Joan Davitt is an associate professor and Hartford Geriatric SW Faculty Scholar at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Dr. Davitt has worked for over 35 years in the field of gerontological social work as a practitioner, teacher, and research scholar. Dr. Davitt has broad social work experience with a focus on advocacy and policy practice. Their research interests focus on the intersection between policy and practice and the impact on older adults’ ability to age in community with a particular focus on disparities in access to and outcomes of community-based care.

Dr. Davitt’s research has been supported by the National Institute on Aging, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the New York Community Trust, and the Andrus Foundation, among others. Dr. Davitt is currently principal investigator on a training and evaluation contract with the Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Adult Services. This project supports the Office of Adult Services in promoting continuous quality improvement through staff training and program evaluation.

Dr. Davitt was a Health and Aging Policy/APSA Congressional fellow from 2012-13, a 2005-07 John A. Hartford Foundation Faculty Scholar, and is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Davitt’s scholarship has been published in a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals including those in social work, medicine, nursing, and gerontology.