The Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center and Program in Gerontology will be hosting the 12th Annual Thewlis Lecture.

This year's speaker is Marc Freedman,  founder and CEO of Encore.org, and one of the nation’s leading experts on the longevity revolution.  Longer life presents us with the opportunity to combine work, service, and social engagement into a new, "encore" career that gives life new purpose, direction, and meaning. Those in and beyond midlife represent a powerful pool of talent with accumulated skills, experience, and wisdom to tackle some of society's most urgent challenges. The goal is to improve the world now and for future generations.

He is a member of the Wall Street Journal’s “Experts” panel, a frequent commentator in the media and the author of four books. The New York Times described his most recent book, The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife, as “an imaginative work with the potential to affect our individual lives and our collective future.” His new book, How to Live Forever, will be published by Hachette Book Group in Fall 2018.

Malford W. Thewlis, MD, a former resident of Wakefield, R.I., was a pioneer in the field of geriatric medicine most widely known for co-founding the American Geriatrics Society in 1942 and his manuscript, The Care of the Aged: Geriatrics, which was first published in 1919 under the title, “Geriatrics: A Treatise on the Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of Old Age and the Care of the Aged.”   In honor of Dr. Thewlis, URI established the Malford Thewlis Lecture in Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2006 to raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and stimulate discussion about issues related to aging, longevity, and health care for older adults.