are paving the way in the field of aging, particularly among Hispanic older adults, in the United States. Aranda will be honored at the 2024 NHCOA Awards Ceremony: Celebrating Hispanic Influence on November 12 in Washington, D.C. 

Aranda is an internationally recognized social worker and sociobehavioral scholar in the fields of social work, geriatrics and gerontology, with a particular emphasis on the Latinx population. She developed the first Spanish-language support group for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and model support programs such as the El Portal Latino Alzheimer's Project, Programa Esperanza, and Siempre Viva for English- and Spanish-speaking individuals and families living with depression and Alzheimer’s disease. In 2019, Aranda was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the Governor's Task Force on Alzheimer’s (Disease) Prevention and Preparedness, chaired by Maria Shriver.

Most recently, Aranda spearheaded a call to address structural barriers to Hispanic/Latino representation in clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, proposing additional attention to institutional- and policy-level barriers, and individual- and family-level factors. 

NHCOA has been the nation’s leading organization focused on improving the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families and caregivers for over 50 years. Each year, NHCOA hosts its Annual Awards Ceremony to celebrate and recognize leaders in the field of aging, promote its programs and celebrate Hispanic culture.